VASCO
CONTOUR LINE STUDY
The art of using contour lines is essential because they are defined as the lines used to define edges of a shape. However, this does not mean that contour lines are simple. Rather than rely on shading and texture, the artist must use only lines and the paper beneath it for a crisp suggestion of three dimensionality.
Andy Warhol, Fine Views of an Onion, 1950s.
Henri Matisse, The Afternoon, 1941-42. Linocut, 24.5 x 17.8 cm.
Pablo Picasso, portrait of Igor Stravinsky, 1920.
For this project, our class's inspiration was Andy Warhol, American pop-artist, film maker, photographer, and illustrator. Born Andrew Warhola on August 6th, 1928, Warhol spent much of his childhood infatuated with popular celebrity magazines and comic books as a means of escaping the rare neurological disorder from which he suffered. With a degree in Pictorial Design from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1949 and a keen sense of networking, work was not hard to find for Warhol when he moved to New York City. As a client of Columbia Records, Glamour magazine, Harper's Bazaar, NBC, Tiffany & Co and Vogue, to name just a few, it was no surprise that Warhol was on the right path to creating a internationally renowned brand with his name and work.
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For more on Warhol, click .
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Warhol was no stranger to contour line. In fact, his confident and personalized used of contour lines are a main contributor to why his images are beloved and recognizable by so many.
Andy Warhol, self portrait, 1986. Graphite on HMP paper, 31 x 23 in.
For my contour drawings I chose to complete them all using a technique called blind contouring. Blind contouring is when you complete the drawing while only looking at the object, never the paper. In addition, for many of my drawings I aimed for a continuous line which is when the pen is never lifted off the paper from start to end.
Blind contour Tutorial
Continuous Line Tutorial
I chose to do blind contour drawings for two main reasons. The first reason is because I love seeing what other people's contour drawings look like. The designs that come from blind contour drawings are truly like no others. The second reason was that for me as an artist, not looking from start to finish prevents me from becoming frustrated and stopping mid-drawing and from trying to ultimately get the "perfect drawing". I personally love the weight that is lifted from my shoulders knowing that the biggest strengths of what I am about to draw are the design's imperfections.
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Here is what I came up with:
Butterfly
Top to Bottom:
Nut Shell, Drift Wood
Top to Bottom,
Pin, Leaf, Toothbrush Head
Top to Bottom:
Plant, Googly Eye
Left to Right:
Pendent, Feather
Top to Bottom:
Lock and Key, Golf Tee
Top to Bottom:
Plant, Fern, Corn
Top to Bottom:
Zinnia, Nut
Gord
Papyrus
Pumpkin
Spool of String
Top to Bottom:
Brush, Fungai, Button
Pinecone
Stick w/ Thorns
When trying to decide how I wanted to develop my contour drawing, I returned to our inspiration for this project. I was very familiar with Warhol's Campbell Soup and Marilyn Monroe masterpieces but wasn't as aware of all his fashion illustrations. The simplicity yet effectiveness of his line captivated me. So, in the figure I tried to remain as true as I could to his style which was very hard for me because my lines are naturally very sketch like. Besides the feather-turned-dress, The figure has sleek, blown out hair that can be seen runways at Milan Fashion Week this year at big-name shows such as Bottega Veneta and Salvatore Ferragamo.
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In terms of which contour I wanted to develop I relied much on the opinion of others as to which would create the most interesting outcome: the feather. I thought that it would be the best train for a dramatic evening gown, so ran with it. I chose three different feathers to represent three different women:
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The Predator: Her style kills. A sophisticated and respected individual... she always knows what she wants to wear and how to wear it.
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The Peacock: Everyone is watching her. Find her on every style blog and report... she's deservingly the center of attention with her impeccable taste and ability to wear prints no one else dares to.
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The Night Owl: Find her bouncing from party to party. This socialite leaves her house at ten and doesn't come back until five the next morning.