Circles & Ellipses

Description

Improve smooth motion and prepare for drawing organic and 3D forms. Circles and ellipses appear in almost every subject you'll ever draw — mastering them unlocks natural-looking curves without mechanical tools.

Steps

1. Draw rows of circles across your page in one continuous, looping motion — don't stop mid-circle
2. Practice ellipses (flattened circles) at varying degrees of flatness
3. Vary sizes from coin-sized to full-hand-width
4. Rotate your ellipses to different angles — 30°, 45°, 60° from horizontal
5. Draw through the shape: make 2–3 full rotations per circle before lifting your pen, then keep only the clearest line

Tips

• Don't slow down trying to be accurate — smoothness matters more than precision here
• Keep your shapes even and balanced; they should look symmetrical
• Ghost the motion (hover without touching paper) before committing each stroke
• Your circles don't need to be perfect — they just need to feel alive