How to draw overlapping balloons: form and overlap

Choose the foreground balloon and stop the rear outline at it. The main decisions are form and overlap; choose your own sizes.

Simplest: Draw one crosswise stripe on the front balloon: the curve wraps its roundness and ends at its sides. Leave the rear balloon plain.

A little more detail: Keep the front stripe. Add one curve on the rear balloon but stop it at the foreground balloon so it cannot show through.

Best version: Add one more stripe above the first on the front balloon. Its middle is also below its ends. Keep one rear curve hidden by the front balloon.

Goal and preparation

Two oval balloons with strings; the right balloon is in front. Choose a curve on a form, explain the overlap order and erase only the covered rear edge.

Use paper, an HB/2B pencil and an eraser. Start with a rough circle, oval and curve. Allow 20–35 minutes, with a break if needed. Around age 7 is a suggestion for learners familiar with these shapes, not an ability rating. To simplify, omit small details but keep both checks. To extend, try all three transfer tasks and choose your own sizes.

Technique 1. A curve on the form

A crosswise stripe wraps around the rounded balloon. Its curve stays within the same oval and reaches its side edges.

On a simple mass try the two warm-up curves: shallow, then deeper. Choose the one that better describes the selected surface or open circular rim.

Check: The curve endpoints stay on one mass; explain what the curve shows.

Technique 2. Overlap

An opaque foreground shape hides part of the rear shape. Draw two intersecting ovals, choose the front one and erase the covered rear segment. Swap the order in a second trial. Check: where does the rear line end? The criterion is at the foreground edge, not inside it.

Warm-up

In the margin try the chosen curve twice: shallow and deeper. Name the one that exposes more of the surface. Then overlap two ovals and erase the covered edge; repeat with the other oval in front. The first trial prepares step 2; the second prepares steps 4–5.

Step 1. Place two ovals

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Simplest: Place two intersecting balloon ovals. Keep the large forms light, without an extra axis.

A little more detail: Place two intersecting balloon ovals. Add a light axis to the first mass.

Best version: Place two intersecting balloon ovals. Check its top, base and both sides with four short markers; add an axis.

Place one oval higher on the left and another lower on the right; overlap them by about a third of their width.

Step 2. Mark crosswise curves

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Simplest: Choose the main curve from this step; you may omit a separate axis.

A little more detail: Draw the main curve using the axis. Keep shared arc endpoints when constructing an ellipse.

Best version: Draw the main curve and compare its ends to the side markers. Keep the top and bottom supports light.

Across each oval middle draw a curve whose centre is lower than its side endpoints.

Step 3. Choose the foreground balloon

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Simplest: Keep both oval edges and choose the right balloon as foreground. Add small knots below and loose strings towards the page bottom. Keep the outer edge plain, without internal details.

A little more detail: Keep both oval edges and choose the right balloon as foreground. Add small knots below and loose strings towards the page bottom. Keep the axis light for checking detail placement.

Best version: Keep both oval edges and choose the right balloon as foreground. Add small knots below and loose strings towards the page bottom. Compare the new edge to all four markers; keep them out of the final outline.

Keep both oval edges and choose the right balloon as foreground. Add small knots below and loose strings towards the page bottom.

Step 4. Choose the hidden edge

Trial edge

Covered section identified

Trial edge

Covered section identified

Trial edge

Covered section identified

Simplest: At the intersection find the right arc of the left rear balloon. It must not pass through the right foreground balloon. Point to one section to erase.

A little more detail: At the intersection find the right arc of the left rear balloon. It must not pass through the right foreground balloon. Name both covered-line endpoints before erasing.

Best version: At the intersection find the right arc of the left rear balloon. It must not pass through the right foreground balloon. Compare the covered line with the adjacent visible edge: they serve different purposes.

The red line is a diagnostic error for comparison, not an action to copy. The next frame removes exactly this covered segment.

At the intersection find the right arc of the left rear balloon. It must not pass through the right foreground balloon.

Step 5. Erase only the covered line

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Simplest: Erase the rear arc inside the right balloon. The visible rear arc stops at the foreground edge. Keep the foreground outer edge.

A little more detail: Erase the rear arc inside the right balloon. The visible rear arc stops at the foreground edge. Check that the visible rear end reaches the front edge.

Best version: Erase the rear arc inside the right balloon. The visible rear arc stops at the foreground edge. If the eraser touched an adjacent visible line, restore only its short endpoint.

Erase the rear arc inside the right balloon. The visible rear arc stops at the foreground edge.

Step 6. Add the useful details

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Simplest: Draw one crosswise stripe on the front balloon: the curve wraps its roundness and ends at its sides. Leave the rear balloon plain.

A little more detail: Keep the front stripe. Add one curve on the rear balloon but stop it at the foreground balloon so it cannot show through.

Best version: Add one more stripe above the first on the front balloon. Its middle is also below its ends. Keep one rear curve hidden by the front balloon.

Add only the details of your selected level, keeping the checked silhouette.

Step 7. Remove the guides

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Trial

After checking

Simplest: Remove the temporary curve and light masses; retain the plain edge and this route details.

A little more detail: Remove the axis and temporary masses. Keep the details added at step 6.

Best version: Remove the axis, four boundary markers and masses. Keep the chosen curves and step 6 details without adding new ones.

Erase the dashed masses and temporary guides, keeping the chosen outer edge and explained details. Add no new details.

If the drawing is unclear

The front form looks transparent. Cause: A covered rear edge remains: the foreground balloon hides the rear arc. Repair: Erase the rear arc inside the right balloon. The visible rear arc stops at the foreground edge.

The curve does not belong to the form. Cause: Its endpoints escaped the mass boundary. Repair: Soften one endpoint and return it to the side marker from step 2.

There is a gap after erasing. Cause: The eraser touched a visible section beside the overlap. Repair: Restore a short visible end up to the front boundary; keep the hidden line erased.

Independent tasks

Choose one new condition below. First construct your own masses and curve, name the foreground form, then draw the edge and erase the covered section. The construction-to-example pair explains the change; build rather than copy a finished outline. Your sizes and uneven lines may differ.

1. The front balloon is higher

Move the front balloon higher and the rear one lower. Place new ovals, then choose where the rear right edge stops.

2. The front balloon is below

Place a smaller front balloon below the rear centre. Choose the new stripe curve and hidden lower-edge segment.

3. A large balloon in front of a small one

Place a small oval on the left and a large foreground oval on the right. Choose a new stripe depth on the large mass and check the overlap.

Self-check

Name the changed condition, point to a curve on your new mass and show where the rear edge stops. Explain which guide you erased after checking.

Question: Why does the rear edge stop at an opaque foreground shape?

Answer: The foreground shape hides that segment. Continuing the rear edge inside it would suggest transparency. Retain the visible end up to the overlap.

Uneven lines are fine. Explain your chosen curve and where the rear edge stops. The example does not prescribe the only proportions. Structure and illustrations received editorial checks; no classroom trial has been conducted.