More Practice Scribbling People Using Blind Contours and the Television

I always like to change things up in my scribbling, so after drawing a bunch of different single-line blind contour portraits of TV personalities (I shared my work with Lester Holt of NBC news in my last post), I decided to try a few modified blind contours on a game show host.  These exercises were just as fun for helping me pay new attention to something I had seen many times and for improving my drawing.

Here is one example I did, with apologies to Alex Trebek.  I didn't label it clearly, but the drawings are blind, five looks, and ten looks (with hair and shadows added later).

I had great fun doing it and feel like I want to try him again.  Even in the final scribble where I looked ten times, I couldn't get his chin right.  Ah, well.  There is always another drawing to come!

(Plus, I just realized I spelled the man's name wrong in my sketchbook--apologies!  But I don't proofread what I write there...)

Here are the steps I used for practicing drawing portraits using modified blind contour drawings and TV personalities!

Practice Drawing Portraits with Modified Blind Contours

1.  Find someone to sit for you.  Or choose a TV show (like many game shows or talk shows) where the people sit fairly still.  If you have a DVR and want to freeze the screen, I would not consider that cheating!

2.  Grab some paper and smooth quick flowing pen.  It's important to be able to move your pen as quickly as you wish.

3.  Decide what part of the person's face you are going to start on.

4.  Look at the paper and select where you are going to start the drawing.  Put the pen down.  For the first sketch, do not pick it up again!

5.  Look up at your model.  Move your eyes slowly around the person's features.  As you move your eyes, move your pen.  No matter what the speed, keep your eyes and your pen together.  Remember not to pick up the pen if you can help it!

6.  Finish and look at your drawing!  Appreciate for just a few seconds what is lively and keen about it. 

7.  Pick a new point on the person's face to start your next drawing and put your pen down on the paper.  Draw the person pretty much the same way as you did before, only this time, allow yourself to look a few times.  Maybe twice.  Or three times.  Or five.  It's up to you.

8.  Have a look at this drawing!  Appreciate it.  

9.  Pick a new point on the person's face and put your pen down on the paper.  This time, draw the person, but allow yourself to look a few more times.  Maybe twice as much as you looked during the last drawing.

10.  Do as many as you wish!  Try to do at least three, so you can see the differences in your drawings. 

When you are done, sit back and have a look!

What do you notice about the similarities and differences among your drawings?

What do you appreciate about your subject that you hadn't noticed before (no matter how many times you've looked at him or her)?  Any surprises there for you?

What did this drawing exercise help you learn, not only about drawing, but about seeing and appreciating?