What to draw and how to draw it

Chapter 3: DRAWING OVALS AND ELLIPSES

Open in WeRead

About This Book

The work offers a step-by-step, diagram-led method for drawing a wide range of subjects—animals, people, birds, buildings, toys and simple scenes—by progressing through numbered sketches that culminate in a finished picture. Light construction lines, geometric guides like circles and ovals, and a remembered key line are emphasized to teach proportion, perspective, and foreshortening in an accessible way. Instructional plates include techniques for drawing ellipses and ovals and brief practical guidance on watercolor materials and mixing, all presented for young learners and beginners.

DRAWING OVALS AND ELLIPSES

Take note, first of all, of the difference between an ellipse and an oval.

The large plate explains the construction of an ellipse. It shows how to find the points where the three pins are placed that determine the size of the looped string. Be sure and make measurements accurately. Use a string that will not give, cotton thread is good for small ellipses, silk is too elastic. A suggestion to amateur gardeners: make elliptical flower beds this way.

The caution in regard to accuracy also applies to the making of the oval.