Hello, everybody. I just started the lessons here and am finding them very helpful. I'm at the beginning of lesson C and I'm not sure if and when "contour drawing" will be discussed, but I've read a few other instructional drawing books and they all seem to approach this exercise in the same way. They always say to let your eye slowly follow the edges of the object you're studying and slowly draw the contours at the same pace while imagining that your pencil is actually touching the edges of the object. This exercise has been helpful to me, but I've also found that it somewhat disconnects me from the drawing I'm making, keeping me focused too much on the actual object.

In response to this, I've started approaching the exercise in an entirely different way that I've found to be even more helpful than the standard method. Instead of focusing on and following the contours of the object while drawing, I instead study the object for a while and try to get a good sense of it in my head. I then shift my focus to the paper and try to imagine that object (usually scaled down) actually existing on the paper in 2-D form. I then start slowly drawing the contours of this "ghost object" imagining that the realm of the paper is an actual physical place with three dimensions and that part of my brain is shrunk down and living in the tip of my pencil, existing in that world and exploring it's space, essentially running along the various edges of the "drawing world" version of the object. To explain it another way, imagine that you're tiny and the object your drawing on the paper is a huge colossal structure that you're physically walking on and your pencil movement represents this "walking." Throughout this, I occasionally look back up at the actual object to refresh my sense of it and then dive back into the drawing world. It's a difficult thing to do (even more difficult to explain!), but with some practice you'll be able to understand what I'm talking about and hopefully find it to be as useful as I have.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone else out there has tried something like this. I've never seen it explained in any drawing book. If this way of thinking is new to you, let me know if you tried it and how it worked.

I believe I understand the process you're trying and to be honest its not really a lot different than what most artists do when drawing an object from life. You study the object, draw a little, study some more and in the process can slide into 'the zone' of drawing and get lost in it if you're concentrating hard enough.

Blind contour drawing has its place in exploring how you see and translate the world onto paper and is a traditional exercise to help you do just that. Drawing will always be a look, draw, look affair. I think I spend more time studying my object before committing myself to placing a mark on paper. Its like the old carpentry term "Measure twice, cut once", but for me "Study twice, draw once".

Islander--- Iwould have to agree with you. I too study for a long time before I draw. I also often draw in my head before laying down any marks. Even in the simple cartoons. I want to basicaly know what end result I am trying to accomplish before I begin to draw. Though it doesn't always end up that way. I at least know were I feel I need to change or manipulate things before I even pick up the pencil.