Drawing & Painting Concepts


Ellipses (and Circles)

Ellipses (and Circles)

Ellipses and circles can be hard to draw. Perfect circles become ellipses when seen at an angle. For example, the perfect circle on the top of a jar or can becomes an ellipses unless you look straight down at the top of the jar/can.

Ellipses are part of many human-made objects.

Ellipses can be frustrating, but noticing a few facts about ellipses, with careful practice one can draw perfect ellipses.

Can you see how the ellipses become more closed, the lower the viewing angle?

At eye level the ellipse becomes flat, or looks like a line.

What are the errors in each of these drawings marked with an X?