How to Draw a Straight Line Using a Ruler
- 1). Set the ruler up against the surface where the line will be drawn. Line the front end of the ruler with the left or top edge of the surface if the line will be illustrated on a project surface with edges, such as paper or canvas, to ensure the ruler is straight.
- 2). Hold the ruler in place with one hand, and place the tip of the pencil over the top edge line of the ruler, where the inches or centimeters are marked, with the other hand. Read the inches on the ruler and make marks at the start and end points of the line with the pencil.
- 3). Slowly run the pencil across the top edge line of the ruler to make the straight line. Remove the ruler after drawing the line to ensure the line was drawn straight across the surface. Remove the line with an eraser if the line is crooked, and re-draw the line again using steps one through three.
- 4). Create additional straight lines to form shapes, such as squares and triangles, by lining up the upper left corner of the ruler, with start or end point of the first line. Then place the pencil over the top edge of the ruler and draw a straight line across the page. Continue drawing straight lines until the shape is completed.