Why contour drawing?
Why not draw the dream from last night, or two point perspective, or some other worthy learning task? While drawing from observation is not the only worthwhile learning task in art, it is fundamental for several reasons. Everybody wishes they could draw better. Observation drawing develops the parts of the brain that help us see better. Drawing ability builds self-confidence. Finally, drawing is one thing we as art teachers know how to teach. It gets students weaned from dependence on copying, which I still see in many of our schools. Observation drawing on its own is not art. However, it is one of skills that is frequently used by artists when they create art. When first and second graders learn observation skills, they are less apt to have a crisis of confidence in the third grade when they begin to recognize the crudeness of their own work. Unfortunately, many children and adults have never been taught this simple secret of learning to draw. Many still think that drawing is an inbor
