Blog entry #2 Contour procedures

Describe procedures for how you will teach contour drawing skills to young adults following through to how you would have them complete a successful work of art using contour skills. Use as many images as you need.

To help get the rust off from your new students I would hand out a series of contour drawings  many may recognize.

First I would have them draw from their non-drawing hand. Then they would draw the other hand using a pencil or sharpie.

I would have them draw 3 images of their non drawing hand.

After many of them feel as though they did not do well, I'll then show mine to the class and make a remark that these exercise are not meant to look masterful, but a certain stylistic skill. If I showed mine after each exercise then maybe on the first day of class they will feel less intimidated and see how everybody is on the same page on opening day.

The next exercise will be to draw images of handouts I will then give to each table and the student must draw the image upside down.

I'll walk around the room to make sure there is no peeking and cheating.
This contour exercise is to help students just see the lines as they are and to not group what they are drawing into arms, legs or an eye. This semi-blind study is meant to break down inhibitions and draw what they see and not from the mind.

Again when they are finish with the exercise I will then show mine to the class so they can see that the teacher is kind of on the same level. I want to make the students comfortable and then give a small speech on how not everyone is at equal drawing skills and yet they are. I want to explain how my classroom will teach assignments that will delve outside students comfort zones and broaden their able skill sets.

Other ideas given from my Grad class that I could implement are
Silhouette
outline
blind contour
modified contour.

Draw 5 blind contours and 5 modified contours of the hands in various positions will be the next exercise before class ends. The students cannot make a Bird drawing and I'll be sure to tell them ahead of time.

If the students create a set of nice contour drawings from the day 1 exercise I may change the next class periods lesson to continue those that were good. This option may come from an intermediate course as a thought and then have them make part of the contour drawing highly detailed and the rest in its earliest structure.