Blind-Contour Self-Portrait (Journal Prompt)

Blind contour drawing is an exercise in which you draw the lines of a subject without looking at the paper. You keep your attention on the subject, allowing the drawing hand to move freely across the page. You can do this by looking at the subject or by touching it with the other hand.

In this week’s Journal Circle, we did self-portraits using the latter blind-contour technique. The purpose was to notice how it felt to reflect on the experience and see what we observed in the final drawing.

As a creative exercise, blind-contour drawing helps improve hand-eye coordination, increase fluidity in drawing lines, and allow the hand to move freely. As a journal prompt, it can help us reflect on and practice “overcoming” perfectionism, self-doubt, and tension.

This blind contour drawing exercise brings us awareness of the present moment, focusing on what we directly observe, touch, and notice without self-editing or censoring. It can also spark unexpected ideas and inspire new avenues for creative exploration. You will see things you weren’t anticipating in the drawing, which can open up thinking beyond current patterns and self-imposed boundaries. This exercise can be a source of laughter and fun (it was when we did it together in the Journal Circle), bringing humour to how we hold experimentation, mistake-making, and creativity.

Blind-Contour Self-Portrait Instructions

• Place the tip of your pen in the middle of the page and the tip of your index finger (of your other hand) on the end of your nose.
• Close your eyes and trace the contours of your face with your finger while allowing your pen to make the same movement on the paper.
• Keep your finger on your face and pen on the page the whole time.
• Once you have traced your whole face, you can open your eyes and observe your drawing.

Questions For Reflection

After you finish your drawing, use the following questions for your personal reflection. They are divided into questions related to what you see on the paper and questions about your experience of the exercise itself. Both lines of inquiry can provide a range of fascinating points for awareness and discovery.

Reflecting on The Drawing

• What do you notice first when you look at the drawing?
• What is your initial feeling as you look at it?
• What do you find amusing?
• What do you find challenging?
• What does the person in the drawing need?

Reflecting on The Experience

• What came alive in you as you did the exercise? (how were you feeling? What were you thinking about?)
• Were you tempted to look at your drawing as you went? If so, what do you think that was about?
• What did you anticipate seeing when you opened your eyes? Did this come to pass?
• What are you taking from this?

Ready For Further Exploration

Make this a regular exercise, and notice what you notice. For example, you could do it every day for a week and reflect on what you find. Do your answers to the questions change? Do the drawings look different? What aspects are similar? Are there other factors that seem to impact your drawings and your experience of the exercise?

The Journal Circle

The Haven Journal Circle started life after a workshop with Mandy Thompson about starting and maintaining a journal practice. We regularly meet briefly at the end of the week to share how we’re getting on with any practices, habits, and routines we would like to explore through journaling. Because it’s not unusual for time to pass without writing, we spend 5 minutes following a short and straightforward journal prompt, so there is always something to take with us from the week.

Check out the events calendar for a list of upcoming Journal Circle Gatherings

Visit the Community Gallery to view and discuss more prompts like this one.