How to Hand Draw an Ellipse

Drawing an ellipse is often thought of as just drawing a major and minor axis and then winging the 4 curves. This is good enough for rough drawings; however, this process can be more finely tuned by using concentric circles. When using concentric circles, the outer larger circle is going to have a diameter of the major axis, and the inner smaller circle will have the diameter of the minor axis. The result will be smaller and easier to draw arcs that are better suited for drafting or performing geometry.

Steps

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  1. 1
    Decide what length the major axis will be.
    • The major axis is the longest diameter of an ellipse.
  2. 2
    Draw one horizontal line of major axis length. [1]
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  3. [2]
    • This is done by taking the length of the major axis and dividing it by two.
  4. [3]
    • This is started by taking the compass and setting the spike on the midpoint, then extending the pencil to either end of the major axis.
  5. 5
    Decide what length the minor axis will be.
    • The minor axis is the shortest diameter of an ellipse. [4]
    • Here, you take the protractor and set its origin on the mid-point of the major axis. Mark the point at 90 degrees. Then swing the protractor 180 degrees and mark that point. Now you can draw the minor axis at its midpoint between or within the two marks.
  7. [5]
    • Do it the same way the previous circle was made.
    • This is done by setting your protractor on the major axis on the origin and marking the 30 degree intervals with dots. Then you can connect the dots through the center with lines. [6]
    • These will be parallel to the major axis, and go outward from all the points where the inner circle and 30 degree lines intersect. Try to draw the lines near the minor axis a little shorter, but draw them a little longer as you move toward the major axis. [7]
  10. [8]
    • These will be parallel to the minor axis, and go inward from all the points where the outer circle and 30 degree lines intersect. Try to draw the lines near the minor axis a little longer, but draw them a little shorter as you move toward the major axis. If you detect a horizontal line will be too short you can take a ruler and extend it a little before drawing the vertical line.
  12. [9]
    • With free hand drawing, you do your best to draw the curves by hand between the points.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I draw an ellipse freehand?
    River
    Community Answer
    When you freehand an ellipse, try to keep your wrist on the surface you're working on. Move your hand in small and smooth strokes to keep the ellipse rough. You can neaten up the lines later with an eraser.
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    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 28
  • Question
    How do I find the minor axis? It's not clear?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    First you have to know the lengths of the major and minor axes. After you've drawn the major axis, use a protractor (or compass) to draw a perpendicular line through the center of the major axis. Extend this new line half the length of the minor axis on both sides of the major axis. This new line segment is the minor axis.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Things You'll Need

      • Ruler
      • Protractor
      • Compass
      • Paper
      • Pencil
      • French curve (optional)

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuo649KdTVo&t=38s
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuo649KdTVo&t=38s
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHtHS9q02o
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuo649KdTVo&t=38s
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHtHS9q02o
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHtHS9q02o
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHtHS9q02o
      8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHtHS9q02o
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHtHS9q02o
      1. http://www.mathopenref.com/ellipseaxes.html

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