Shortcut for Drawing with Symmetry

By Brenda Hoddinott

A simple ten-step process for quickly and accurately outlining symmetrical drawing subjects

Supplies:

drawing paper, tracing paper, 2H or HB pencil, pencil sharpener, sandpaper block, kneaded and vinyl erasers, ruler

Many popular drawing subjects are symmetrical. When you know the shortcuts for rendering symmetry, you can save time and make your drawings more accurate.

A simple drawing of a bowl serves as the example in this tutorial.

Tip!

If you'd like to draw symmetrical still-life objects, begin with something simple. Take a tour of your home and see what catches your eye. For example, vases, flowerpots, and wine glasses make gorgeous drawings.

Step 1:

Lightly sketch the overall proportions of your subject (Figure 1). Use a ruler to find the horizontal midpoint of your sketch and mark this point with a small dot.

Figure 1

Figure 1

Step 2:

Draw a vertical line of symmetry through this dot (Figure 2).

At this stage, you may need to rotate your drawing slightly so the line of symmetry is truly vertical rather than slanted.

Figure 2

Figure 2

Step 3:

Sketch one side of the subject more accurately (Figure 3).

Figure 3

Figure 3

Step 4:

Lighten your sketch with a kneaded eraser and use a sharpened pencil to make this side of your drawing as accurate as possible (Figure 4).

Figure 4

Figure 4

As you draw, constantly refer to the subject. Observe the lengths of the lines, the directions in which they curve, and the shapes of the spaces in between the lines.

When you are happy with this side of your drawing, use your vinyl eraser to completely erase the other half (but not the line of symmetry).

Step 5:

Tape tracing paper over your drawing (Figure 5). Don't put tape on the sections of the paper you plan to draw on, as the tape may damage the paper's surface when you pull it off.

Figure 5

Figure 5

Step 6:

Use a sharpened pencil to trace over all the outlines as precisely as is possible. Your goal is to have this half of the subject drawn on the tracing paper (Figure 6).

Figure 6

Figure 6

Step 7:

Carefully remove the tracing paper.

Flip the tracing paper over to the reverse side of your drawing. The graphite outline should now be face-down.

Position the tracing paper along the line of symmetry on the missing half of the subject and tape the tracing paper in place (Figure 7). Feel free to cut away any excess tracing paper.

Figure 7

Figure 7

Step 8:

Use a sharpened pencil or ball point pen to trace over each line of the half of the subject on the tracing paper (Figure 8).

The graphite outline on the reverse side of your tracing paper serves as carbon paper for transferring the image onto your drawing paper.

Figure 8

Figure 8

Step 9:

Carefully remove the tracing paper. You now have a faint mirror image of the second half of the bowl (Figure 9).

Figure 9

Figure 9

Step 10:

Erase the line of symmetry and outline this new side of the subject a little darker to match the other side (Figure 10).

Figure 10

Figure 10