Lesson 04: Shape

Class# 4: Blind Contour & Gesture Drawing   June 11, 2014

Materials needed:  ?Strathmore Sketchbook Pad (9 x 12)?, Drawing pencils, ?eraser, ?crayons

The human figure is one of the most enduring themes in the visual arts dating back to one of the oldest sculptures called the Venus of Willendorf that dates from 24,000 -22,000 BCE.  Here is a link to information about this important early work of art featuring the human figure:

•  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf

Since then countless artists have used the human figure in their art from realistic depictions during the Renaissance movement in the 14th century to more abstract treatments during art movements like Expressionism in the 20th century.?Here is a link to an example of a figure in Italian Renaissance art:

•  http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/jvsickle/primaver.jpg

Here is a link to an example of the figure by Francis Bacon of the Expressionism movement:

•  http://lh4.ggpht.com/-N8A-2oDOZuA/SXFtvT-VjVI/AAAAAAABm1o/y7_H2lyJRQs/Bacon%25252C%252520Portrait%252520of%?252520Lucian%252520Freud%2525201965.jpg

However, in order to be able to use the human figure in your artwork you must first learn how to draw it.  Below are several exercises that you will learn which will help you in learning to draw the human figure yourself.

Blind contour drawing is a method of drawing, popularized in part by Kimon ?Nicolaïdes in his book The Natural Way to Draw (1941), which presents itself ?as an effective training aid or discipline. The student, fixing their eyes on the ?outline of the model or object, draws the contour very slowly in a steady, ?continuous line without lifting the pencil or looking at the paper. ?The student may look at the paper to place an internal feature, ?but once they begin to draw it, they do not glance down, but follow the ?same procedure as for the outline.

Here are some examples of blind contour drawings:

•  http://studiojuliakay.com/portraitproject/uploaded_images/blindCountour2-785048.jpg?

•  http://seanjkeating.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Blind-Contour-Drawing.jpg?

•  http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/2/11494.jpg

Steps to doing a blind contour drawing.

•  Take out your pad and a pencil.?

•  Take a paper plate and push your pencil though the middle so it looks like this:? 

?                   http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2008/2/15/art-lesson-blind-contour-drawing.html?

•  For blind contour drawing it’s important not to look at your paper but to focus your eyes upon your subject.  By putting a plate over the top of your pencil it ensures that you cannot peek as you draw.?

•  Now find someone to draw.  It can be your brother or sister, your wife or your husband, you daughter or your son.  Anyone will do.  Have your subject pose for you standing up doing something.  Ask them to stand still for 2 minutes and do a blind contour drawing of their whole body.  Have them change position and do another drawing.  ?

•  Total you need to do 12 blind contour drawings each for 2 minute.  You should put four drawings per page.  Total you will have 3 pages of blind contour drawings when you are done. 

The next part of your homework will be to do a Gesture Drawing. 

A gesture drawing is a work of art defined by rapid execution. Typical situations involve an artist drawing a series of poses taken by a model in a short amount ?of time, often as little as 30 seconds, or as long as 2 minutes. Gesture drawing ?is often performed as a warm-up for a life drawing session.  A gesture drawing is?different than a blind contour drawing because you will be looking down at your ?paper as you are drawing.

Here are some examples of gesture drawings:

•  http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs5/i/2004/290/1/8/Gesture_Drawing_by_overcome.jpg?

•  http://www.lightsfromthedeep.com/images/gestureDrawing02.jpg?

•  http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs51/f/2009/334/a/8/Gesture_Drawing_by_cwhite02.jpg

An important part of gesture drawing is to capture the movement of your subject. ?To practice this exercise you should do 12 gesture drawings.  The steps are ?very similar to doing a blind contour drawing. 

•  Take out your pad and a pencil.?

•  Now find someone to draw.  It can be your brother or sister, your wife or your husband, you daughter or your son.  Anyone will do.  Have your subject pose for you standing up doing something.  Ask them to stand still for 2 minutes and do a blind contour drawing of their whole body.  Have them change position and do another drawing.  ?

•  Total you need to do 12 blind contour drawings each for 30 seconds.  You should put four drawings per page.  Total you will have 3 pages of blind contour drawings when you are done. 

After you have done your blind contour and gesture drawings, scan your work (should be 6 pages of drawings) and upload it onto your Flickr page.  In the Flickr “Description” panel be sure to include which of the drawings is a gesture drawing or a blind contour drawing.  Any work that has not been uploaded by the evening of June 11, will be marked down one letter grade for each week day it is late.

This concludes the fourth class for AR101.  If you have any questions regarding the material or assignment please email your instructor at art101@comfsm.fm