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I'm Back At It Again ..

It's been two months since my last Blind Contour creation, and it was time to find some inspiration to draw another. The last drawing was of an old brass water tap that I had collected at some point or another. I made that drawing from a photo I had taken of that old water tap. Today's drawing is going to be a little different, although the subjects do share a common thread.. 'Old'.

The Inspiration ..

My inspiration, a story, is purely fictional in nature. My story of An Old English House...
As the rain gently falls today, my mind whisks me away to southern England. I find myself walking along an old dirt road, rutted and well worn from decades of use. Ahead of me I see a small, English town, laden by quiet, uneven, cobbled roads. It had rained just a few short hours ago, and the stones that line the streets are damp and slippery with moss. I carefully plant each foot, careful not to slip and tumble.

During my journey, I meet seasoned, native folk with little cares other than whats for dinner. They notice me but pleasantly avoid any sort of conversation. I exchange pleasantries and occasionally hear whispers of curiosity, before giving up on understanding the baffled murmurs tickling my ears. After a few moments more of strolling along and minding my own business, I hear a flutter of bird feathers as a group of Sparrows pass me by, taking refuge in a nearby Maple tree. Twenty to fifty of them grab my attention. I found it extremely hard to not to be drawn from their chatter and banter within the branches and foliage. It wasn't a minute later that I notice An Old English House, peaking out from underneath the lowest branches of the noisy tree, that was currently entertaining all of my senses.

Did I say Old? Maybe not quite as old as some of the other homes, that it was nestled among, but old enough. I noticed the brick had been stained with the evidence of repeated rains. Repairs to the red, chalky, man-made stones, stood out like a sore thumb. The roof was covered in mossy, orange, clay tiles, all pitched toward the center, as if Father Time was pressing his firm hand down on top of them. The wavy glass windows, with trim painted bright white, were perfectly placed so that whomever lived here could see the outside world, from every room. The stately, ivory black door, was pushed off to the right. A single rectangular slab of pale grey granite, lay at her feet. The center of the stone was worn and had collected a small puddle of water, laid there by last nights rain.

The bushes and shrubs that flanked the tired home, unnoticeably belonged there, and I did not. The breeze had carried in the smell of fresh waffles and muffins. My mind was quickly redirected to the thoughts of other things. My feet eventually began to move again and my stomach was leading me away from this place; An Old English House I had captured in memory.

It was better off this way, for I was growing very hungry and had better be leaving here, moving along toward the reasons I had started walking toward this town in the first place. The breeze picked up once more, as I again began to stroll along the cobbled stones, flushing the Sparrows from the shaky limbs of the Maple tree. They swooshed past once more, fluttering off to the East, over the steeply pitched roof of one particular Old English House. And just like that, they were gone.

So Enough Of Fictional Short Stories ..

Although I like to randomly, in a free writing style, come up with stories to go along with some of these drawings. Most of the time I just keep these stories to myself, because like this one, they could be kind of weird or pointless. It suits me just fine to keep them locked away in my head. Today, obviously a day of weakness for me, I thought what the heck.. I'll jot it down and let you guys decide.

If that's not your cup of tea, then you should be happy, because I am moving on to the ART!!

A Blind Contour Drawing Called 'An Old English House' ..

I am feeling a little bummed today. It's raining outside and my mood is drab at best. Not super depressed or anything, just blah due to the chill and the dampness. I wanted to do something at lunch to take my mind off the gloominess. I wanted to make another one of my blind contour drawings, but wasn't sure about the subject. I wen to Pixabay and typed in the first thing that came to my mind.. "Old English House". I clicked 'Enter' and several photos came up on the screen in front of me. I was drawn to one of them and made the decision to use it as today's subject.

The Subject ..

Here's the photo I chose. Just a simple, old house. Is it actually in England somewhere? Who knows, but that's not what had me thinking. What I was really thinking about was how I have not blind contour drawn a house before. This should be interesting.

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source - pixabay

The Process ..

If this is your first experience with blind contour drawing, then you may be wondering what the heck it is, and I will answer that for you. For those of you who know or have read my explanation before, skip this part. hehe.

BLIND CONTOUR DRAWING
Is a technique in which an the artist draws a subject, in one CONTINUOUS line, without looking at the paper or their hand. I strictly focus on the major details of the subject, moving my hand slowly until I’m finished Drawing. I never look down until I feel the drawing is complete. Sometimes after I am done drawing the contoured line, and more than not, I shade areas using charcoal. It's amazing how a little shading, from something as simple as charcoal, can transform a drawing and bring it to a whole other level. And before you ask, the answer is NO. No I do not shade in a blind manor. I have both my eyes on the drawing while applying the charcoal. If I didn't, that would be amazing!

It is usually very interesting on how these drawings evolve and end up sparking some sort of conversation at the very least. They don't speak to everyone's taste in art, but you have to admit they are unique.. whether good or bad. Even if I don't turn any heads or receive any 'feel good' feedback, utilizing this technique is a terrific way to improve your eye to hand coordination. I think there are many out there whom could benefit from trying this style out. So whether your an artist, sports player, gamer, cosmetologist or whatever, we could all use a simple way to improve our eye hand coordination.

Step 1 - The Supplies ..

I gathered everything I would need, including paper, pen, pencil and eraser. That's it! A simple drawing only requires a few simple drawing tools.

Step 2 - The Blind Contour Drawing ..

In about 5 minutes, I quickly sketch the house as my eyes translate the movements back to my hand. I ran out of room at the top of the paper and was starting to get upset. Then I figured "Who Cares?" So I kept going. I wasn't entirely thrilled with the drawing. But before I throw it out and start over (drawing in the portrait orientation), I decide to let the magic of shading work its wonder.

Step 3 - Shading ..

I grab my #5B pencil and start laying in some dark tones to help emphasize some of those unique, yet grotesque, characteristics.

At this point, I am liking where it's headed, but think it needs a little something along the edges next to the house. I am also not quite finished with the shading. I want to darken things up a little more. I went ahead and added a few bushes and trees or at least a hint of those things. I don't want to take away from the subject of my drawing and go to crazy on the fringes.

Step 4 - Finish The Piece ..

I make a few last minute adjustments to tone by adding specifically placed dark areas, and erasing some of the over applications and smudges. I wanted some highlights around the door and windows. After that, and about 15 minutes later, I was done!

This came out better than I expected it to. I am pretty pleased with the results, and my mood is much better. The total time investment was roughly 15 to 20 minutes. I still have a little time left during lunch and on breaks, to create my post. You have to love voice to text.. Saves me tons of time, but can never be to sure of spelling errors. haha.

'An Old English House' ~ Blind Contour Drawing by BDMiller

The Summery Photo ..

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That was fun. I don't know why I don't create more drawings using this style, other than thinking the style is not as widely accepted yet. Maybe I should be working to change that perspective. So that being said, there will soon be another blind contour drawing in the works. The question is when and of what? hmmm... I'll keep you posted.

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Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

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“Through countless births in the cycle of existence
I have run, not finding
although seeking the builder of this house;
and again and again I faced the suffering of new birth.
Oh housebuilder! Now you are seen.

You shall not build a house again for me.
All your beams are broken,
the ridgepole is shattered.
The mind has become freed from conditioning:
the end of craving has been reached.”
― Siddhārtha Gautama

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Below Are Some Of My Most Recent Blind Contours ..

It's been a while since my last drawing of this type, but here are a few of the drawings that I have blogged about in the past. Possibly worth a look.

'Old Brass Water Tap'

'Three Ladies'

'Einstein'

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'Mangled Wrangler'

'Odo'

'Expression of Cabernet'

'Nadi'

'Blind Folded Rolls'

'Chuck'

'Six Bottles Of Beer'

'Pepperdoodle'

'Smoking Lady'

'The Man In The Shadows'

'Dobby The House Elf'

'My Blue Guitar'

'Blind Wine'

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All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

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About Me ~ The Artist

My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.

Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.

For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.

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If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

They can be found for sale on

Saatchi Art

Etsy

If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in HBD, Hive or any other crypto) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).

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I Proudly Support:

Curation by @qurator, @ocd, @steemitbloggers, @curangle, @steemflagrewards, @innerblocks, @appreciator and @theluvbug, - Kudos to them and many others for supporting great content and making the blockchain a happier and healthier place to spend time :-D

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An Old English House - Inspiration To Blind Contour Drawing

I'm Back At It Again ..

The Inspiration ..

So Enough Of Fictional Short Stories ..

A Blind Contour Drawing Called 'An Old English House' ..

The Subject ..

The Process ..

Step 1 - The Supplies ..

Step 2 - The Blind Contour Drawing ..

Step 3 - Shading ..

Step 4 - Finish The Piece ..

'An Old English House' ~ Blind Contour Drawing by BDMiller

The Summery Photo ..

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

Below Are Some Of My Most Recent Blind Contours ..

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

About Me ~ The Artist

If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

They can be found for sale on

Saatchi Art

Etsy

I Proudly Support:

Curation by @qurator, @ocd, @steemitbloggers, @curangle, @steemflagrewards, @innerblocks, @appreciator and @theluvbug, - Kudos to them and many others for supporting great content and making the blockchain a happier and healthier place to spend time :-D