Drawing Basics
Getting Started
Lines
Shapes
How Perspective Works
Intuitive Perspective
Values
Bonus Content
It’s finally time to move on from boxes…well kind of. In this lesson we learn about ellipses, how to draw cylinders in perspective and how boxes can help us draw them more accurately.
Newest
@aakerhus
14d
I know the placement of the major axis is wrong in these, but I find it hard to but it in intuitively. Sort of putting it in the x-spot now, to train my eyes and learn from my mistake.
@aakerhus
15d
Having some fun with some freehand cylinders.
@aakerhus
15d
@aakerhus
15d
Gonna draw a bunch of these to get the feel for it. Still a confusing task to mix intuitive drawing with perspective without no grid or vanishing points for me. Also, kind of hard to draw straight lines freehand in Photoshop.
This cylinder was drawn around a box but my dumb ass haven't figured out how to upscale multiple layers at once yet. More to come.
•
15d
You can select multiple layers in photoshop by holding Ctrl on PC or Command on Mac
Keep up the practice!
@osa
2mo
This one was real tough but, I did my best!
I definitely think I copied my references too much at first and their bizarre angles threw me off. Number 6 is where I got it.
Lane Campbell
3mo
I've always had such trouble with these, could someone tell me if im doing anything wrong with the elipses because they don't look right
Josh Fiddler
6mo
The key thing for me was that the Minor Axis points at the horizontal VP. Which is the same as saying that the Minor Axis is perpendicular to the plane of the ellipse. It will also help you draw tetrahedra, cones, and pyramids.
@bumatehewok
7mo
'The Ellipse is Symmetrical in 2D' My brain is having trouble accepting this. I look at record example measure it and see that it is, but then I am immediately like 'Is it REALLY Symmetrical?'
@danaedg
7mo
I understand the placement of the minor and major axes but I don't understand how they affect how you actually draw the ellipse. I get the ellipse needs to touch the four points, but how do the axes indicate the angle of the curve of each part of the ellipse? Can anyone explain?
Robert
8mo
@stan Question: When you drew the cylinder in a box, is the box isometric? or is it 3 point perspective?
Zach Pipher
9mo
I'm watching it again after practicing. I've watched this a few times. So the major axis always splits the ellipse in half, right down the middle? So I could think of it that way when I am trying to place the major axis in the box.
Zach Pipher
9mo
how do you draw these ellipses in 2 point perspective? I'm having a hard time visualizing how do that the ellipses into a cylinder when the box only has two vanishing points. Or rather if you cant see the top plane or the bottom plane.
Zach Pipher
9mo
Do we just eye ball the major axis? Or is there a way to be able to tell where it is supposed to be like how we discover the minor axis?
@danaedg
7mo
It should be perpendicular to the minor axis. So if we consider the minor axis our horizontal, the major axis will be perfectly vertical in relation to that horizontal. And yes, I think it always splits the ellipse in half in the 3D sense, but since it's a 2D drawing it seems like you have to guess where half would be?
Dermot
10mo
I was thinking again after watching the introduction to the ellipse.
Although an ellipse is used to draw the circle in perspective.
A circle in perspective is really an oval because the circle and circle in perspective use the same centre, meaning the nearer half is larger than the further away half, which would be smaller, and would not pass the fold test.
Any advise would be appreciated to confirm this thought.
Thanks
Margaret Langston
10mo
Here's my 10? 12? attempt at the cylinder in a cube with ellipses, ground out with many messy lines that just get thicker and thicker. I'm still working on my girltruck that spews out clean air, is covered with leaves and flowers, and emits drugs that make everyone in the world peaceful.
Margaret Langston
10mo
Big Q on timestamp 7:18 and lesson note: "The minor axis is at the same angle as the receding lines of the box and crosses the center point." Is this the same as saying: "The minor axis must to to the vanishing point?"
Steven Wolf
9mo
I would say yes. That's how I understand it. The minor axis goes from that center point of the box / ellipse back to, and out from, the same vanishing point of the side of the box that is connecting both of those ellipses together to form a wheel, or a cylinder.
@sniggy
10mo
Guys... I give up.... I am not even able to draw the ellipse correctly inside/within (??) the square. And the second ellipse does not change in perspective... ?!?!
Margaret Langston
10mo
Dear Sniggy: Don't give up. This exercise is doable but I'm finding it requires many attempts and I'm not having much fun. "Intuitive" and "exact" are two different animals.
AJ Wolf
10mo
Have you looked at @Johannes Schiehsl ‘s post below? Just the still in their post alone was enough to break my problem down, but their video is awesome, as well.
Wolfgang H.G. FELFERNIG
10mo
Very interesting and very useful lesson !! Thank you !!
Johannes Schiehsl
10mo
If you are like me and the major axis gives you major headaches: don't worry.
Scott Robertson in his book describes how the minor axis is key to place the ellipse successfully in perspective.
Nevertheless: I made a little animation to make it easier to observe what is happening with the major axis. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R4XWJ1ct1gI
Zach Pipher
9mo
So it kind of seems like the major axis never gets past the mid point between the minor axis and the bottom of the ellipse before it foreshortens into a strait line.
AJ Wolf
10mo
This helped me *so* much! Thank you!!!!
Juice
10mo
Good animation 👍🏼 thanks
Scott
10mo
Once again my brain hurts. I tend to feel irritated when trying to get accurate proportions. But only perspective (so far) hurts my brain. In trying to duplicate the lesson the biggest challenge I found was drawing a "square" in perspective because as far as I know you just have to guess (or feel it or whatever).
Maria Bygrove
10mo
There is a way of drawing a square in perspective by using geometric projection but I guess it only makes sense for technical or architectural drawing. For art, eyeballing it probably makes more sense.
But if you're curious, here's a description of how to do it technically:
https://architecturerevived.com/how-to-draw-a-perfect-cube-in-perspective/
•
10mo
These look nice. Perspective is a concept that doesn’t come naturally to most.
This is an extra tricky shape because the sides are so narrow.
I opened it up a little to illustrate which lines should go towards which perspective point. Hope this helps.
Your cylinders look great! Keep it up!
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About instructor
Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.
