--- title: "Blind Portraits" description: "Partners draw quick sketches of each other's head and shoulders without looking down at their paper. They then reveal the resulting drawings and share observations." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/partner-icebreaker-activity-triggers-laughter-blind-portraits/" --- # Blind Portraits Partners draw quick sketches of each other's head and shoulders without looking down at their paper. They then reveal the resulting drawings and share observations. **Time:** 10 minutes. UWT suggested plan extending the 30 to 60 second drawing core from Playmeo to include setup, partner exchange, and a brief debrief. **People:** 4 to 24. Pairs (a group of three forms a small loop if the headcount is odd) ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Lower social stakes through mutual, non-evaluative drawing while practicing direct visual observation. **Use it when:** Use at the start of a meeting or workshop as an energizing warm-up where people need an informal prompt to interact. **Skip it when:** Skip when participants are uncomfortable with sustained visual focus, or when the group needs immediate formal work on technical agenda items. ## Materials and tools - 1 sheet of plain paper per participant - 1 marker or pen per participant - 1 clipboard or firm writing surface per participant (if seated away from tables) ## Before participants arrive 1. Distribute one sheet of paper and one pen or marker to every person. 2. Arrange seating or standing space so partners face each other across a table or small distance. ## Say this to open Find a partner facing you. In this exercise, you will draw your partner's face, head, and shoulders in sixty seconds. Here is the strict rule: you must look only at your partner. Do not glance down at your paper once your pen touches the page. Artistic skill does not matter here. ## How to run it ### 1. Pair up and set up canvas (2 minutes) Group participants into pairs. If there is an odd number, form one group of three where person A draws person B, B draws C, and C draws A. Have each person place their paper flat in front of them, grip their pen, and make eye contact with their partner. Deliver the opening script. ### 2. Draw blind portraits (2 minutes) Start a 60-second timer. Participants draw their partner's head and shoulders without looking down at the paper. Announce a 15-second warning. Call stop when time expires and instruct everyone to lift pens before looking at their page. ### 3. Reveal and exchange sketches (3 minutes) Partners look at their own drawings first, then turn them around and hand them to their partner. Pairs spend two minutes chatting about the lines, misplaced features, and details they noticed while observing. ### 4. Debrief whole room (3 minutes) Reconvene the full room. Ask two debrief questions. Invite three or four brief responses from volunteers across the room to close the activity. ## Debrief questions - What was hardest about keeping your eyes on your partner instead of checking your pen? - How did the rule against looking at the page change your concern about drawing well? - What did you notice about your partner's features that you usually overlook? **Finished output:** A set of loose line portraits exchanged between partners, or the option to hold the drawing privately. ## Remote Run in video breakout rooms of two people. Participants use their own paper and pen at home. Each person looks at their partner's video tile on the monitor and draws without looking down at their desk. When finished, partners hold their sketches up to their webcams to show each other. ## Hybrid Pair in-person participants with other in-person participants, and remote participants with remote partners in breakout rooms. If a hybrid cross-pair is necessary, the in-person partner uses a laptop webcam facing their remote partner, drawing while looking directly at the screen. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may choose not to share their drawing with their partner or the room. - Participants with visual impairments or discomfort with direct eye contact can opt to serve as the round timer or describe distinctive vocal/sound traits rather than drawing visual features. ## If the session gets stuck **Participants instinctively look down at their paper to fix lines.** Remind the room before starting that misaligned lines are expected and the point of the activity. Suggest sliding the non-dominant hand over the paper edge as a physical anchor to avoid looking down. **An odd number of participants leaves one person without a partner.** Create a triad where person A draws person B, person B draws person C, and person C draws person A, keeping the exact same 60-second drawing time. ## Terms used here - Blind portrait: A continuous or loose line sketch made while looking solely at the subject, without checking the drawing surface. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Playmeo documentation, where the activity is attributed to Mark Collard. Retained the core Playmeo exercise rules: pair setup, drawing head and shoulders, 30 to 60 second drawing window, strict rule against looking at the paper, and partner reveal. Added standard UWT timing breakdown (10 minutes total), explicit triad handling for odd participant numbers, hybrid and remote instructions, structured debrief prompts, and concrete accessibility options. [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/trust-building-games/blind-portraits) [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/trust-building-games/blind-portraits/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/partner-icebreaker-activity-triggers-laughter-blind-portraits/