“A line drawing is like taking a dot for a walk.” -- Paul Klee
Paul Klee (Swiss, born Germany, 1879-1940), Or The Mocker Mocked (Oder der verspottete Spötter), 1930, oil on canvas, 17 x 20 5/8 inches (43.2 x 52.4 cm), Museum of Modern Art, NY
Often used as a technique to warm up art students and get their creative blocks tumbling, continuous line drawing is actually a very powerful way to create a piece that is both hard edged and fluid, representational and abstract, rational and emotional all in one.
Known as unbroken line drawing, continuous line drawing or blind object drawing, the premise is that the pen, pencil or another easy writing instrument never leaves the paper until you are done. (It differs from contour line drawing where additional lines can be added.) Blind refers to the sensation that like a blind person, you are feeling the contours or edges of a figure, both internally and around the perimeter. Drawing something without looking at it is a way to trick our minds into looking beyond what we expect to see. Hands, for example, can be much more dominant in a line drawing as they are often something that we consider an expressive part of us and therefore might take on more significance in a drawing such as this.
Sounds simple. But as with most things, it is actually more challenging than it first seems! Many artists use this technique to “gestalt” or get that first sensation about an object without allowing their rational mind to interfere with the process.
To do this type of drawing you need a pencil, or any writing element that offers a smooth continuous line, and a smooth, blank piece of paper. Choose something you want to draw such as a person, flower, fruit or whatever inspires you. After observing for a moment and looking critically at the contours decide where you want to start. Starting with the center often increases your perception of what you see and creates an almost tactile sense to this exercise. You are trying to capture the essence of the object and the idea of movement.
Here is an example by Helen South:Blind Drawing of a Rose
Try to create a drawing of the same object using different types of pencils or charcoal, even ink and see if that affects the way you define the object. Enjoy this exercise for the fun of it but also as a way to increase your visual acuity.
To learn more about this technique I suggest the following resources:
Experimental Drawing , Robert Kaupelis
The Natural Way to Draw, Kimon Nicolaides
Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters, Robert Hale
Harold and the Purple Crayon, Crockett Johnson