Exploring new drawing techniques is always an adventure. I am, although not as confident as I could be, aware I have a good hand with basic sketching, but this is what I call a “scruffy sketch”. Lots of wiggly lines, scratches and shading eventually creating a picture. There is a lot of room for error. However, the continuous line technique lays bare the simplicity; your hand has nowhere to hide.

The most famous examples of continuous line draws date back to the early 20th century made by Pablo Picasso (1)

I have copied simple drawings from other artists here, some are my own creation.

I struggled with this. I had to think about exactly what I was doing. I couldn’t draw a line and hide it behind 10 others or shade it out.

With the increased concentration, by pen pressure went up, so once I had finished the drawing, I had to shake off.

I expected this to be quite freeing, but it was quite the opposite.

This technique has intrigued me, and I will attempt it again. Mainly, as it makes your draw only what is essential, so you have to look/imagine for only what you need.

1. The art of one line drawings. What is a one line drawing and what… | by Michelle Gemmeke | Medium