Ching expresses the importance of line and says that they are the basis of everything. Ching describes the path of a line as "the quintessential of drawing." Contour lines are used to circumscribe the object and to define the outer boundary between the object and its background. We explored contour drawing in our architecture studio last semester. The reading helped me to think about more techniques to improve my drawings such as keeping your eye more-so on the subject rather than on your paper while drawing. It says to "move in pace with the eye and examine the shape of each contour."
  Different types of contour drawings such as blind, modified, and cross were explained. Each show different ways of drawing contours, but they express different techniques that i found very useful. I prefer cross-contour drawing the most. I feel that it is very important to explore the volumetric nature of an object.
  Figure ground drawing was another technique exemplified. This helps us to understand the space between objects rather than the shape of the object itself. These positive and negative shapes create visual tension and interest.  When drawing like this, I see what ever I'm looking like in a completely different way. Though this technique is difficult for me, it helps me to think outside of the box (literally).
 Observing shapes while drawing is extremely important in that it is essentially representing the object as it is. Measuring these shapes so that they are proportionate can be done by using your pencil. Comparing your pencil to the size of the object helps to idealize how these objects will be in a space. Grouping helps us to organize the most abstract patterns. Once again, this helps me by being able to abstract something from another object.