Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter Egg) Online Class Basic Egg Divisions
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DRAWING GUIDELINES FOR THE  STANDARD  8  DIVISIONS

Many Pysanky designs start with this simple procedure. The egg will be divided into eight sections of similar shapes. Four quadrants on each hemisphere. Sure, there are other methods to do this, and it may seem a bit overly demonstrated, but this is the method that I have taught in my classes. The drawing techniques has some roots in basic mechanical drafting. If you spend the time carefully drawing these guidelines, your designs will be straighter and more evenly balanced. This page explains how to accurately draw the guidelines on the egg to make 8 approximately equal divisions. Just a few notes before you start. One, put away your eraser. If you erase on the egg now, it won't take the dye in the areas you erase.  Second, I have always found it a more natural movement to draw lines away from your body.   Also, you will discover that they tend to be straighter.
If you have about 7 - 1/2 Minutes

Watch our YouTube Video for drawing the Basic 8


 

STEP 1  Mark The Center

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FIG 1
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FIG 2

Lay the egg down on the table, as shown in FIG 1.  Look directly down over the top of the egg.  Using your best judgment, make a light mark on the egg  in the middle with a mechanical pencil (FIG 2).  Don't push hard, just use the weight of the pencil to make the mark. You could  also use a divider caliper or lay a ruler down on the table next to the egg. However, It doesn't have to be perfect.. I have found that most people can judge the middle within an eighth of an inch.

 STEP 2  DRAW THE EQUATORIAL LINE

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FIG 3
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FIG 4
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FIG 5

In Step 1, the middle of the egg has been designated, now we need to use this mark to draw a line completely around the egg. This line divides the egg in two, a kind of equator.  If you have a Craft Lathe, this is where you would use it. If  you don't,  a Thick_Rubber-Bandwill do the job. Slide the Rubber Band over the egg, up to the mark drawn. Rotate the egg (FIG 3) and nudge the band so that the top of the band is level. You should be able to turn the egg and the top edge of the rubber band should remain straight and level. Next, taking the mechanical pencil, rest the tip along the top edge of the band and drag it around the egg, using the lightest pressure on the pencil. When completed,carefully remove the rubber band. There should be 1 line drawn completely around the middle of the egg (FIG 5) and it should be as straight as the rubber band was placed.  This line is very important. If this line is off center or angled, your entire design will be equally as off center and angled. Compare it to a foundation of a house. If your foundation is unleveled, the house will never be true.
The key is to take your time and get the rubber band straight.

STEP 3  MARK THE END CENTER

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FIG 6
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FIG 7
Time to use your dead reckoning skills again. Hold the egg on its end and look directly down.at the end (FIG 6). The profile of the egg should show almost a  perfect circle.Using the mechanical pencil, mark the center of the circle (Shown in FIG 7)

STEP 4   DRAW THE FIRST LINE SEGMENT

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FIG 8
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FIG 9
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FIG 10
If you have a template set, use it now to mark all 4 division lines before you continue on with this step. CLICK HERE to see how. 
Hold the egg in your non-drawing hand so that the equatorial line and the end point are both visible, (FIG 8). For this step, you will draw a line from the middle line to the end point.  Whenever drawing on the egg with a pencil or kistka, you want to know 2 things, the starting point and the end point. In order  to draw a straight line, you have to see both points. Place the pencil on the line and making light, short strokes (perhaps 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch in length)  draw a line toward the end point. It doesn't have to be drawn as a complete line , short dashed lines will do as well.  When the line is complete, it should be perpendicular to the equatorial line (FIG 10) . If its not, then either the equatorial line was not straight or the end point was not selected correctly. However, do not be too upset if it's not straight. This step requires practice and it may require a few eggs to get the hang of it. Practice on eggs that you don't plan to use. Making scrambled eggs?  Before you break them, draw on a few  egg shells.

STEP 4   EXTEND THE LINE SEGMENT

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FIG 11
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FIG 12
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FIG 13
Now you want to draw that line down the other side of the egg. Turn the egg so that you can see the line just drawn (See FIG 11). Forget you are drawing on a curved surface and visualize that you are just extending the line. If it helps, retrace your pencil over the line already drawn, continuing the motion,  making short  extensions of it, perhaps 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch at a time. Rotate the egg down gradually as you extend the line (See FIG 12). Continue the process until you reach the equatorial line.  It should meet at a right angle (FIG 13). 

STEP 5  DRAW FIRST  INTERSECTING LINE

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FIG 14
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FIG 15
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FIG 16
Turn your egg back up on the end (FIG 14). Visualize a box sitting on that line with its corner on the end point. Make a short stroke up the side of the box .Rotate the egg down  and continue to draw in short short light strokes, retracing over the line previously drawn, working toward the equatorial line (FIG-15).  When the line reaches the midpoint , it should intersect at a right angle (FIG 16)

STEP 6  EXTEND THE  INTERSECTING LINE

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FIG 17
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FIG 18
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FIG 19
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FIG 20
Rotate the so that the line just drawn is on the bottom. Like in Step 4, forget you are drawing on an egg and continue to draw in a straight line in short strokes (see FIG 17).  The line should be perpendicular to line you crossed (See Fig 18). Continue to extend the line until it meets the equatorial line (See FIG-19).  This completes the lines for half of the egg, dividing the half into 4 equal parts.  (See Fig 20). 

STEP 7  COMPLETING THE SECOND HALF

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FIG 21
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FIG 22
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FIG 23
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FIG 24
Completing the first half establishes 4 points around the equatorial line, equally spaced. Lay the egg flat, with the completed half toward you. Using the same technique for extending a line, draw short strokes on one of the lines continuing the motion  toward the end of the egg (See FIG 21). After drawing the line, check your work. It should be straight and perpendicular to the equatorial line (See FIG 22). Now rotate the egg to the other side.  Do the same process extending the line (FIG 23). Now tilt the egg toward you  (FIG 24) and target the end of this line to meet the line from the other side. Rotate the egg 90 degrees and repeat the process for the other 2 lines. 

  COMPLETED DIVISIONS

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Your completed lines should resemble this, although your lines shouldn't be this dark. We purposely darkened  them in the pictures to make them show up well for the camera. Also, as you can see, the more graphite you put on the egg, the dirtier it gets. Trace the lines with just enough pressure to make them slightly visible. Dashed lines are more desirable.  Don't fret if your lines are not this straight. It just takes a little practice.  I sometimes do 2 or 3 of these at one time and the last ones are always better than the first. Now you are ready to continue on with your Pysanky design. 

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Page last revised 2/11/2006