Need definitive answer: Is a circle in perspective an ellipse?

[Oddmove]

Hi , I am coming from an artistic point of view so please forgive my ignorance . I am having some issues finding a definitive answer reguarding wether a circle in perspective is an ellipse ? The mathematical explanations are a bit beyond me and don't seem to deal with the question specifically but the art and drawing side seem to always refer to a circle in perspective as an ellipse . Any help would be much appreciated, Thank You .

 

[mmm4444bot]

… having some issues finding a definitive answer regarding whether a circle in perspective is an ellipse …

Yes, it is.

Mathematical definitions also tell us that a circle is an ellipse; it's a special kind of ellipse, just as a square is a special kind of rectangle.

A square is a rectangle where all sides have the same length.

A circle is an ellipse whose major and minor axes each have the same length.

An ellipse is one type in a larger group of objects known as conic sections. (Conic sections are composed of different cross-section shapes generated by intersecting a cone -- often a double-cone -- with a plane at various angles.)

If you google: images conic sections, you'll see how a slanted plane creates an elliptical cross-section and that, when this plane is parallel with the base of the cone, the ellipse is circular. :cool:

 

[Oddmove]

Just to make sure .

Just to make sure , I understand that a circle is a special ellipse , but if I then rotate the circle on its axis , so it is in perspective , is it still an ellipse ?

 

[mmm4444bot]

Just to make sure , I understand that a circle is a special ellipse , but if I then rotate the circle on its axis , so it is in perspective , is it still an ellipse ?

What we see is an ellipse, yes.

 

[Oddmove]

Thank You .