How to Hand Draw an Ellipse

Reviewed by Kelly Medford

Last Updated: November 3, 2024

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
Decide what length the major axis will be.
- The major axis is the longest diameter of an ellipse.
2
Draw one horizontal line of major axis length.^{[1]
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3
Mark the mid-point with a ruler.^{[2]
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- This is done by taking the length of the major axis and dividing it by two.
4
Create a circle of this diameter with a compass.^{[3]
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- 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
Decide what length the minor axis will be.
- The minor axis is the shortest diameter of an ellipse.^{[4]
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6
Draw another line bisecting the major axis (which will be the minor axis) using a protractor at 90 degrees.
- 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
Create a circle of this diameter with a compass.^{[5]
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- Do it the same way the previous circle was made.
8
Divide the entire circle into twelve 30 degree parts using a compass.
- 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]
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9
Draw horizontal lines from the inner circle (except on major and minor axis).
- 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]
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10
Draw vertical lines from the outer circle (except on major and minor axis).^{[8]
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- 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
Join the points using free-hand drawing or a French curve tool (more accurate).^{[9]
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- With free hand drawing, you do your best to draw the curves by hand between the points.

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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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.

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