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"Layton's point of view is first humanist & then ferociously feminist. She turns stereotypes inside out." 
​                                                   - The Washington Post

I am tempted to call Layton a genius." 
​                                                  - New York Magazine

"She is the van Gogh of contour drawing." 
​                                                   - The Washington Times

"Her art bursts forth with strong statements in favor of racial tolerance, peace, understanding & compassion." 
​                                                  - Parade Magazine

• About 
• Contour Drawing

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Elizabeth Layton, a native of Wellsville, Kansas began drawing in 1977 at the age of sixty-eight when she took a drawing class at a local university. In class she learned to use the technique of "blind" countour drawing in which the artist looks at the paper only for points of reference, concentrating on the subject reflected in the mirror rather than the line being drawn on the paper. Every day Layton worked at creating self-portraits that reflect her response to contemporary social issues. That fall, a local newspaper reporter, Don Lambert, was searching for an interesting subject for an article, and stumbled upon the class display at the college. Upon discovering the drawings of this “old woman from small-town America”, Don became her biggest fan – and promoter - and to this day continues to tirelessly promote her drawings and her story.
Layton comes from a family of writers and journalist and was herself managing editor of her hometown newspaper, The Wellsville Globe. The editorial content of her drawings reveals the influence of her journalism background. Following a divorce she raised five children, which perhaps explains her empathy for those who find themselves in situations beyond their control. She also suffered from bouts of depression for much of her life, which caused her to identify with those tormented by the pressures of modern society. Her work dispels the myths and misconceptions of old age. She examines personally and unexpectedly painful subject matter that rejects the stereotypical image of a grandmother. These drawings reveal the expectations of the wide-eyed child, the young girl filled with vitality, the wife and lover, the nurturing parent, and a strong-willed and opinionated social activist. Elizabeth Layton was struggling with bi-polar illness and profound depression when she began contour drawing, and art became more than therapy for this Wellsville, Kansas, Native - it saved her life. Her drawings and writings have enriched the lives of countless others and have been exhibited at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Art, and in more than 200 art museums and centers throughout the U.S.

Contour drawing, is an artistic technique used in the field of art in which the artist sketches the contour of a subject by drawing lines that result in a drawing that is essentially an outline; the French word contour meaning, “outline.” The purpose of contour drawing is to emphasize the mass and volume of the subject rather than the detail; the focus is on the outlined shape of the subject and not the minor details. However, because contour can convey a three-dimensional perspective, length and width as well as thickness and depth are important; not all contours exist along the outlines of a subject. This technique is manifested in different styles and practiced in the honor of drawing development.
Technique: In a continuous-line drawing, the artist looks both at the subject and the paper, moving the medium over the paper, and creating a silhouette of the object. Like blind contour drawing, contour drawing is an artful experience that relies more on sensation than perception; it’s important to be guided by instinct. To make a blind contour drawing, an artist does not look at the paper or canvas on which he/she is working. Another technique similar to contour drawing is outline drawing; a division between form and the space a subject occupies. All three types of drawing are considered to be gesture drawings; the practice of drawing a series of bodies in still form. An outline drawing does not include the visual amusement of human sight, while a contour drawing contains form, weight, mass, space, and distance.