Contour Drawing: Three-Drawer Dresser Essentials

Object Drawing Lessons

Contour drawing captures the outline and key edges of an object without shading. This lesson focuses on a three-drawer dresser: its rectangular case, three stacked drawer fronts, and supporting legs. You will use a simple convention for line weight and spacing, then apply it to a worked example and four practice tasks. All measurements are hypothetical examples; measure your own reference or object to set real values. The goal is accurate proportion and clear edge separation, not decorative rendering.

Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.

Reference illustration

Use the stated measurements and conventions for each exercise.

Setting Up Your Contour Convention

Use a single line weight for all visible edges. Draw outer boundaries slightly heavier only if you choose; state your choice before starting. Keep drawer gaps as narrow parallel lines, not filled shadows. X-height convention: for any lettering or labels, baseline to midline defines x-height; letter styles vary, so do not force a single alphabet. For the dresser itself, treat each drawer front as a rectangle with a small inset gap from the case edge.

Work on plain paper with a pencil or fine pen. Measure the overall width and height of the dresser front in your reference. For example, suppose the front is 90 cm wide and 75 cm tall (hypothetical). The three drawer fronts stack vertically; if each gap is 1 cm, the three fronts share 75 minus two gaps = 73 cm, so each front is about 24.3 cm tall. These numbers are examples only; substitute your measured values.

1. Measure overall width and height of the dresser front; record in centimetres.
2. Decide gap width between drawer fronts and between drawers and case; record.
3. Subtract total gap height from overall height to get combined drawer front height.
4. Divide combined height by three for equal drawer fronts, or adjust if drawers differ.
5. Mark the outer case rectangle lightly before adding drawer lines.

Drawing the Case and Drawer Fronts

Start with the outer case as a rectangle. Add a second rectangle inside for the drawer bank, leaving a uniform margin on left, right, and top. This margin represents the case face around the drawers. Then draw two horizontal gap lines to separate the three drawer fronts. Each drawer front is a rectangle; its left and right edges align with the drawer bank, not the outer case.

Check alignment by comparing opposite sides: the left margin should equal the right margin, and the top margin should equal the bottom margin if the design is symmetric. If your dresser has a different margin, measure and label it. Keep all lines continuous where edges meet; avoid sketchy overlaps that confuse the contour.

1. Draw outer case rectangle using measured width and height.
2. Draw inner drawer bank rectangle with chosen margins.
3. Mark two horizontal gap lines to create three equal drawer front heights.
4. Draw vertical edges of each drawer front at the drawer bank sides.
5. Verify margins and gap widths with a ruler before inking.

Adding Legs and Edge Details

Legs attach below the case. Decide leg height and width; for example, 12 cm tall and 4 cm wide (hypothetical). Draw two front legs at the outer corners, and indicate rear legs only if visible from your viewpoint. Each leg is a narrow rectangle or tapered shape; keep the contour simple. Add a bottom rail line if your dresser has one, but do not shade.

Edge details include the top overhang and any side panels. If the top overhangs by 2 cm (hypothetical), draw a line 2 cm outside the case top on visible sides. Keep all lines as contours: no hatching, no smudging. The final drawing should read as a flat outline with clear drawer and leg separation.

1. Measure leg height and width; record.
2. Draw front legs as rectangles at outer corners below the case.
3. Add rear legs only if visible; otherwise omit.
4. Draw top overhang lines if present, using measured overhang.
5. Review all edges for continuity and remove stray marks.

Worked example

A dresser front is 80 cm wide and 70 cm tall. The case margin is 5 cm on left, right, and top. Gaps between drawer fronts are 1 cm each. Legs are 10 cm tall and 3 cm wide. Calculate drawer front height and describe the contour sequence.

Four practice exercises

Common mistakes

• Drawing drawer fronts as one tall rectangle without gap lines. Add two horizontal gap lines to separate three equal drawer fronts; measure combined height minus gaps first.
• Making drawer fronts wider than the drawer bank. Align drawer front left and right edges with the inner bank rectangle, not the outer case.
• Shading or hatching to show depth. Use only contour lines; indicate depth with edge placement and overhang lines, not tone.
• Legs placed inside the case width instead of at corners. Place front legs at the outer corners below the case; measure leg width and offset from case edge.

Self-check rubric

• Outer case rectangle matches measured width and height within 1 cm.
• Drawer bank margins are equal on left and right, and top margin matches chosen value.
• Three drawer fronts are separated by two gap lines; heights sum correctly with gaps.
• Drawer front edges align with drawer bank sides, not outer case.
• Front legs are placed at outer corners below the case with measured width and height.
• All lines are contour only; no shading, hatching, or smudging.
• Labels or lettering follow stated x-height convention (baseline to midline) and are legible.

Questions and answers