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Theory of the Ellipse with Helen Van Wyk #oilpaintingteacher #oilpaintingforbeginners

In this 3-minute video, Helen Van Wyk delves into the importance of using diagonals to improve your drawing skills, particularly when working with ellipses. Starting with a simple circle in a box, she demonstrates how drawing diagonals helps you find the center and understand how shapes transform in perspective. Helen explains how this technique can be applied to more than just circles—whether you’re sketching everyday objects or creating complex compositions. By understanding how to visualize ellipses in 3D, you can enhance your ability to represent objects like baskets or vases naturally and effectively in your paintings. Helen’s clear breakdown of this concept makes it easier to capture objects in perspective, helping you bring more dimension and realism to your artwork..

Let me make a circle, kind of, okay? And let me put that circle in a box because it's true—you can send a vase to someone in a box, of course, a square box. Now, diagonaling a box gives me the middle. This session is not only about the ellipse, but it's about how important a diagonal is. A diagonal will help you draw things better, many things other than circles. So, here is the other line. Now, the arc of a circle hits from the center out to here, about, oh, 2/3 of the time. It hits in the center and 2/3 center of each side, and 2/3 of each on each diagonal.

Now, as soon as we see this flop down in perspective, either lying on a table or tipped, as I'm going to do it, the box becomes a shape like this. This back line gets smaller—this is greatly exaggerated—and this front line, just as my thumb comes up, comes closer to it. So, we now have a shape like this. These lines then connect. Well, the diagonal will show you how to find the middle of this new shape, and you'll notice that this middle is now closer to the back than the front. Again, the center line is here.

Now, to draw this same shape in this new form: it hits here, it hits 2/3 on that diagonal, it hits here, 2/3 on that diagonal, it hits here, comes down 2/3 on that diagonal, and again over to here, over to here. And now we have an elliptical shape. An ellipse is not an oval—an oval is equal on either side. So this looks like this shape flopped down. Knowing this gives me a chance to understand and see this basket tipped over with vegetables coming out a little bit easier. So, let me do that painting for you, or start that painting for you, to show you how it has helped me so much to know about the ellipse.

Helen took the time to teach us the principles and reasons behind painting each element in the progression of a work. Her sensibility in basic natural fundamentals taught us we can paint anything by employing these basics. Subject matter was a minor consequence to Helen. Using the basics, thousands of artists received the confidence to paint any type of subject.

PLEASE NOTE:
Some explanations in this video may not accurately reflect precise mathematical properties or definitions. For instance, references to ovals and ellipses may include discrepancies. We aim to provide an engaging overview, but recommend consulting additional resources for accurate mathematical details. However, the visual demonstration accurately depicts how to apply the concepts in a practical setting to help you understand how to convert an object's shape in perspective.