How to Draw Easy Cylindrical Formulas for Products

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Discover how to bring your products to life with the help of simple cylindrical formulas.
Follow these 4 sketching tips and start drawing cylinders today!

How to Draw Easy Cylindrical Formulas for Products

TIP 1 Draw with a Papermate Flair M
TIP 2 The minor axis is your symmetry axis!
TIP 3 The 3 steps to drawing “cylindrical forms” are easy
TIP 4 Visualize boxes in perspective
TIP 5 Draw contour lines
TIP 6 Try the Spring technique!

Drawing cylinders is inspiring when you decline them into an infinity of forms to draw your products. Let me show you how to decline them easily in 3 steps, and share with you my sketching tips!

TIP 1| Draw with a Papermate Flair M

Learning a new technique is often intimidating at the start.
As a beginner, we lack precision.
This is why I recommend you practice with a thicker felt nib: The Papermate Flair M is my favorite.

Draw without looking for perfection and enjoy studying today’s drawing tutorials!

TIP 2| The minor axis is your symmetry axis!

Take any product around you with a cylinder base.
Turn it in any angle while visualizing the invisible minor axis. — **Take any product around you with a cylinder base.**
Turn it at any angle while visualizing the invisible minor axis.

An important rule is to draw a cylinder base product, the minor axis is your symmetry axis.
No matter from which angle you see your product.

We use the Cylinder base to create our new form drawing a series of ellipses.

Spot the minor axis here in blue = symmetry axis

TIP 3| The 3 steps to drawing “cylinder forms” are easy

Let’s have fun drawing some random forms using the “Cylinder base” technique! I show you below in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Draw an axis — **Step 1:** Draw an axis

Step 2: Draw ellipses with different sizes all along the axis. — **Step 2:** Draw ellipses of different sizes all along the axis.

Step 3: Connect the ellipses creating the form you want. — **Step 3:** Connect the ellipses creating the form you want.

IMPORTANT:

TO KNOW: The top ellipse is thinner than the bottom one. All the ellipses in between get thick gradually going down. — **TO KNOW:** The top ellipse is thinner than the bottom one. All the ellipses in between get thick gradually going down.

TIP 4| Visualize boxes in perspective

To level up your visualization in 3D, imagine your “cylinder forms” embed in boxes in perspective.

Each box is a portion of the "Cylinder form". — Each box is a portion of the “Cylinder form”.

TIP 5| Draw contour lines

To show even more clarity and volume, add in contour lines. To practice this, you will need first to study the Designer Starter Kit.

Level up learning how to draw the contour lines of your volumes. — Level up by learning how to draw the contour lines of your volumes.

TIP 6| Try the Spring technique!

Let me show you a fun sketching technique.
I draw some springs to create some volumes. Remember to widen the “ellipses” as you go down.

Draw with the Spring technique! — The Spring technique!

Fill many draft paper to practice. — Fill out many draft papers to practice.

Alrighty, I hope you enjoy this simple tutorial. I wish to show you how you can draw many new forms even as a beginner. :)

See you for the next DRAWING TIP!
Cheers,
Chou-Tac

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Sam Grosjean: “Pensacola, FL 22 years old I want to bring my ideas and imagination to paper. I did a Google search.” Jul 8, 19:46
Jo: “Hi, Australia, 50, Im looking for a new hobby, I remember loving to draw when I was younger So hoping…” Jul 8, 17:35
Spencer: “Austin, TX 50 yrs old I want a way to bring my creations to life I found your blog searching…” Jul 8, 10:44
Chou-Tac: “I just replied in your email Dion. :)” Jul 6, 17:02
Dion Lee Uren: “My days are short, I have bowl cancer & before I part this earth always loved to draw muscle cars…” Jul 6, 16:28
Rashon Richardson: “1 – Florida. 19. 2 – currently studying to be an electrical engineer but I have an interest for designing…” Jul 6, 02:07
Chou-Tac: “My pleasure Linda. I do have some content about Urban sketching. Hope it helps! Feel free to leave me a…” Jul 5, 21:37
Adam: “I’m 40 y.o. from Czech. I need to improve to visualize my sketches. I dicover this from Google.” Jul 5, 13:06
Adam: “I’m 40 y.o. from Czech. I need to able to visualize my idea. I believe it can improve my communication…” Jul 5, 13:04
Candy-Chan: “I’m from Chicago and I’m 20. I want to learn to sketch to improve my art skills and be more…” Jul 5, 09:00
Linda Cadeau: “I am a senior and started drawing about 5 years ago. Just want to learn how to draw objects that…” Jul 4, 22:09
Marc Benitez: “USA 67 1. I have been drawing and scribbling since I was a child. I’m doing some blackletter calligraphy and…” Jul 4, 11:27
Go: “hi, i want to learn how to draw, sketch, color reflections on glass cups, carafes, windows, doors, buildings, etc problems…” Jul 2, 15:45
Gurupreet: “Hi, I come from India and I am 20 years old. I am an freelance artist and I use to…” Jun 30, 22:14
Jatin Verma: “I come from India. I want to learn sketching in general, 1.India, 30 2. Studying graphic design and Sketching 3.…” Jun 30, 14:19
Jatin: “I come from India. I want to learn sketching in general, 1.India, 30 2. Studying graphic design and Sketching 3.…” Jun 30, 14:11
Murad: “Google search Yes learning more Intersted with your blog” Jun 29, 11:08
Fausto Blanco: “I’m an stell erection and construction estimator, my field is estimate. Labor and material quantities for big warehouse buildings, also…” Jun 28, 09:14
NISHTHA HARSH NIRMAL: “I come from India. I want to learn sketching in general, but product sketching career-wise. I discovered this through Pinterest” Jun 27, 14:32
Nishtha: “I need this book as im an aspiring designer. I love to sketch. I discovered this blog through pinterest.” Jun 27, 10:57
Joh: “Brisbane, 37 Looking for a new hobby :) googled contour lines!” Jun 26, 13:31
Chou-Tac: “Hi Adrian, We are in 2025, and I am re-reading my article. :) The example I gave here: Some applicants…” Jun 25, 18:33
Chou-Tac: “Hi Hana, Sure you will! You got all the content you need in the blog. :)) For the shoe design,…” Jun 25, 17:02
Chou-Tac: “Hey Haitam, The first step is to study perspective. From CAD, you already got a great grasp on it. You…” Jun 25, 16:59
Iwan: “Indonesian, 30 Hobby From Youtube Thankss” Jun 25, 12:56