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Why are there sausages with ellipses with random degree? [Lesson 2]

12:22 AM, Wednesday February 23rd 2022

I know the title may be confusing, but let me explain.

In the homework for lesson 2 "Organic forms with contour lines" its explain to us about the degree shift of an ellipse (which was also explained in lesson 1).

to put it short, it tells us that depending on the angle the viewer is seeing, we should see the degree of the ellipse getting wider or narrower, like it explains in the page, a sausage that we are seeing in front of us, at dead center we should be able to see an ellipse that looks like an edge ( basically because its at 0 degree), and the following ellipses should get wider at the ends, as explained here:

https://imgur.com/a/1DFOz5k

What i don't understand, is that, if this is true, then why in the sausages example it looks like the majority of the ellipses are getting wider and wider with no reason at all? shouldn't they have a point where ellipses when narrower?

I mean, just look at this image,

https://imgur.com/a/LKoZoKk

Bottom-left and top-right are an example of this, why in these two particular sausages, ALL the ellipses seems to be wide? isn't this a contradiction to the degree shift?

this has gotten me so confused, because i don't know if i am missing something here, why are the ellipses on the example mostly wide? like, they don't even get narrower at some point.

Im sorry if this is poorly written, but english is not my main languague, thanks!.

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1:24 AM, Wednesday February 23rd 2022

Think of looking straight on at a half a donut. The ellipse at the centre would be a straight line because you would only see the edge. As you go from the centre to the ends of the half donut the ellipses minor axes would widen until at the very end you would have a perfect circle. OK?

Now imagine you halved that half donut to leave a quarter donut. You would go from a straight line at the middle to a circle with the ellipses only getting wider until it is a perfect circle.

So it really depends on whether the sausage inverts from turning towards you to turning away ( or vice versa ). I think this is generally what is happening.

Does this help?

5:18 AM, Wednesday February 23rd 2022

Oh wow yeah it kinda helps a little, your donut example was also pretty easy to comprehend, while im still a bit confused i can see where this is going, thanks!

0 users agree
2:02 AM, Wednesday February 23rd 2022

It's like looking at an optical illusion. The ellipses could be tilted one way or another. It just depends on how you interpret it. This is one reason why "drawing through" 3D shapes can be confusing. Sometimes your eyes see it one way, sometimes another. I would also add that these excises are not intended to be accurate. There are ways to figure out accurate ellipses with the correct degree and size but it is not what Uncomfortable is trying to teach. I think it is just getting you to think 3D while drawing in 2D.

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