Pages

Friday, September 3, 2010

Photo of the Day and A Blind Contour

Today's photo was taken through the living room window. I love how the colors pop this time of year and am so impressed with the multiple heads on the "volunteer" sunflowers.



I also remembered to try a blind contour this morning. I did this at the dining table even before my morning coffee.

NOTE: THE EYES AND NOSE WERE ADDED AFTERWARD!

This is the model.

I have some questions about blind contour: Am I supposed to be able to do the facial features and spots without looking also? Somehow I think of a blind contour as just the outside of an object.

My art room needs a good cleaning, the last of the free Creative Techs WC painting webcast is on today, and there are a couple of YouTube videos to watch. I am planning to go to the coffee shop in Mason to do the computer related tasks later today. 

My art assignment for today is to paint the Kraft paper I bought at the dollar store yesterday to make personalized wrapping paper for Katie's birthday present, and I have to make her a card. Her party is tomorrow. She will be 7.

So I am off to walk the treadmill and then get this room picked up. I sometimes think my Muse leaves me because she can't stand to be in this room when it is such a mess. I am thinking that if I get it cleaned up she will spend some time with me later today. I'll share whatever finds its way onto paper.

xoxo

8 comments:

  1. Wow! Your blind contour is really great! And your photo - well, besides the lovely colors, I couldn't help but notice the Absence Of Weeds!!!! I'm so jealous. lol hugs, nancy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, I so cannot draw without looking! I think, however, a blind contour is done without lifting the pencil (or whatever) from the page, so I would assume the outside only unless its supposed to look like a connect the dot game... It looks like the model though! (I love the sunflowers)
    :) Lauren

    ReplyDelete
  3. Blind contour is just that...blind! You can go in with the features but that generally doesn't work real well. Contour=the outside edge of something. So, that is what you get with the blind, very carefully following the edge of the model. You can then fill in the rest of the drawing with details if you wish. You actually get some fantastic drawings by starting with the contours. Make sure you move very slowing around the model.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Vickie, Wonderful photos and I like your blind contour drawing. If I'm in the mood and have the time, I'll add the inner contours. I just look at the drawing and subject, estimate where the line or shape starts, get oriented and redo. At some point, I think we all need to adjust these exercises to our needs and what has meaning to us. In any case I LIKE your cat!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great job with the blind contour! ^^

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your photos are delightful. The cat is cute, but I agree with others that you are not supposed to lift the pen.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Vicki: The way I understand blind contour is that it's done very slowly, just the outer contours of the object, not lifting the pen. On the other hand, a "contour" drawing allows for looking, filling in the details but without lifting the pen. Charles Reid, my most fave watercolor painter, does some magnificent contour drawings in his books...stand alone drawings that could be framed. His contention is that by drawing very slowly and with focus, teaches us how to "see"...not what left brain tells us the object is.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I learned blind contour drawing from Nicolaides's "The Natural Way to Draw" and he states that contours are not mere outlines, but that you follow a contour as it turns in and you can retrace the line if you need to come back out. Following contours as they turn into the body really adds to the volume, which adds dimension. I like your cat!

    ReplyDelete