Contour sketches how to#

Now that you know what a contour drawing is, and have some tips on how to create one, why not give it a try? All you need is a pencil and paper. Practice, practice, practice! The more you contour draw, the better you’ll become at it.These can be just as important as the objects themselves. Pay attention to the negative spaces around and between the objects.Remember, you don’t have to draw every single detail! Just focus on the main features.

This will help you to simplify the forms when drawing them. Look at your subject and mentally break it down into basic shapes.You can always go over the lines more boldly later if you need to. This can result in some interesting and unique drawings! Contour drawing tips This is where the artist exaggerates or simplifies the forms to express their own interpretation. This relies on analysing the reference, then portraying features of the subject or object with just line, so that it appears recognisable to the viewer.Ĭontour drawing can also be used to create more expressive and gestural drawings. Because contour drawings rely on accurate proportions, it can be used to train artists’ abilities in rendering space, form, mass and distance. Contour drawing exerciseĬontour drawing is a great drawing exercise artists use to improve their skills. In a contour drawing, the artist aims to represent the ‘contours’ and edges of the form accurately, without portraying volume or depth by shading the light and shadows. The main details and features are outlined, but small details and value transitions are omitted. A contour drawing is a drawing technique, whereby the artist outlines the shape and mass of an object or subject.

Contour sketches