Before drawing, you need to prepare the compass first. You should be really careful about the drawing instrument that you attach to it, especially if it is a pencil or a graphite tip. It should be sharp. Also, in the case of a graphite nib, it should be strong enough not to break. After setting up your instrument, it is now time for adjusting the radius. To do that, use a ruler. Using a ruler, measure the radius of the circle you want to plot. If the compass has a locking mechanism, lock it after adjusting the radius. After that, everything is easy. You just have to fix the sharp tip on the paper and plot the circle.