Continuous Contour Line Art by Gabrielle McLean

Sometimes your mind needs a break. Taking part in this activity will allow you to place all your focus on accurately drawing your chosen object rather than paying attention to life’s chaos. This may be a challenge, especially if you have not done this before, but see it as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than a chance for failure; you can only grow if you try!

Materials:

Sketchbook or Paper

Pencil or Pen

A random object you can easily find around or outside your house

Optional: Markers, Colored Pencils, Paint, Beads, Sequins, Rhinestones, etc.

Instructions:

Step one:

Take out your paper or sketchbook as well as your pencils or any writing utensil you want to use to draw.

Step two:

Place your item of choice in front of you. You may choose a pair of glasses, a flower, a paintbrush, a glass, or a light, for example, and you may choose as simple or complicated an object as you like. For a challenge, you may decide to draw multiple items-keep in mind you still need to leave your pencil on the paper!

Step three:

Begin to draw your item and without picking up your pen, continue to draw its shapes until you are finished. Focus on what the object(s) actually look like and the shapes you see rather than what you think the object looks like. You may glance at your paper, but focus your attention on the object. Put all your energy on this right now. Continue to keep your pencil or pen on the paper; it is okay if you make mistakes because they will not be noticeable when you are finished and it is okay if your art looks different than your reference. Do not feel the need to rush.

Optional Step four:

If you have paint, metallic markers, colored pencils, or any other supplies you would like to use on your work, you can do so now. You can also leave your creation as is, without adding other elements if you prefer. At this point, you may want to lightly erase your pencil lines so they are less noticeable through the crayons, pencils, or markers you use. If you need to glue any items to your art, be sure to not add too much glue-you want the item to stick, but you do not want the paper to bend from the weight. Make sure you give your art enough time to dry!

Step five:

When you are done you can display your piece of art!