Blind Contour

Blind contour is an exercise in observational drawing where the artist draws a subject without looking at the paper. Instead, they keep their eyes on the subject and allow their hand to follow the contours and shapes they see. The resulting drawings are often abstract and imperfect, but they capture the essence of the subject and convey a sense of movement and energy. This technique challenges the artist to let go of perfectionism and embrace movement, making it a valuable exercise for all artists.

I further discovered the mask of blind contour when I gave myself permission to doodle during class—even if it meant that I was dividing my attention. Then somehow I focused more, looked differently and captured something more than what my eyes could see. The pen as an extension of the body. The body as an extension of the eye. The eye as the bridge in the space between myself and my subject. Eventually this exploration transformed my marks and the pages began to explode with bending flowers.