How to Draw 3D Shapes with Ellipses

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In this step by step lesson we are going to draw a glass and a cup in 3D.

First we draw them in 2D.
Then we zap them up with ellipses and watch them jump into the third dimension.

(If you don't know how to draw an ellipse, just click on the 3D Shapes button on the left and read the lesson about ellipses first.)

I recommend that you first do this exercise with the easy glass before you go on with the more complicated cup.

(Below I will write all special instructions for the cup in parenthesis like this. So just ignore them if you're drawing the glass.)

Let's get started!

Scroll down to the bottom of each step to see the big picture that illustrates it.

Step 1: Underside and Middle Axis

Draw a horizontal line as broad as you want your object to be.
This line will be the object's underside that it stands on.

Then draw a vertical line that crosses the other line in the middle.
Make it even a bit higher than you want your object to be and also draw it further down below the other line.
Just guess to hit the same height like in this picture.
This vertical line is our middle axis.
It will help us to draw the object symmetrically.

Step 2: Upper Rim and other vertical lines.

Go up the middle axis and draw in another horizontal line.
This line will be the top of the object.
Make sure that it has the same length on both sides of the middle axis.

(Draw in three squares for the cup. One large one at the top, a very small one below the middle and a bit broader one at the bottom)

Step 3: Finishing 2d Shape

Just connect top and bottom of the glass with two lines.

(For the cup connect the squares with four lines as shown.)

Now your 2d Shape is finished.
This is what a glass or cup looks like, when you look at it directly from the side.
To bring this boring view alive, we will just ad ellipses now.
That is all we need to make the leap to the third dimension!

Step 4: Place Minor Axis

Remember, for each ellipse that we want to draw we need two axes:
The major axis and the minor axis.

Good news: One is already in the picture.
All vertical lines will be our major axis. I marked them red in the illustration.
So in the glass there will just be 2 ellipses.
(There will be 6 ellipses in the cup).

The minor axes lie on the middle axis. They are shown in green in the illustration.
Give them the length of one third of the major axis and mark their start an end points with little lines.

(For the cup I numbered these lines for each ellipse, because the minor axes are overlapping each other. The 1s mark start and end of the first minor axis, the 2s mark start and end of second minor axis and so on.)

Step 5: Adding Ellipses

Since you now have the axes in place, go ahead and draw in the ellipses.

(They will overlap each other in the cup. Just ignore that and draw them in like the other lines wouldn't exist.)

Draw them carefully and with patience!
Also draw them only slightly now, because you will have to erase some parts of them in the next step.

Ellipses all set?
Great.

Now it is time for the big erasing job.
Erase all the axes since they only served to place the ellipses correctly.
Also erase the vertical middle line.

Don't worry if you erase some parts of your ellipses too.
As long as you can still slightly see where the ellipses were, you can easily redraw them after the erasing.
Just follow the slight lines with a stronger drawing stroke again.

Now all parts of the ellipses that lie at the backside of your 3d shapes and are therefore not visible must be erased, too.

Only the ellipse at the very top stays visible completely.
Of all the others, the upper arcs need to be erased.

(There is one exception for the cup!
Since you are now in 3d and can look inside the cup, the middle part of the second ellipse's upper arc remains visible.
You only need to erase the two little parts on the very left and right, which are not inside of the top ellipse).

I dotted every part of the ellipses that needs to be erased in the next picture, for reference.

Step 8: The Last Little Detail for Perfection

Now your 3d shape already looks pretty good!
Add only one more little thing to make it perfect.

Right now, the glass and the cup seem to be made out of very thin paper.

To change this, draw in one more ellipse.
You need no axes for this one.
Just draw it inside of the ellipse at the top, following its outline closely.

The more distance you leave between your new ellipse and the top ellipse, the broader the material will seem to be.
(For the cup you need to erase the two little lines that lie inside of the upper rim, between the two top ellipses now.)

And that's it!

Congratulations for mastering this technique.

It is a great way to draw almost any round object you can find.
Just draw it 2d first, which is usually very simple.
Then zap it up with ellipses and out into 3d you go!

The next and final step is to color your objects, ideally with shading.
Don't leave your 3d shapes empty and white.
With the right adding of color you can easily enhance their 3d look even more!
Then they will really jump out of the page.

Return to the 3D Shapes Lessons, and click on the Shading Lesson there to continue.