Drawing Basics
Getting Started
Lines
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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
Randy P
11d
An issue I’ve discovered with this construction method which wasn’t obvious to me when watching the video is that to get a perfect ellipse, it relies upon starting with a PERFECT SQUARE drawn in perspective.
if you don’t have the square correct and instead start with just a rectangle in perspective, then the actual inscribed oval that touches the rectangle on all sides is NOT an ellipse with perpendicular axes. Trying to derive an ellipse using an assumed minor and major axis will not produce a good result.
Try to get the square right first. There are videos on YouTube that show how to use vanishing points to derive a perfect square.
Aura
12d
Will someone please explain to me how one figures out where the major axis crosses? I know it’s perpendicular to the minor axis (which vanishes into the vp) but I don’t know how to figure out where the heck to put it along the minor axis. I am literally having nightmares about this. 😭😭😭😭
Randy P
11d
I was wrestling with this as well. Johannes’ animation is helpful but the critical piece I was missing is that the major axis always shifts away from the center point along the minor axis… IN THE DIRECTION TOWARD THE VIEWER!
in Stan’s video this is easy to see as the major axis is shifted toward the upper right corner of the box which is closest to the viewer.
The amount it shifts off the center point is strictly a judgement call and intuition as there’s not an accurate way to locate it without math.
Dermot
12d
Aura
I'm sorry my posts have added to your confusion.
I too struggle with this topic.
Johannes S, posted a great circle / ellipses animation.
From the animation I my understanding is:
A circle in perspective is an ellipse.
Draw an accurate ellipse on paper and cut it out.
An ellipse has 4 equal quadrants.
An ellipse when correctly drawn it should pass the fold test along both axis.
If folded along the major axis both halves should match exactly.
If folded along the minor axis both halves should match exactly.
If folded in quarter all quadrants should match.
Observing Johannes's Animation
As the cube tilts away, the yellow circle centre line ( it becomes the Ellipse Major Axis) moves toward the viewer. As this happens the circle changes into an ellipse.
Viewed as an ellispse with repect to the moving yellow line
the yellow line moves toward the viewer, to maintain the ellispses'
major axis, minor axis and it's four equal quadrants.
Notice also, as the cube rotates 90 degrees, so does the minor axis
maintaining the conditions required by the ellipse.
When viewing the circle as a circle in perspective.
The circle centre is determined by the cube diagonals intersection.
This is observed as the front half being larger than the back half of the circle.
Remember:
A circle in Perspective, is viewed with respect to a centre line drawn through the circle diagonals (cube diagonals) intersection.
Not with respect to the ellipse major axis.
The major axis is only used to create the ellipse.
Fingers crossed Marshall Vandruff will cover Ellipses and Circles in Perspective
in his Perspective Course.
If my observations above are wrong, I'd appreciate feedback, thanks.
Johannes S, Circle / Ellipse Animation.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R4XWJ1ct1gI
@aakerhus
3mo
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
3mo
Having some fun with some freehand cylinders.
@aakerhus
3mo
@aakerhus
3mo
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.
•
3mo
You can select multiple layers in photoshop by holding Ctrl on PC or Command on Mac
Keep up the practice!
@osa
4mo
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
6mo
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
8mo
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
9mo
'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
9mo
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
10mo
@stan Question: When you drew the cylinder in a box, is the box isometric? or is it 3 point perspective?
Zach Pipher
11mo
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
11mo
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
11mo
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
9mo
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
1yr
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
Aura
12d
Yes, except I think the nearer half will be smaller than the far away half for some ungodly reason.
Margaret Langston
1yr
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
1yr
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
1yr
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
1yr
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
1yr
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
1yr
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
1yr
Very interesting and very useful lesson !! Thank you !!
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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.
