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  )
Cross Contour Drawing – bring an object from home
Medium
Pencil or Marker (you choose)
Contour Line Rubric
Aspect Graded
Blind Contour
1
2
3
4
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!?!
Subject looks kind of
last minute…perhaps
you found it in the art
room?
Subject works, but could
be more creative.
Super creative subject
brought in from home!
Pretty good challenge
and creativity—nice!
Super creative and super
challenge! Sa-weeeeet!
Not much challenge or
creativity.
A little challenge and
creativity.
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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