The Art of Seeing: How a Scrap of Paper Can Change the Way You Draw
Shift that ‘perfect drawing’ mindset.
On my recent six-week mixed media kitchen cupboard–inspired course, my students threw themselves into a wonderfully freeing drawing exercise—and the results were truly astounding.
The focus was on loose, expressive mark-making and, more importantly, on learning to look rather than obsess over the drawing itself. It’s so easy, especially for beginners, to get caught up in control and perfection, but this simple approach helped shift that mindset completely and build real confidence in the process.
The technique: a scrap of paper and a hole!
The technique itself couldn’t be simpler: we took a small scrap of paper, made a hole in it, and placed it over the pen to create a kind of shield. This clever little barrier blocks the view of the drawing as you work, gently forcing you to stop watching the pen and paper and instead concentrate fully on the subject in front of you.
Draw with your pen through a hole in card - hides your drawing from your eyes!
This is a form of what I call blind contour drawing, and it links closely to the principles in Betty Edwards’ Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, which encourages us to bypass our analytical “left-brain” habits and engage more deeply with visual observation. By removing the distraction of constantly checking your marks, you begin to trust what you see rather than what you think you know.
An added layer is to try to keep your pen on the paper for as long as possible, drawing in one continuous line. It’s not about perfection—far from it. In fact, the odd peek is absolutely OK!
Why this works for beginners especially
For beginners especially, this is a powerful way to loosen up, quiet the inner critic, and avoid getting bogged down in perfection. Instead, it opens up a more intuitive, expressive way of working—resulting in fresher, more energetic line work and, ultimately, drawings that feel alive.
It’s a simple technique, but one that can completely change the way you approach drawing.
Want to try this yourself? I’d love to have you join me in the studio. There’s one place remaining on my Get Fruity mixed media course (Thursdays, 7 May–11 June, Winchester, 2–5pm)
.
