How do you draw an ellipse?
An ellipse is a geometric figure that is not as easy to draw as a rectangle or a triangle. You draw them with pencil, set square and compass.
What you need:
- pencil
- triangle ruler
- Circle
The ellipse in math and art
You know ellipses from mathematics, the physics and the Art lessons.
- In mathematics, ellipses are geometric figures like squares or circles. You construct them with a set square and compass. How to draw an ellipse exactly is given below.
- In physics you know ellipses as converging lenses. They are the glasses for farsightedness. In the eye you will find a natural lens in an elliptical shape. It plays a role in photo technology. The more the lenses are curved, the closer the focal points are to the lens.
- In art, you need ellipses when drawing in perspective. Round objects appear as ellipses when viewed from above or below. The more closely a round object is seen (and drawn) from the side, the flatter the ellipse.
How to draw an ellipse
You draw an ellipse using a logical method.
Construct different tangents - this is how it works
To draw a tangent to a circle, you need a pair of compasses, a ruler and ...
- Draw a coordinate cross. It is as wide as the ellipse should be wide (large semiaxis for a transverse ellipse) and as high as it should be (small semiaxis for a transverse ellipse). The corner points are called A, C, B and D starting clockwise and starting on the left. So D is down.
- Connect points A and C.
- Draw a parallel to AB through C and a parallel to CD through A. The point of intersection is called S.
- Draw a straight line at 90 °angle to AC through S. The intersection of these Straight lines with AB means M. The intersection with CD is called M2.
- Draw a circle around M with radius AM.
- Draw a semicircle around M2 with a radius of M2C.
- Mirror point M at CD and draw a second circle on the right side of the later ellipse. Mirror point M2 at AB and draw a second semicircle downwards.
- You finish drawing the ellipse with your free hand. The circles serve as curves of the ellipse upwards, downwards and to the sides. Use the pencil to complete the ellipse where the circles are almost touching.
The first steps to drawing an ellipse are easy and there is no potential for error. To close the ellipse with your free hand you need a little practice, a good sense of proportion and a steady hand.
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