Of course, this is what artists do when they draw. This is often referred to as using cross contour lines. According to one artist's blog I came across that discusses how artists use these lines to create form (http://uniartone.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/cross-contour-lines/):
"Cross contour lines are lines that cut across the main axis of the form you are drawing. Effective use of cross contour lines can be a very economical way to show the form of the object you want to draw. They can also be developed into shading, by thickening the lines or by increasing the density. Additionally, thinking about cross contour lines will help you decide the direction of your brushstroke if you are doing a painting."
Here are a couple helpful examples:
I will close today with some appropriate words from Anais Nin:
"There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person."