How To Draw A Circle Without A Compass
It’s every artist’s dream – that perfect circle, seemingly carved out without an ounce of effort. But have you ever tried to draw a circle without a compass? It’s easy to ditch the compass and instead use these simple steps for piecing together the perfect circle.
Firstly, take out your trusty pencil, and a blank sheet of paper. You’ll also need a laser level or an old peg or nail – a flat-headed one is preferable. To begin your masterpiece, mark a dot on the paper. Position your laser level directly above the dot and aim it directly at the center while adjusting the distance until the two beams are parallel. This will give you the reference point for your circle.
Secondly, take your pencil and start forming the circle by tracing an arc around the dot with your laser pointing at the center. Make sure to keep the pencil pressed against the paper while you’re doing this, to keep the curve consistent. Once the circle is complete, the ends of the arc should meet at the original dot.
Finally, finish up the circle by retracing the arc multiple times. This will give you a bold, smooth outline of the circle that you can use to trace or draw from. There you have it – a stunning circle without the use of a compass!
Size Matters!
The size of the circle you’re drawing will determine how many times you should retrace it. If you’re aiming for a small-scale circle, once or twice should be enough to create a neat outline. However, if you’re aiming for a larger scale, more passes may be necessary to make sure that the plot of the circle is consistent.
To make sure that you’re succeeding each time you trace, use a ruler as a guide, and make sure to keep it placed just outside the drawn circle, while also keeping the laser level alongside it. This should ensure that the curve on each side is identical so that you can get a perfect circle at the end.
It’s All About Spotting The Holes
If you’ve finished tracing the outline of your circle and are worried that you’ve made discrepancies in it — worry not! You can easily find the angles in the circle by measuring an angle between two arcs just before they complete the circle.
Using your ruler, measure the angles at the end points of the arc, and then use a protractor to bring the angle out onto the paper. This will give you the perfect angle of the circle which you can then use to measure them. The length and angle of two intersecting arcs should always give you the circumference and length of the circle.
Try It For Yourself!
It’s always wise to practice this technique before you try it out in real life. There may be certain discrepancies in a real-life circle which you’d want to avoid by honing your skills. Open up a blank page, follow the steps above and start building your perfect circle without a compass!
Experiment To Perfection
It’s easy to think that drawing a circle without a compass is trial and error but with these tried and tested steps, you can be sure that you’re getting the best possible outcome every single time. Spend some time experimenting with the technique and find ways in which you can perfect it according to your own desires and you’ll soon be drawing perfect circles like a pro!
