Overview
Create a portrait of the person sitting across from you without looking at your paper. Your goal is to notice as many details as you can while looking only at your subject. Trace the contours of your subject using only pure observation – without judgement of your drawing skills.
Time
5 minutes of drawing. 5 minutes of discussion.
Instructions:
- Place your paper away from view.
- Draw the outside and cross contours very slowly in a steady, continuous line without looking at the paper. Notice each individual detail, surface, and angle.
- Proceed slowly. Concentrate, focus, and draw as if you are tracing the contours. Move your pencil in a slow and steady pace, much like tracing. Donāt look at your paper.
- Draw until the timer goes off. If you finish before the time is up, look even closer and continue your blind contour drawing without looking at the paper.
Instructor Notes
- Do a live demo first to show students exactly what the process and outcome looks like.
- Reassure your students that they will not be judged on the drawing. The resulting drawings are always beautiful; the activity is about the process and the things that come up for them during the drawing time.
- You may need pause the timer and take a few breaks during the 5 minutes to check in with your students.
- If a student is too uncomfortable with eye-contact, suggest that they draw a classmate’s hand instead.
Categories
Connection, confidence, noticing
Contributor
Prof. Jenna Spevack
Communication Design Department
City Tech – CUNY
Image Source
Blind Contour Tests 2024 by Jenna Spevack, is licensed under CC BY-NC.
