Blind contour drawing

[1][2] The student fixes their eyes on the outline of the model or object, then tracks the edge of the object with their eyes, while simultaneously drawing the contour very slowly, in a steady, continuous line without lifting the pencil or looking at the paper.

[2][3][4] Nicolaïdes and Edwards propose different ideas of why blind contour drawing is an important method of drawing for art students.

Nicolaïdes instructs students to keep the belief that the pencil point is actually touching the contour.

The left mode of the brain rejects meticulous, complex perception of spatial and relational information, consequently permitting the right brain to take over.

[2][4] Blind contour drawing trains the eye and hand to work as a team, and it helps students to see all of the details of the object.