Real-world examples of blind contour drawing techniques that actually help you improve

The best examples of blind contour drawing techniques to try first

Let’s start with the heart of it: examples of blind contour drawing techniques you can actually sit down and do. No fancy setup. Just a pen, paper, and a willingness to draw badly for a little while.

Blind contour, at its core, means you keep your eyes on the subject and do not look at your paper while you draw. You move your pen as your eyes move, slowly tracing the edges and major forms with your gaze. The point isn’t a pretty result; it’s training your brain to really see.

Below are some of the best examples teachers, students, and working illustrators use regularly.

Example of a classic blind contour portrait (the day-one exercise)

If you only try one thing from this article, make it this: the classic blind contour portrait.

Sit across from a friend, or use a mirror and draw your own face. Put your pen on the page, pick a starting point (maybe the edge of your eyebrow), and then lock your eyes onto your subject. As your eyes travel slowly along the contours of the face, let your hand follow on the page—without peeking.

This is one of the most common examples of blind contour drawing techniques used in beginner drawing classes because it does three things at once:

• Forces you to slow down and notice subtle curves in the nose, lips, and jawline.
• Breaks the habit of drawing a “symbol” of a face instead of the actual, specific face in front of you.
• Teaches you to accept weird, distorted results as part of learning.

You’ll end up with a wonky, slightly haunted-looking portrait. That’s perfect. The goal is observation, not accuracy.

Continuous line self-portrait: a tighter, longer blind contour

Once you’ve tried a quick portrait, push it further with a continuous line self-portrait as another example of blind contour drawing.

Same rules: no looking at the page. This time, add one twist—never lift your pen. The line must be one unbroken path from start to finish.

This example of blind contour drawing technique is especially good for:

• Building confidence in long, uninterrupted lines.
• Training your hand not to hesitate or scratch timidly.
• Helping you see how different features connect (eye to nose to mouth to chin) as one flowing structure.

Give yourself 5–10 minutes for a single drawing. It will feel long. That’s the point. The longer you stay in the drawing, the more your brain stops worrying about results and starts paying attention to the journey of the line.

Blind contour hands: the classic art-school warmup

Hands are notoriously hard to draw, which makes them perfect for blind contour.

Rest your non-drawing hand on the table in an interesting pose—fingers spread, bent, or loosely curled. Start at a fingertip and trace slowly with your eyes around each finger, knuckle, nail, and wrinkle.

This is one of the best examples of blind contour drawing techniques for sharpening observation because hands are full of tiny directional changes. Your eyes have to stay alert, and your drawing hand has to keep up.

Try:

• Different hand positions: fist, pointing, holding an object.
• Rotating your hand between drawings to get new angles.
• Varying speed: one very slow drawing, one faster and more gestural.

Over time, you’ll notice your regular hand drawings (where you are allowed to look at the paper) become more confident and less symbol-based.

Everyday objects: real examples from your desk and kitchen

You don’t need a model or a fancy still life setup. Some of the most practical examples of blind contour drawing techniques come from whatever is lying around.

Look around your space and grab:

• A pair of scissors
• Your favorite mug
• A shoe
• A set of keys

Place one object at a time in front of you. Set a timer for 3 minutes and commit to a blind contour drawing of that single object.

These real-world examples include lots of interesting shapes: overlapping loops in keys, complex curves in a shoe, ellipses in a mug. Drawing them blind helps you:

• Stop overthinking perspective and just follow what you see.
• Notice negative space (the shapes between and around objects) more clearly.
• Practice on subjects you actually interact with every day.

This is a great daily warmup: one object, one blind contour, three minutes. You can stack several of these into a 15-minute drawing session that feels surprisingly focused.

Moving subjects: blind contour people-watching

Once you’re comfortable with static objects, try a more advanced example of blind contour drawing: moving subjects.

Go to a park, café, or bus stop and pick someone in your line of sight. You’ll only have a short window before they shift position or leave, so work small and fast.

Keep your eyes on the person, and draw their outline as they sit, stand, or gesture. If they move, don’t panic. Just keep drawing, following their new pose.

This is one of the best examples of blind contour drawing techniques for:

• Training quick observation—no time to fuss.
• Capturing gesture and movement instead of frozen, stiff poses.
• Loosening up your expectations around “finishing” a drawing.

Urban sketchers and figure drawing students often use this as a warmup before longer sessions. It’s messy, but it wakes up your eyes and your hand.

Modified blind contour: a gentler training-wheels version

If you’re feeling frustrated by total blindness, here’s a softer example of blind contour drawing that many instructors use: modified blind contour.

You still spend most of your time looking at the subject, but you’re allowed to glance at your paper briefly to:

• Reorient your position
• Avoid falling off the page
• Check that your scale isn’t shrinking or exploding

This example of blind contour drawing technique is especially helpful for beginners or younger students who shut down when they feel too out of control. It keeps the spirit of blind contour (eyes mostly on the subject) while easing anxiety.

In many college drawing courses, you’ll see a mix of pure blind contour and modified blind contour in early assignments, because both train slightly different skills. The modified version is a bridge between blind contour and more traditional contour drawing.

For a good overview of contour approaches in drawing education, you can browse resources from art programs at universities like RISD or UCLA Arts, which often emphasize observational exercises in their foundations courses.

Timed blind contour sessions: stacking short exercises

Another practical example of blind contour drawing is to turn it into a timed circuit.

Set a timer for 20 minutes and break it into short rounds:

• 3 minutes: blind contour of your hand
• 3 minutes: blind contour of an object on your desk
• 4 minutes: blind contour self-portrait
• 5 minutes: blind contour of a plant or chair
• 5 minutes: modified blind contour combining two objects

This approach keeps your brain engaged; you’re constantly switching subjects while staying in that eyes-on-the-object mindset.

Artists and art therapists often use timed sessions like this because they:

• Encourage focus without feeling endless.
• Help you notice progress over weeks (your lines get more confident and intentional).
• Create a repeatable routine, which matters more than raw talent.

For more on how consistent creative practice supports mental focus and stress reduction, you can explore general creativity and mental health resources from organizations like the National Institutes of Health and Mayo Clinic.

Layered blind contour: building complex scenes

Once you’re comfortable with single subjects, try a layered example of blind contour drawing that builds a mini scene.

Here’s how it works:

1. Choose three simple objects—a mug, a spoon, and a book, for example.
2. Arrange them together in front of you.
3. Do a blind contour of the mug.
4. Without moving the paper, do a blind contour of the spoon on top of the first drawing.
5. Finally, add the book as a third blind contour layer.

You’ll end up with a chaotic tangle of lines, but that’s exactly what makes this one of the more advanced examples of blind contour drawing techniques. It forces you to:

• Hold a mental map of where each object roughly sits on the page.
• Observe overlaps and intersections without relying on erasing.
• Accept complexity without tightening up.

Later, you can go back and do a regular contour drawing of the same setup and compare. You’ll often see that your second drawing is more confident, because your brain already “walked” around those forms during the blind contour.

Digital twist: blind contour on a tablet in 2024–2025

Blind contour isn’t just for paper anymore. A growing number of illustrators are adapting these examples of blind contour drawing techniques to digital tools like iPads and drawing tablets.

Here’s a simple digital example of blind contour drawing:

• Open your drawing app and turn off any drawing aids like stabilization or smoothing.
• Make your canvas fairly large.
• Rotate your tablet slightly or zoom in so you can’t easily guess where you are on the page.
• Look only at your subject (not the screen) as you draw.

Digital blind contour has a few perks:

• You can layer multiple blind contour attempts on different layers and toggle them on and off.
• You can change brush sizes and textures between attempts to see how line quality shifts.
• You can record your screen to watch your line path afterward, which is a fascinating way to study your own habits.

Art and design schools that now teach hybrid or online courses often recommend digital observational exercises like this to maintain traditional skills while using current tools. Many art education programs, like those discussed through resources at Harvard Graduate School of Education, highlight the value of combining analog and digital practice for modern learners.

How to build a personal practice using these examples

Seeing a list of examples is one thing; weaving them into your actual drawing life is another. Here’s a simple way to turn these examples of blind contour drawing techniques into a weekly routine:

• Warmup days (10–15 minutes): One blind contour hand, one object, one quick self-portrait.
• Study days (20–30 minutes): Longer continuous-line portraits or layered object setups.
• Out-and-about days: People-watching blind contours at a café, bus stop, or park.
• Digital days: Repeat any example of blind contour drawing on your tablet to keep your digital line from getting too stiff or over-edited.

The magic happens when you repeat these over weeks. You’ll notice that even your regular, fully observed drawings start to feel more alive. Lines become more direct. You stop second-guessing every mark.

And maybe most important: you get more comfortable with “ugly” drawings, which is where real growth usually hides.

FAQ: examples of blind contour drawing questions artists actually ask

What are some simple examples of blind contour drawing for total beginners?

Start with your non-dominant hand, a basic object like a mug, and a quick self-portrait. These are classic examples of blind contour drawing techniques because they’re easy to set up and full of interesting shapes. Keep each drawing under five minutes, and don’t worry about results.

Can you give an example of how blind contour improves regular drawing?

Yes. Try this: do a blind contour of your hand, then immediately do a normal contour drawing of the same hand where you are allowed to look at the paper. Compare the two. Most people notice that the second drawing shows more accurate proportions and more confident lines. That before-and-after pairing is a powerful example of blind contour drawing’s impact.

Are the best examples of blind contour drawing always faces and hands?

Faces and hands are popular because they’re expressive and challenging, but they’re not the only options. Other strong examples include shoes, plants, kitchen utensils, and simple tools. The “best” examples are whatever keeps you curious and observing closely.

Is it okay to use modified blind contour instead of pure blind contour?

Absolutely. Many teachers use modified blind contour as a stepping stone, especially with beginners or younger students. As long as your eyes spend most of the time on the subject and only brief moments checking the page, you’re still training the same core skill: honest observation.

How often should I practice these examples of blind contour drawing techniques?

If you can, weave in at least 10 minutes of blind contour a few times a week. You don’t need marathon sessions. Short, regular practice beats occasional long sessions. Over a month or two, you’ll see clear changes in how you approach line, proportion, and even your confidence when starting a new drawing.

Blind contour drawing is one of those deceptively simple practices that can quietly reshape how you see. These real, everyday examples of blind contour drawing techniques are meant to be used, not just read about—so pick one, set a timer, and let yourself make some gloriously weird drawings. That’s where the good stuff starts.