How to Draw an Ellipse
Using a couple of tacks, a string, a pencil and some practice you can draw large and small ellipses. Follow the instructions below to draw an ellipse.
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Instructions
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1
Grab a piece of paper, a compass, a ruler, a pencil, some string, a piece of cardboard and two tacks. The amount of paper, string and cardboard you use will depend on the size of the ellipse that you want to draw. The larger the ellipse, the larger the items.
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2
Place your paper in the center of the cardboard, or your ellipse will not look right.
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3
Using a ruler, draw the length of the ellipse as a horizontal line. In the center of the horizontal line, draw a vertical line to represent the width. Make sure the lines are perpendicular to each other.
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4
Place the pointer end of your compass where the two lines intersect. Adjust the pencil end of the compass so that it is touching the end of the horizontal line.
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5
Without changing the compass measurement, place the pointer end of the compass at the top of the vertical line and run the compass in a circle. Only make marks where the compass intersects with the horizontal line.
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6
Insert two tacks at the ends of the horizontal line. Tie a string to both tacks. Make sure the string is tight with no slack.
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7
Take the pins out and move them to the two intersection points that you made in Step 5. Make sure that you place the pins exactly on both intersection points to ensure accuracy.
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8
Take your pencil and place it in the middle of the string and pull the string away from the center until it is tight with no slack.
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9
Move your pencil in a circular motion using the tight string as your guide and draw your ellipse. Go all the way around the pins until you have completed your figure.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure that your cardboard is a little bigger than the piece of paper you will be drawing on.
It may take a little practice to get the ellipse right. Don't get discouraged. Keep trying if you don't get it the first time.
Don't use lightweight string when making the ellipse. Make sure the string won't break while you are drawing.
