It was an interesting exercise. I was surprised that even if  they are awkward, the drawings seem more alive and the movement is expressed. 

Found it an interesting exercise. With too images I missed to connect the shapes; Bird of Paradise Flower and the Green-tailed Sunbird. While with the Newt I had a mind gap -I just wasn't sure where was I- and the sketch ended up with a bubble booming out of it! I was shocked because I completely missed with the Springbok (check #1) I thought it was easy and I doodled it with one line but it turned out to be a complete failure - couldn't accept that and so I re-sketched it with the blind contour technique and I think I did well :) I didn't know how this would help me - However, it affected my mind while working on the next exercise. Also, this morning, I noticed my sight memorising and looking at the shape of the birds instead of the details. (usually I look at the details before the overall bird. So, I guess this will help and develop my sketching skills. )

Contour drawing helped me focus, but made it harder for me to draw

Blind contour miles ...... someone said you have to put in brush miles, or pencil miles ..... do it and keep doing it .... we will all get better.

Contour drawing requires absolute concentration. I try to go a specific distance to match a spot on what I am copying ..... doesn't always work, because I lose focus on how far I move my pencil. Becoming more proficient would allow me to get a more accurate sketch of creatures that are only still for moments.  Definitely helps me to stay focused  

I first tried my hand at blind contour drawing in a painting class I took a few years ago. It was fun to try again. Here are my samples, which hopefully are recognizable. :) As others have done, I found it interesting to mark the start and end points after the fact, and to call out spots that looked reasonably close (though those notes aren't all visible in the photos).

Contour drawing has always been this meditative process for me but it still looks the same as when I was doing it in junior high!  I finally went for the pot of geraniums in the middle sketch,but who can tell. It does teach one to slow down,observe and draw what you see not what you think you see.

fun!  I've been away since February 19, and it feels good to be back!

Yes it really helped me to stay focus.  I did the exercise a couple of times and found that as I focused more and slowed down I got better.  My own subject turned out the best, but I did it last.  I was impressed that my huge gaffes were with lines that were supposed to be more or less parallel. Without the visual feedback getting those right was difficult and threw off the rest of the drawing.  I really appreciated doing this as it showed how focus can help direct my hand without the visual.  Thank you.

Contour drawings make me laugh when I look at them! I do think they will help my observation skills especially if I did more of them or did them before every drawing just for fun.

This exercise was very interesting, since even when I can look down at my drawing, I always seem to need to work harder at scale and symmetry. I was more focused on detail with this drawing than I would have otherwise been. I will need to practice more at being patient and not rushing ...

Great exercise, I seemed to consistently have a problem connecting the top form of the subject with the last part of my drawing. I start big and end with a smaller drawing - my brain can't seem to conceptualize and make the connection of 'how big' is my actual drawing. Very challenging!

Great exercise, I seemed to consistently have a problem connecting the top form of the subject with the last part of my drawing. I start big and end with a smaller drawing - my brain can't seem to conceptualize and make the connection of 'how big' is my actual drawing. Very challenging!

Wow! I felt a bit intimidated by doing this exercise but I definitely see the need to focus on the subject & have the eye & hand connection/coordination. After doing the first one, I felt a bit more at ease, but by the time I got to the third one, it was a bit more complicated because I got distracted with the background. The fourth one was hard too, especially with the legs because I was thinking that I needed them fairly close on the page as I was trying to focus where my eye was on the subject. I will be doing this exercise a bit more during my journaling practice. It was kind of fun after seeing my results. Thanks Liz for sharing this exercise.

That was fun! I'll have to see if the grandkids want to try it some time. My problem on the Newt and Springbok was getting back to the starting place. The proportions weren't too bad. Not sharing though!

It was fun with some laughs, I enjoyed the contour drawing. I also agree that it was challenging along with realizing that I have done short segments while drawling before, but not with a long period of time. I did notice that I even probably did some of it to fast; I would speed up then try to slow down and focus. my lines went off the paper on a subject I picked out (daffodils) in a glass of water to draw which forced me to look at the paper to get back on track.

This was fun and a challenge, I have tried two animals, at the beginning I was having a similar shape, then I struggle to draw the legs of the animals. By drawing them I had lost my focus

It helped me stay focused on my subject but it also revealed my hand by itself has no sense of proportion, balance, beauty or function-following form :))

I probably went too fast--my hand wants to finish lines--but this was instructive and I did find that I was able to catch strong descriptive contours.

Like Heather, my return lines drawing right to left were short when drawing from the photos. It was different drawing live; there, I ended a couple inches below rather than to the right. My drawings very consistent. Consistently looking nothing like the object, as well, but they had essentially the same good and poor points and finished in the same place relative the the start. Fun!

This was a challenge but overall I learned a lot. I learned mostly that no matter how weird the final outcome turns out, we can always find little successes. I'm going to take this lesson with me in the rest of my sketching. It gives me freedom to just draw and make mistakes but end with always looking for the details that were a success. I surprised myself with the small contours that I got right even if the overall drawing looked strange. A good life lesson too I think.