The best examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects

Let’s skip theory and go straight into examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects you probably have within arm’s reach. Then we’ll break down how each approach works.

Picture this short practice session at your kitchen table:

• A ceramic mug with a chipped rim
• A spoon resting on a napkin
• A pair of glasses folded next to your phone
• A houseplant with drooping leaves

Each of these can become an example of contour drawing that trains a slightly different skill: curves, overlapping shapes, symmetry, and organic lines. The more real examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects you explore, the faster your line confidence grows.

Classic contour: tracing the outer edge of a coffee mug

One of the best examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects is the humble coffee mug. It’s simple, familiar, and forgiving.

Here’s how to treat your mug as a contour exercise:

Start by placing the mug a foot or two in front of you, at a slight angle so you can see the handle and the rim at the same time. Instead of thinking, “I’m drawing a mug,” think, “I’m following this edge.” Let your eyes slowly walk around the outline: the curve of the rim, the drop down the side, the bend into the base, and the hook of the handle.

As your eyes move, let your pencil follow at the same speed on the page. No shading, no texture, just the outer contour. The goal is not a perfect, photorealistic mug. The goal is to sync your hand with your eye.

Why this is such a strong example of contour drawing:

• The oval of the rim teaches you to see foreshortened shapes.
• The handle forces you to track overlaps and negative space.
• The simple cylinder body lets you focus on smooth, confident lines.

If you want a deeper dive into observational drawing basics, many art programs teach similar contour routines in foundation courses; for instance, you can see how contour drawing is used in introductory studio classes at schools like MIT OpenCourseWare and other university drawing syllabi.

Blind contour: drawing your shoe without looking down

If you’re looking for more intense examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects, blind contour drawing is the classic challenge. A perfect subject: your shoe.

Put one shoe on the table in front of you. Now, here’s the twist: you place your pen on the paper, pick a starting point on the shoe (maybe a lace hole or the toe), and you do not look at your paper again until you’re finished.

Your eyes crawl along the shoe’s edge and interior lines—laces, stitching, sole, tongue—while your hand moves in sync. The result will be weird. It will probably look like a tangled map drawn in a moving car. That’s the point.

This example of contour drawing isn’t about a pretty outcome; it’s about training your brain to stay glued to observation instead of symbol drawing. Blind contour is widely recommended in studio classes and drawing books because it builds focus and hand–eye coordination, a concept echoed in many basic drawing curricula at art schools and community colleges.

Try this with:

• A running shoe with lots of seams and layers
• A boot with buckles and straps
• A slipper with a simpler silhouette

Each version gives you new examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects with different levels of complexity.

Modified contour: drawing your phone and earbuds

Blind contour is great, but sometimes you want a little more control. That’s where modified contour comes in: you keep your eyes mostly on the object, but you allow quick glances at the page to avoid getting completely lost.

Take your phone and earbuds and set them on the table in a slightly messy pile. Start at one corner of the phone, and slowly follow the contour of the case, the camera bump, the cable, and the earbuds.

Every so often, give yourself a one-second glance at the paper to make sure you’re not drifting too far off. Then snap your eyes back to the object.

This is one of the best examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects because:

• The phone has clean, geometric lines and gentle curves.
• The earbud cables add organic, looping contours.
• The overlaps between phone and cable force you to pay attention to what passes in front and behind.

You’re still training observation over perfection, but you’re also starting to care (a bit) about proportion and placement.

Continuous line contour: a plant or bouquet in one unbroken line

Another powerful example of contour drawing is the continuous line approach: you do not lift your pen from the page until you’re done.

A houseplant, a bouquet, or even a bunch of herbs on a cutting board works beautifully for this. Set the plant in front of you and choose a starting point—maybe the edge of a leaf.

As your eyes move, your pen traces:

• Up one leaf edge
• Across the stem
• Down another leaf
• Around the pot rim
• Back into the tangle of leaves

If you need to jump from one area to another, you draw a connecting line, even if that line doesn’t exist in reality. The drawing becomes a map of your attention.

This gives you real examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects that feel almost like handwriting—personal, expressive, a little messy, but full of energy.

Interior contour: silverware, keys, and the lines inside the shape

Contour isn’t just the outside edge; it can also describe interior structure. This is where silverware and keys become surprisingly useful.

Lay down a fork, knife, and spoon so they overlap slightly. Start by drawing their outer contours. Then, instead of stopping, begin to add interior contours:

• The line where the fork’s handle meets the head
• The groove running down the knife handle
• The curve of the spoon’s bowl interior

Now swap in a key ring with several keys. Again, draw the outer edges first, then trace the interior cuts, notches, and holes.

These are excellent examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects because they teach you to:

• Separate major structural lines from tiny details
• Handle overlapping shapes without shading
• Notice how interior lines describe volume and function

This kind of close observation is the same skill scientists and medical illustrators rely on when they draw specimens or anatomical structures. You’ll see similar approaches in basic observational drawing advice, such as that shared by university art departments and museum education programs that encourage close looking before shading or coloring.

Cross-contour: describing form on fruit and bottles

Cross-contour lines wrap around a form rather than just following its outer edge. Think of them like the latitude and longitude lines on a globe.

For this, grab:

• An apple or orange
• A water bottle or glass jar

Start by drawing the outer contour. Then, imagine you’re drawing lines that wrap around the object’s surface:

• Horizontal bands around the apple, like you’re slicing it
• Vertical lines running from top to bottom, curving as they go
• Rings around the bottle where the label sits, or around the neck

These cross-contours are some of the most informative examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects, because they:

• Suggest 3D volume without shading
• Show how surfaces curve away from you
• Help you understand perspective on rounded forms

This technique is often introduced in drawing courses right before or alongside basic shading, because it sets up your understanding of form. You can find similar exercises in many academic drawing resources, including open course materials from universities and art schools.

Gesture + contour: combining speed and clarity with a chair

Sometimes contour drawings can feel stiff. To loosen up, you can combine gesture (quick, loose sketching) with contour.

Set a chair a few feet away. Instead of carefully tracing every edge, start with a light, fast gesture to capture the overall tilt and structure: the angle of the back, the seat, the legs.

Then, on top of that, slow down and add more deliberate contour lines: the outer edges of the backrest, the curve of the seat, the front and back legs, any crossbars.

This hybrid approach gives you another real example of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects that matches how many artists actually work: loose first, then precise.

You can try the same with:

• A desk lamp with an adjustable arm
• A folding chair with crossed supports
• A stool with round seat and angled legs

Turning daily life into a contour sketchbook routine

Now that you’ve seen multiple examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects, try turning this into a daily or weekly habit. It doesn’t need to be long—ten minutes is plenty.

Pick one everyday scene:

• Your breakfast setup: bowl, spoon, mug, fruit
• Your desk corner: keyboard, mouse, notepad, pen
• Your nightstand: lamp, book, glasses, phone

Decide which contour approach you’ll use that day: blind, modified, continuous line, cross-contour, or gesture-plus-contour. Label the page with the date and technique. Over time, you’ll build a library of real examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects that also doubles as a visual diary.

If you’re interested in how simple drawing habits connect to well-being, organizations like the National Institutes of Health and Harvard Health Publishing have highlighted how creative activities like drawing can support mental health, stress reduction, and cognitive function.

2024–2025 twist: digital contour drawing on tablets

Contour drawing used to be strictly a pencil-and-paper thing, but in 2024–2025, a lot of artists are practicing these same contour exercises on tablets and phones.

You can:

• Use a pressure-sensitive stylus to practice continuous line contours in a drawing app.
• Turn on a single brush color and size so you focus on line, not digital effects.
• Experiment with time-lapse recording so you can watch your contour process afterward.

Your everyday objects don’t change—mugs, keyboards, plants, shoes—but now you can undo, zoom, and layer. The core principles stay the same: follow the contour slowly with your eyes, let your hand respond, and avoid jumping into shading too soon.

If you’re curious about how drawing and other visual arts are being integrated into digital learning and wellness programs, you can see discussions from universities and health organizations, such as Harvard’s reports on creativity and health, which often include drawing as an accessible practice.

FAQ: examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects

Q: What are some quick examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects I can do in 5–10 minutes?
A: Try a blind contour of your hand holding a pen, a classic contour of your coffee mug, a continuous line drawing of your keys, or a cross-contour study of an apple. These are all fast, focused examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects that fit into a short break.

Q: Can you give an example of how to use contour drawing to improve my portraits later?
A: Start with everyday stand-ins: draw the contour of a lamp as if it were a torso, or a spoon as if it were a nose. Then do blind contour drawings of your hand, shoe, or glasses. These examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects sharpen your observation so that when you move to faces, you’re better at following real edges instead of symbolic features.

Q: Do I need special tools for contour drawing?
A: No. A regular pencil or ballpoint pen and cheap paper are fine. Many artists even prefer pen for contour drawing because it stops them from erasing and forces them to commit to each line. If you like digital tools, a basic tablet and stylus work well too.

Q: How often should I practice contour drawing?
A: Think of contour drawing like stretching: a little bit, often, is better than a marathon once a month. Ten to fifteen minutes most days, using simple examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects around you, will build skill quickly without burnout.

Q: Is it normal for my contour drawings to look distorted or strange?
A: Completely normal—especially with blind or continuous line contour. The drawings often look warped or messy, but they’re doing their job: training your eye to stay on the subject and your hand to follow. Over time, your lines will become more confident and your proportions more accurate.

If you walk away with nothing else, remember this: contour drawing is not about making perfect pictures. It’s about learning to see—and your home, office, or classroom is already full of perfect models. Mugs, shoes, plants, keys, phones, chairs: all of them are waiting to become your next examples of contour drawing techniques for everyday objects.