1. How to Sketch a Horizontal Line
Mark off two points spaced a distance equal to the length of the line to be drawn. The points should be parallel to the top or bottom edge of your paper.
Move your pencil back and forth and connect these points with a construction line.
Start from the left point and sketch an object line to the right point. This line is sketched over the construction line.
*Yellow color indicates guides, not necessarily actual lines to be drawn.

2. How to Sketch a Vertical Line
Mark off two points spaced a distance equal to the length of the line to be drawn. The two points should be parallel to the right or left edge of the sheet. Move your pencil back and forth and connect these points with a construction line.
Start from the top point and sketch down and over the construction line to draw the desired line.
Vertical lines can also be sketched by rotating the paper into a horizontal position and proceeding as explained in How to sketch a Horizontal Line.

3. How to Sketch an Inclined Line
Mark off two points at the desired angle. Connect these points with a construction line.
Sketch the desired weight line over the construction line. Sketch in the directions illustrated.
Sketch up when the line inclines to the right.
Sketch down when the line inclines to the left.

4. How to Sketch an Inclined Line, Continued…
Inclined lines can also be sketched by rotating the sheet so the points are in a horizontal position. Sketch the line as previously described.
For some sketching problems, it may be earlier to rotate the paper so the points are in a vertical position. Proceed as explained in How to Sketch a Vertical Line.

5. How to Sketch Squares and Rectangles
Sketch a horizontal line and a vertical line (axes).
Begin at the intersection of these lines and lay out equal units on both lines in each direction.
For example: If you want to draw a 2 ½ in. square, you would estimate a unit of ¼ in. and mark off five of these units on the vertical axis above and below the horizontal axis. Lay out the horizontal axis in the same manner.

6. How to Sketch Squares and Rectangles, Continued…
Sketch construction lines through the desired points.
Go over the construction lines forming the square to produce the desired weight line.
Rectangles are sketched in the same way except that you will have more units on one axis (line) than the other axis (line).

7. How to Sketch Angles
Sketch vertical and horizontal construction lines. These lines will form a 90 degree or right angle.
A 45 degree angle is sketched
by marking off equal number of units on both lines. Connect the last unit of each line. This will form a 45 degree angle with the vertical and the horizontal lines.

8. How to Sketch Angles, Continued…
To sketch 30 and 60 degree angles, mark off three units on one line and five units on the other line. Connecting the last unit on each line will give the required angles.
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9. How to Sketch Angles, Continued…
Other angles may be drawn by sketching an angle and subdividing this into the approximate number of degrees required. Example: dividing a 30 degree angle into thirds will give a 10 degree angle.
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10. How to Sketch Angles, Continued…
Another method used to develop angles in sketching is to sketch a quart circle and divide the resulting arc into the desired divisions.
Example: Dividing the arc into three parts will give 30 and 60 degree angles.
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11. How to Sketch Circles Sketch vertical, horizontal, and inclined axes.
Mark off units equal to the radius of the required circle on each axis.

12. How to Sketch Circles, Continued…
The radius units can be quickly and accurately located by marking off the desired radius on a piece of paper and using the paper as a measuring tool.

13. How to Sketch Circles, Continued…
Sketch a construction line through the points. When satisfied with the construction line, fill it in with a line of the desired weight.

14. How to Sketch an Arc
Sketch a right (90 degree) angle. Use construction lines.
Units equal to the length of the desired radius are marked on each leg of the angle. Connect these points with a construction line.

15. How to Sketch an Arc, Continued…
Divide this line into two equal parts. Starting from the point where the legs of the angle intersect, sketch a line through the dividing point of the diagonal line.

16. How to Sketch an Arc, Continued…
Mark off a point half way between the diagonal line and the intersection of the legs of the angle. Sketch an arc through the three points as shown.

17. How to Sketch an Ellipse
Sketch horizontal and vertical lines as shown. Mark off equal size units on the centerlines to construct a rectangle with the dimensions equal to the major axis (the long axis) and the minor axis (the small axis) of the desired ellipse.

18. How to Sketch an Ellipse, Continued…
Construct the rectangle by sketching construction lines through the outer points.

19. How to Sketch an Ellipse, Continued…
Lightly sketch arcs tangent to the lines that form the rectangle.
When you are satisfied with the shape of the ellipse, complete it by going over the construction lines with lines of the desired weight.

20. How to Sketch a Hexagon
Sketch vertical and horizontal centerlines, and inclined lines at 30 and 60 degrees. Construct a circle with a diameter equal to the distance across the flats of the required hexagon. Use construction lines.
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21. How to Sketch a Hexagon, Continued…
Sketch horizontal parallel lines at right angles (90 degree) to the vertical centerline. The lines are tangent to the circle at these points.

22. How to Sketch a Hexagon, Continued…
Sketch inclined parallel lines at 60 degrees and tangent to the circle at the point where the 30 degree inclined line intersects the circle.

23. How to Sketch a Hexagon, Continued…
Complete the hexagon and go over the construction lines to produce the proper weight line.

24. How to Sketch an Octagon
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Sketch vertical and horizontal centerlines and inclined lines at 45 degrees. Construct a circle with a diameter equal to the distance across the flats of the required octagon. Use construction lines.

25. How to Sketch an Octagon, Continued…
Sketch parallel lines tangent to the circle where the horizontal and vertical centerlines intersect the circle.

26. How to Sketch an Octagon, Continued…
Sketch inclined parallel lines at 45 degree and tangent to the circle at the point where the 45 degree inclined lines intersect the circle.

27. How to Sketch an Octagon, Continued…
Complete the octagon and go over the construction lines to produce the desired weight line.

28. Lettering, Continued…
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recommends that the Single-Stroke Gothic Alphabet be the accepted lettering standard