Learn how to draw a hexagon in two ways. Construct a precise hexagon using a compass or learn how to draw hexagon from six triangles by hand.
The first way how to draw a hexagon is to construct it precisely using a compass and ruler. That way we get a geometrically perfect hexagon.
Our second hexagon is drawn by hand and built up from six triangles of the exact same shape. This is an easy technique how to draw a hexagon with a reasonably regular shape by hand.
min
You will need: pencil, fineliner pen, colored pencils, eraser and drawing paper or sketchbook
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How to draw a hexagon with a compass
Our first method of how to draw a hexagon uses a compass and a ruler for precise construction – we get a geometrically perfect shape. All sides of the hexagon are the same length – exactly half of the diameter of the circle it is inscribed in. That makes it easy to split the circle regularly and mark the required points on the circle with a compass. Let’s get into it.
Hexagon drawing with a compass
Step 1: Draw a circle
First draw a cross – two guidelines of the same length, crossing at a right angle (90 degrees). These will form the base of our construction.
Then take your compass and draw a circle from the centre where the two lines cross.
If you are aiming to construct a hexagon with a given side length, the radius of the circle, i.e. the opening of your compass, is the given length of the side of a completed hexagon.
Step 2: Mark the top two corners
Next, we will mark the top two corners. Leave your compass set to the same radius, and draw a semicircle from the top intersection of our circle and the vertical cross line.
If you are aiming to erase all these construction lines later, just mark the spots where the semicircle intersects with the circle.
We have drawn the full half-circle here just to show the fact that we still draw with the same radius, and to make the explanation a bit more obvious.
Step 3: Repeat and mark the bottom two corners
We repeat and draw the half-circle with exactly the same radius from the bottom intersection of our circle and the vertical cross line. That marks the remaining two points of our hexagon at the bottom half of the circle.
Again, feel free to just mark the spots, rather than drawing the full semicircle.
Step 4: Connect the marked points to draw a hexagon
On this picture we have highlighted the six intersecting points that will make the corners of our hexagon.
All that is left is to connect them all with straight lines and we have constructed a perfect regular hexagon.
Enjoying the geometry? Here is another technical drawing for you:
How to Draw a Cube: 3 Different Ways and Perspectives
How to draw a cube: learn 3 common ways to show three dimensional cube on a flat paper - simple 3D view and 1 point and 2 point perspective.How to draw a hexagon with a compass: finished drawing
How to draw a hexagon with a compass: completed perfect hexagon
Here is the complete geometrically perfect hexagon.
If you would want the hexagon to sit on the flat side, rather than stand on its corner, you can use the same technique. Just draw the half circles from the left and right, rather than the top and bottom intersection of the cross and circle.
And finally, if you do not have a compass on hand: You can get pretty close using anything round, such as the top of a glass, to draw your circles. Just try to make the top and bottom semicircle meet as closely as possible to the centre of the full circle.
Now you have learned an easy method of how to draw a hexagon using the compass to construct a perfectly regular hexagon.
How to draw a hexagon by hand (without a compass)
In a regular hexagon, a length from the centre to any corner of the hexagon is the same length as any side. Because of this, a regular hexagon can be thought of as being made of six equilateral triangles – triangles with all three sides of the same length. Let’s use that knowledge to learn how to draw a hexagon by hand.
Drawing hexagon by hand
Step 1: Draw a triangle
So let’s draw the first triangle. As mentioned, all three sides are the same length. The internal angle of a equilateral triangle is 60 degrees. That makes our triangle a nice and symmetrical pyramid shape.
Step 2: Add two more upside down triangles
Next we add two more triangles of the same size and shape . These will be drawn upside down, one on each side of our starting triangle.
Probably the easiest way is to draw a horizontal line through the top of the starting triangle. Then extend the sides, until they meet with the horizontal line.
Try to mirror the triangles as close as possible to the original – size and all angles.
Step 3: And two more triangles on top
Let’s add two more triangles – by now you are getting professional at drawing equilateral triangles.
These two stand back on the flat side, with their points up again, same as our first triangle.
The way to draw these is to extend the side lines of our first triangle past the centre of the hexagon. Then draw the outer sides. Again, try to mirror the bottom triangles as closely as possible.
As you can see, after I drew the outer sides, I had to adjust the inner ones a bit. Now the top points of my triangles line up nicely with the mirror triangles at the bottom half of the hexagon.
Step 4: Complete the hexagon
Well, this is the easy bit. To close the last triangle, we just add a simple line at the top. That completes the hexagon drawing.
Here is another shape to construct next:
How to Draw a Pyramid With a Stone Pattern in 3D View
Learn how to draw a pyramid with a simple step by step tutorial. First, you will learn how to construct the 3D pyramid shape, then how to overlay a nice stone pattern to finish with a perfect, Egyptian-style pyramid.How to draw a hexagon by hand: finished drawing
Completed hand-drawn hexagon
Finally, let’s outline our hexagon. You can erase the triangle guidelines if you plan to use your hexagon in some further drawing.
As you can see, while the shape is not as perfect as the one constructed with the compass, we have still drawn a pretty regular hexagonal shape just by hand.
And if you feel like practising your hexagons on some real drawing, how about drawing a turtle? The entire turtle shell is made of hexagons!
