Draw It With Your Eyes Closed👀

Summary

In this activity, you draw an everyday object or a sound with your eyes closed. Instead of relying on what you can see, you use touch, sound and imagination to guide your drawing. This allows you to pay attention to details like texture, shape and weight, which are often ignored in daily life.

As you work alone, the focus is not on making a “perfect” drawing, but on noticing how your body and mind respond to the object. You might feel confused, surprised, or even amused by what appears on the paper. These reactions are an important part of the process. By the end of the activity, you may start to realize that art does not only come from your eyes, but also from your hands, memories and feelings.

This activity encourages you to slow down, listen to yourself, and reflect on how you experience the world in your own way.

In this toolkit, you can:
✨explore ways of making art without relying on sight

✨use touch and sound to guide your drawing

✨increase your awareness of touch, sound and bodily sensations

✨reflect on your own way of seeing and feeling

✨approach art in a more open and inclusive way

Materials Needed

1️⃣Paper (A4)
2️⃣Pencil / pen
3️⃣Some small everyday object (e.g. mug, key, leaf, spoon, shoe)
4️⃣Optional: blindfold / scarf

or

👂🏻sounds of water, waves, wind, footsteps, rain…

some daily things

Let’s start🥳

1  Touch & listen the Object (2 minutes)

Use your hands to explore the object’s shape, texture and weight. If using sound, close your eyes and use your ears and listen carefully.

No talking!🤫

2 Imagine (1 minute)

You need to close your eyes and imagine what the object looks and feels like.🤔

Ask yourself:

• What the object looks like?

• How it might feel or sound?

• Is it hard or soft?

• Is it fast or slow?

3 Blind Drawing (3–4 minutes)

With eyes closed, you can draw the object from memory and feeling.
No “right✅” or “wrong❎”.

No erasing and no peeking. Just go with it! It helps you be more brave and relaxed about making mistakes.

4 Sound & Description (3 minutes)

Describe the object and your drawing out loud, using words or sounds. Do not look at the drawing. Just listen to your own voice and imagine.✨

5 Reflect (4–5 minutes)

Open your eyes and look at your drawing and the real object.
Then reflect on:
⓵How similar or different are they?

⓶What surprised you?

⓷Which sense helped you the most?

⓸How did it feel to draw without seeing?

Write a few short sentences if you like.

Draw It With Your Eyes Closed © 2025 by Ningmei Zhu is licensed under CC BY 4.0

(Draw It With Your Eyes Closed (2025) by Ningmei Zhu is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.)