Free original lessons
Draw a Weighing Scale: Dial, Platform, and Weights
Learn to draw a weighing scale with a dial, platform, and weights using clear proportions, placement steps, and a simple convention for checking your work.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
This lesson teaches a practical way to draw a weighing scale that has a round dial, a flat platform, and a set of weights. The focus is on construction and proportion rather than symbolic justice imagery. You will use a simple convention: the dial is a circle with a marked center, the platform is a horizontal rectangle, and weights are drawn as labeled blocks placed on the platform. Because drawing styles vary, the rubric accepts valid alternatives such as a slightly oval dial or a platform with rounded corners, as long as the parts remain clearly identifiable and proportional. All measurements below are hypothetical examples; measure your own paper and tools before drawing.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set the dial and platform proportions
Begin by deciding the overall height of the scale body. A useful hypothetical example is a body height of 12 cm on a 15 cm wide sheet. Mark a vertical center line. The dial sits near the top: draw a circle whose diameter is about one third of the body height, so about 4 cm in this example. Mark the dial center with a small cross so the pointer can be placed later.
The platform is a horizontal rectangle below the dial. Its width should be wider than the dial, for example 8 cm, and its height about 1 cm. Leave a gap of about 2 cm between the bottom of the dial and the top of the platform. These numbers are examples only; keep the same units and adjust them to your paper.
- Draw a vertical center line and mark the total body height.
- Draw the dial circle with its center on the center line.
- Mark the dial center with a small cross.
- Draw the platform rectangle centered on the same line.
- Check that the platform is wider than the dial and that the gap is even on both sides.
Add the pointer and weight blocks
Inside the dial, draw a short pointer from the center cross toward the upper right. Keep the pointer shorter than the dial radius so it does not touch the rim. Add a few tick marks around the dial edge; four to eight marks are enough for a clear study. The pointer angle is a style choice, so any angle that stays inside the dial is acceptable.
On the platform, draw two or three weights as simple blocks. A hypothetical example is a 2 cm by 1.5 cm block labeled 1 kg and a smaller 1.5 cm by 1 cm block labeled 0.5 kg. Place them side by side with a small gap. Label each weight clearly. The labels are part of the drawing convention, not a claim about real equipment.
- Draw the pointer from the center cross, shorter than the radius.
- Add four to eight tick marks around the dial rim.
- Draw weight blocks on the platform with small gaps between them.
- Label each weight with a simple value such as 1 kg or 0.5 kg.
- Check that no weight hangs over the platform edge.
Refine line quality and labeling
Go over the main outlines with a firmer line: the dial circle, the platform rectangle, and the weight blocks. Keep construction lines light or erase them. Write labels in clear block letters. If your handwriting is small, use a short leader line from the label to the part instead of squeezing text inside the shape.
Finally, check the whole drawing against the convention: one dial with a center mark, one platform, and at least two labeled weights resting on the platform. Valid alternatives include a slightly oval dial, rounded platform corners, or weights drawn as cylinders, provided the parts are still easy to identify and the labels are readable.
- Strengthen the dial, platform, and weight outlines.
- Erase or lighten construction lines.
- Write labels in clear block letters or use leader lines.
- Confirm the drawing matches the stated convention.
- Note any alternative choices you made, such as an oval dial.
Worked example
On a 15 cm wide sheet, draw a scale body 12 cm tall. Use a dial diameter of 4 cm, a platform 8 cm wide and 1 cm tall, and a 2 cm gap between dial and platform. Add a pointer shorter than the dial radius and two labeled weights: 1 kg and 0.5 kg.
Worked answer
Center line at 7.5 cm. Dial center at 4 cm from the top; dial circle diameter 4 cm, so the dial bottom is at 6 cm from the top. Platform top at 8 cm from the top (6 cm dial bottom plus the 2 cm gap), width 8 cm centered, height 1 cm, so the platform bottom is at 9 cm from the top and stays within the 12 cm body. Pointer from the center cross to the upper right, length 1.5 cm, which is shorter than the 2 cm radius and stays inside the rim. Weights: 1 kg block 2 cm by 1.5 cm and 0.5 kg block 1.5 cm by 1 cm, placed side by side on the platform with a 0.5 cm gap. All labels in block letters.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
Draw a scale with a dial diameter of 3 cm, a platform 6 cm wide and 1 cm tall, and a 1.5 cm gap between dial and platform. Add two weights labeled 2 kg and 1 kg. State the total labeled weight.
Show answer and check
Total labeled weight is 3 kg. The dial is 3 cm across, the platform is 6 cm wide, and the gap is 1.5 cm. The two weights are placed side by side on the platform.
Why: The total is the sum of the labels: 2 kg plus 1 kg equals 3 kg. The platform is twice the dial diameter, so it is wider than the dial as required.
Check: Measure the dial diameter and platform width with a ruler; confirm the platform is wider. Add the labels and confirm the sum is 3 kg. Check that both weights rest fully on the platform.
Exercise 2
A drawing has a dial diameter of 4 cm and a platform width of 3 cm. Identify the proportion problem and give a corrected platform width using the same units.
Show answer and check
The platform is narrower than the dial. A corrected platform width is 8 cm, which is twice the dial diameter.
Why: The convention requires the platform to be wider than the dial so the scale reads as a support. Doubling the dial diameter gives a clear margin on both sides.
Check: Compare the two measurements: 3 cm is less than 4 cm, so the platform is too narrow. After correction, confirm 8 cm is greater than 4 cm and that the platform remains centered on the center line.
Exercise 3
Draw a dial with a center cross and a pointer of length 1 cm inside a dial of radius 2 cm. Add four tick marks. Explain why the pointer length is acceptable.
Show answer and check
The pointer is acceptable because 1 cm is less than the 2 cm radius, so it stays inside the dial rim.
Why: The pointer must not touch or cross the rim. A length shorter than the radius leaves a gap. Four tick marks are within the suggested four to eight range.
Check: Measure the pointer from the center cross and compare it with the radius. Confirm the pointer end is at least 1 cm from the rim in this example. Count the tick marks and confirm there are four.
Exercise 4
A scale drawing shows three weights labeled 1 kg, 0.5 kg, and 0.25 kg, but the 0.25 kg weight hangs over the platform edge by 0.5 cm. Describe the fix and state the total labeled weight after the fix.
Show answer and check
Move the 0.25 kg weight inward until its whole base rests on the platform. The total labeled weight remains 1.75 kg.
Why: Moving a weight does not change its label, so the sum stays the same: 1 plus 0.5 plus 0.25 equals 1.75 kg. The fix addresses placement, not value.
Check: Check that no part of any weight extends beyond the platform edge. Add the three labels and confirm the sum is 1.75 kg. Confirm the gaps between weights are still visible.
Common mistakes
- Drawing the platform narrower than the dial. Widen the platform so it extends beyond the dial on both sides; a platform about twice the dial diameter is a safe example.
- Letting the pointer touch or cross the dial rim. Shorten the pointer so it ends inside the circle, leaving a small gap to the rim.
- Placing weights so they hang over the platform edge. Move each weight inward until its whole base rests on the platform.
- Leaving weights unlabeled or using tiny handwriting. Label each weight in block letters or use a leader line to a clear label outside the shape.
Self-check rubric
- Dial is present, clearly circular or acceptably oval, with a marked center.
- Pointer starts at the center mark and stays inside the dial rim.
- Platform is present, horizontal, and wider than the dial.
- At least two weights rest fully on the platform with visible gaps.
- Each weight has a readable label or a leader line to a clear label.
- Construction lines are light or erased, and main outlines are firm.
- Valid alternatives such as rounded platform corners or cylindrical weights are accepted if parts remain identifiable.
Questions and answers
Must the dial be a perfect circle?
No. A slightly oval dial is a valid alternative if it is clearly a dial and has a marked center. The rubric checks identification and proportion, not perfect circularity.
How many weights should I draw?
Two or three labeled weights are enough for a clear study. More weights can crowd the platform, so keep gaps between them.
Can I use different units on the labels?
Yes, as long as you stay consistent within the drawing. The values are part of your drawing convention, not a measurement of real equipment.
What if my platform has rounded corners?
Rounded corners are acceptable. The key is that the platform reads as a flat horizontal support and is wider than the dial.