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Contour Line Drawing

Sixth-grade artists learn contour line drawing — drawing the outline and edges of an object with one slow, continuous line. In blind contour, you watch the object, not your paper. It trains your eye to really see. They order the steps, then draw a contour study.

Grade 6Contour Line Drawing45 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Draw a contour line.
  • ✓Follow edges with your eye.
  • ✓Try blind contour.
  • ✓Slow down and look.
Essential Question

How does drawing with one slow line train your eye to see?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Contour Steps

Project this and have students put the contour-drawing steps in order.

✏️ Put the contour-drawing steps in orderTry it
Tap the first step for a contour drawing!
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Look — Slow Looking

5 min

What if you drew without ever lifting your pencil or looking at the paper?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show your own hand.
  • Ask the question.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Contour Lines

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Contour Steps.
  • Order the steps.
  • Note eyes on the object.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Create — Draw It

14 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a simple object.
  • Draw its contour slowly.
  • Try one blind contour.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Trace.
  • Blind.
4

Share — Share

10 min

Students share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show your contour.
  • Say what was hard.
  • Compare blind vs regular.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show.
  • Say.
  • Compare.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What is a contour line?
  • What is blind contour?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts).

NCAS
VA:Cr2.1.6

Demonstrate drawing skills and control.

NCAS
VA:Cr1.2.6

Plan a drawing from observation.

NCAS
VA:Re7.2.6

Perceive edges and details in objects.

NCAS
VA:Cr3.1.6

Reflect on and refine a drawing.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Step cards with pictures.
  • Frame: "eyes on the object, not the paper."
  • Demonstrate slowly.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Use 3 core steps.
  • Draw a simple shape.
  • Guide the hand if needed.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Blind contour a hand.
  • Contour a still life.
  • Draw continuous-line portraits.
Materials

What to gather

  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🍎Simple objects
  • 💻Order the Contour Steps
  • 📄Drawing paper
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

contourthe outline and edges of a formcontour linea line that follows edgesblind contourdrawing without looking at the papercontinuous lineone unbroken lineobservationcareful lookingedgewhere a shape endsgesturea quick line capturing a posedetaila small feature
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a contour line?
A line that follows the outline and edges of an object.
QUESTION 2
What is blind contour?
Drawing while watching the object, not your paper.
QUESTION 3
Why draw slowly?
It trains your eye to really see the edges.

Reflect: contour line drawing.

Have students make a blind-contour study. A printable drawing sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Contour Line DrawingFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Contour Line DrawingQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Contour Line DrawingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: blind contour, continuous line, contour, contour line, detail, edge, gesture, observation
  1. drawing without looking at the paper
  2. a quick line capturing a pose
  3. a line that follows edges
  4. the outline and edges of a form
  5. careful looking
  6. a small feature
  7. one unbroken line
  8. where a shape ends

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a contour line?
  2. What is blind contour?
  3. Why draw slowly?
Answer key — Part A: 1) blind contour · 2) gesture · 3) contour line · 4) contour · 5) observation · 6) detail · 7) continuous line · 8) edge
Part B: 1) A line that follows the outline and edges of an object. 2) Drawing while watching the object, not your paper. 3) It trains your eye to really see the edges.