Chapter 6 Elliptical Perspective and Cylindrical Objects

Objectives Understand elliptical perspective and describe its use in drawing. Draw an accurate ellipse freehand. See the underlying cylindrical form of objects in order to simplify their shape. Draw cylindrical objects, whether they are standing up or lying down, accurately and with a sense of the object’s volume.

Elliptical Perspective Seen from directly above or below, a circle is round. As the edge of the circle comes closer to your eye level, the ellipse narrows.

Upright Cylinders (1 of 2) The two ellipses (circles) on the ends of a cylinder are the same size. Their apparent shape changes because you don’t see both ellipses from the same eye level.

Upright Cylinders (2 of 2) The ellipse you can see (top or bottom) is narrowest where it meets the sides, widest in the middle Draw perpendicular guide lines to keep the ellipse from being lopsided.

Cylinders on Their Sides (1 of 2) Drawing a cylinder that’s lying on its side requires using both elliptical and linear perspective.

Cylinders on Their Sides (2 of 2) First, draw a guide line down the center of the cylinder, parallel to the sides and running through the centers of the ellipses. Then, draw perpendicular guide lines for the ellipses.

Volume in Cylinders (1 of 2) Establishing volume in cylinders combines the techniques of the sphere and the cube. The greatest contrast on the sides comes in the middle—the area closest to the viewer— as in a sphere.

Volume in Cylinders (2 of 2) The greatest contrast on the edges comes at the point closest to the viewer, as on a cube. The cylinder, like the cube, has a second cast shadow, a thin dark line.

Summary (1 of 2) Elliptical perspective –An ellipse appears to narrow as it comes closer to your eye level, to widen as it gets farther away. The cylinder is one of the four basic shapes. –It combines the attributes of the sphere and the cube. The two ellipses of a cylinder do not appear identical because they are at different distances from your eye level.

Summary (2 of 2) When a cylinder is lying on its side, linear perspective makes the sides appear to converge. Draw a central guide line and a perpendicular guide line to render the ellipses of a cylinder lying on its side. Illusion of volume in a cylinder comes from contrast in value between ellipses and sides and between light and shadow areas of the sides.