Why is it so difficult to draw a perfect circle by hand?

Admit it, drawing a perfect circle is one of the hardest things you ever did, right?

Ever since childhood, everyone has had many times to draw and draw round shapes by hand. But it is not round, but it is completely distorted.

If you're frustrated by your clumsiness, forget it. Because this is not your fault, it's the brain's mechanism.

First, it must be said that we can realize whether a circular shape is really or quite easy. That's because the visual cortex has evolved over time to help us distinguish the details even as "the smallest difference". But drawing circles, on the other hand, is much more complicated.

The parts of the brain that are responsible for drawing the circle are separate from each other, so it is quite difficult for them to blend smoothly with each other, to control the activity of the muscles.

Meanwhile, the brain "likes simplicity," such as controlling the movement of a joint instead of too many joints at once. Drawing a perfect circle is like making the brain challenge this habit.

Natalia Dounskaia, an assistant professor of motor science explained: "In most movements of the arms and shoulders, it acts like a handle, while the elbows move in the same direction. This is similar to the movement of whip: you actively move the handle and then the whole chain moves passively. "

Dounskaia said: "The circle is one of the most difficult to control forms. To draw a perfect circle requires the right shoulder and elbow to work together. The brain needs to handle a lot of parameters, and it does not have enough resources to focus on adjusting motion and doing cognitive tasks at the same time. "

However, there are people who are able to draw an ideal circle as we dreamed. It was Alexander Overwijk - a math teacher from Ottawa, known as "World Champion in Circle Drawing".

Although this is not a real competition, it is certain that everyone will open his mouth when he sees his work below:

Research also shows that artists tend to draw better circles. Perhaps because they are better than ordinary people in recognizing and fixing errors.

But experts agree that if we work hard, we can completely improve this ability."Is there a tool to sharpen the iron, have a needle and a day" but, what if you can reach the same level as Overwijk later?