Don't Look!

Don't Look!
Artist Ian Sklarsky~Contour Drawing

Mrs. McCullers Art Adventures Summer Online Art Camp Facebook Group

The Written Lesson: Don't Look~Artist Ian Sklarsky~Contour Drawing

Blind contour is a way of drawing in which the artist draws with one line and never looks at the paper. Ian Sklarsky is a blind contour artist who creates art using a pen, ink, and watercolor paint. He lives in New York and began creating blind contour drawings when he was in elementary school. He likes drawing this way because it helps him forget about things that might be stressing him out. When he draws, Mr. Sklarsky concentrates on an object, a building, an animal, a person, or maybe even a piece of fruit for a small amount of time. He believes this allows his brain to connect with his hand. Then, while he is still looking at the object and not his paper, he uses only one line to draw it. When he finishes the drawing, he colors it with watercolor. Here are a few pictures of his work.

There are a few things you should notice about Mr. Sklarsky's art.

He only draws the outline. He doesn't spend time drawing the details.
His art doesn’t look exactly like the object or the person he is drawing.

Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the "it has to be perfect" thinking. I believe that is what I like the most about Mr. Sklarsky's work. He isn't concerned with perfection. In fact, he likes the mistakes. One article I read said he thinks people sometimes get so caught up in making things perfect that they get frustrated and quit. God didn't make us perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not about focusing on the mistake and quitting--it's about recognizing the mistake and turning them around and creating something positive from them.

Supplies

something to draw--a favorite toy, an animal, a person, a plant, or maybe your favorite kind of food
paper
sharpie or a black crayon (you do not want the drawing to smear when you add the watercolor)
watercolor paints
water
paintbrush

Instructions

You are going to create a blind contour drawing in the style of Ian Sklarsky.

Put what you want to draw in front of you. If it is a person, have them sit across from you.
Find a comfortable position from which to draw.
Take a minute to look carefully at what you are going to draw.
Start drawing without looking at your paper. Remember you are only drawing the contour lines--the outline.
You can draw more than one drawing and then pick your favorite.
Use watercolor paint to add color to your drawing.
Post a picture of your artwork to our Facebook page.

*For more info on Ian Sklarsky you can check out these links:
http://www.iansklarsky.com/about/
https://vimeo.com/35769281
https://youtu.be/hEM_vaK2ddc

Here is my finished project: