Name ______

CONTOUR LINE UNIT

Art Element / Line – Line – A mark made by moving a point.
- Two connected points
- Narrow elongated mark
Art Principle
/ Movement – How the eye of the viewer is guided through the piece by the
elements of art.
Vocabulary and Terms


/ Line Characteristics: Orientation of the line
Line Direction –
1. horizontal
2. vertical
3. diagonal (most visually powerful)
Line Type – the “form” a line takes; straight, curvy, wavy, zig-zag, etc.
Line Style – Variations of the line; dotted, dashed, double line, thick, thin, etc
Modified Contour – Single line drawing that defines the outer and surface edges.
Cross Contour – A cross contour drawing contains parallel lines that run across the surface of an object (or radiate from a central point), such as those that appear on a topographical map or a digital wireframe.
Still Life – An arrangement of inanimate objects set up in a meaningful way for
the purpose of drawing, painting, photographing, etc
Blind Contour –There is no looking at the paper. Slowly, move your eye along
your subject and move your pencil at the same rate making the
same type of line.
Subject Matter / Modified Contour Drawing Subject – shoe or camera (both available to you right now J )
Cross Contour Drawing – bring an object from home
Medium /
Pencil or Marker (you choose)

Contour Line Rubric

Aspect Graded / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Blind Contour / No to little effort / Some effort, but didn’t complete the drawing or…you totally peeked! / Good effort, but line breaks and erasing marks are present …you might / Great effort on completing the entire subject. Proportions and form are well rendered, even though you weren’t looking!
Modified Contour / No to little effort / Some effort, but didn’t complete the drawing / Good effort, but line breaks and erasing marks are present / Great effort on completing the entire subject. Proportions and form are well rendered.
Cross-Contour / No to little effort / Some effort, but didn’t complete the drawing / Good effort. Some line breaks and erasing marks are present OR the contour lines don’t quite follow the form of the subject. / Great effort on completing the entire subject. Proportions and form are well rendered and the contour lines follow the form of the subject, so it looks 3D!
Creativity and Challenge / Nothing to draw!?!
Not much challenge or creativity. / Subject looks kind of last minute…perhaps you found it in the art room?
A little challenge and creativity. / Subject works, but could be more creative.
Pretty good challenge and creativity—nice! / Super creative subject brought in from home!
Super creative and super challenge! Sa-weeeeet!

Please turn in this rubric with ALL THREE contour drawings you created. You must complete this rubric and the questions (4 points) for full points.

1.  Contour line drawings can be difficult. What did you learn by creating your Modified Contour drawing?

2.  What did you learn by creating your Cross Contour Drawing?

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