How to Draw Cool 3d Letters

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In this tutorial, I will teach you lot how to draw 3D letters footstep by stride.

3D letters may seem complicated at first, but with a chip of theory and some practise, you'll acquire information technology in no time.

And so even if yous are a consummate beginner with no feel, you'll learn how to draw basic 3D letters after following this tutorial.

Before we brainstorm, here is a quick overview of this tutorial –

Tools needed to draw 3D letters
The basics of 3D. What are 3D letters?
How to draw 3D messages – A pace past stride process
3D letters alphabet template + Free printable 3D letters worksheet
Extra tips for 3D messages
Terminal words.

Without any further delays, let's get started.

If you prefer to spotter, I too made a video tutorial –

Tools needed to draw 3D messages

For this tutorial, you'll need merely a few basic lettering tools.

These are the tools that I'chiliad using (links to Amazon) –

A pencil
Newspaper
A ruler (I use the rolling ruler – super helpful!)
An eraser

If you wish to add together colors to your 3D letters you can as well use these other tools –

Markers
Colored pencils
Watercolors
Etc.

Ok, with that in mind, let's proceed to the next department of this tutorial.

The basics of 3D. What are 3D letters?

Instead of just giving you a premade template for you to copy from, I think information technology'south crucial to have a basic agreement of what 3D messages are.

I believe it will provide you with a stiff foundation, and all the practice you'll do after on will be much more effective.

Without getting all scientific in this artsy lettering tutorial, hither is a very basic and boiled down definition of what 3D is –

3D is an object with meridian, width, and depth (or length).

We are basically adding an extra dimension to the apartment 2nd letterforms we usually create.

IMPORTANT NOTE –

I often see that people refer to 3D as shadows or shading.

However, information technology's not the same thing. In short, shadows are a dark area or shape produced by a torso coming betwixt rays of light and a surface.

I call up that these 2 terms become confused and used interchangeably because they seem similar at first.

Here is one good tip on how to recognize a 3D letter from a shaded letter.

Nosotros have a shaded letter of the alphabet and a 3D letter next to each other.

If y'all wait at it closely, you'll meet that all the corners completely connect a 3D letter. On the other hand, the shaded letters are not connected and thus give the impression of them being bandage behind the letter.

We can besides use diverse shading to our 3D messages to brand them look even improve.

Merely more on that afterwards in this tutorial.

Let'southward proceed to the adjacent section.

How to draw 3D letters – A step by step process

I'm not sure if this method has a detail proper name to it, only I call it – the equal distance 3D method.

I call information technology this way because well, the 3D extends equally everywhere.

The equal distance method is fairly elementary.

Before I outset showing you how to apply this effect to letters and words, let's have a step back and try with a simpler shape – a square.

You probably retrieve this from your geometry course.

Draw a uncomplicated square on a piece of paper using a pencil (it can as well be a rectangle, it doesn't matter).

Once you've done that, you need to determine the direction of the 3D.

Where will it extend?

The choice is totally up to you.

Information technology can come from any direction, and for this example, I'll extend it to the lesser right side.

I'll take my ruler, I'll identify it on the corner and I'll draw my first line.

Every other corner should have a line extending in the same direction.

Feel complimentary to make these lines a bit longer, and what doesn't get used will exist erased later on.

Once you are done you lot should have something that looks like this –

Notice that I didn't add together a line on the top left corner.

That is considering that line would go "through" the square.

If I decided to point the 3D in the lesser left side, then I wouldn't take added a line on the peak right corner.

Simply think that if a 3D line goes "through" the letter (or object) yous tin can skip information technology.

The next stride is to determine how deep our 3D goes, and again, it's totally up to y'all.

The starting time line that you draw will determine the depth and information technology will exist the aforementioned everywhere else.

You lot can start either at the bottom or at the side. I adopt doing information technology from the lesser.

So I align my ruler with the bottom line of the foursquare, and I slide information technology a bit lower similar this.

The crucial footstep here is that the endmost line of the 3D shape follows exactly the direction of the original shape.

One time I've closed the bottom line, all I have to do is flip the ruler vertically, and align to the side of the foursquare.

Now I slide the ruler to the corner created by the previous bottom line.

This manner both my bottom and side accept the same distance.

All that is left to practice is deleting the lines that extend over our closed 3D shape.

And that's it!

Following this technique nosotros just saw on the uncomplicated foursquare shape example, we tin can easily apply it to other objects (messages).

Later all, what are messages if not more than circuitous geometrical objects 😀

Good, let's get started on our messages!

Important note – For beginners, information technology'due south best to commencement learning 3D on block messages. Once you've understood how to utilize information technology properly on block messages, it will exist much easier to create different lettering styles with a 3D upshot.

Step one – draw the letter.

For this case, I'll go with a basic sans serif cake letter A.

I'll depict it using the wooden board technique.

If you are non familiar with it, I talk more than about it in my hand lettering tutorial for beginners.

In curt, the wooden board technique teaches you to divide and draw the letter of the alphabet into private parts.

This method allows you to create improve, more consistent, and more balanced letterforms.

Step ii – determine the direction of the 3D

Every bit I mentioned earlier, the letter's 3D (or the depth) can extend in multiple directions.

Almost ordinarily, information technology is either bottom left or bottom right.

Yous can do it top left and acme correct equally well.

I would just avert doing the 3D completely vertical or horizontal considering then the event isn't that noticeable.

This time I went for the lesser right 3D.

Earlier yous depict your lines, attempt to identify all of your corners and so equally not to miss any.

I've done this so often that I know where to place my lines, but if yous are merely getting started and feel overwhelmed, this will aid you out.

Observe in one case once again that I oasis't marked the corners where the lines would move "through" the letter of the alphabet.

I did the same thing with the square example.

Pace 3 – draw the lines.

Ok, and then I drew my start line from this corner.

Now, every other corner should take a line that extends in the aforementioned direction.

You can make these lines a bit bigger, and what doesn't get used will be deleted later on on.

Good, once y'all've drawn all the lines, it should look like this –

As yous can see, we work with a lot of parallel lines here, and it's precisely the reason I love using my rolling ruler for this.

Step 4 – Closing the shape.

We take our lines extended from each corner, and now we just demand to shut the shape to get our 3D letter.

With the first closing line, you determine the length (the depth) of the 3D.

This part is totally up to you.

You lot tin start closing your shape either from the lesser or from the side.

I prefer doing it from the bottom.

I'll begin by closing up the lowest points of the letter A which are these 2 lines here.

The adjacent thing I take to close is the kickoff (inner) side of the alphabetic character.

I grab my ruler, align it to the side of the letter A and slide it to the corner I've created in the previous step.

This niggling corner tells me how far I take to become with my 3D.

In this manner, I maintain an equal distance of the 3D from every side.

By endmost this side I have yet another bespeak that tells me where to close the crossbar.

Then I align my ruler with the batten of the A, and I slide information technology to that corner and close the line.

Finally, I but need to connect the remaining side, and again, I have this little corner at the bottom that tells me how far I have to go.

Once I'chiliad done with connecting all the lines, all I accept to do is erase all the extras that extend beyond our 3D.

And there yous accept it, friends.

You've successfully created your starting time 3D letter!

Nosotros can, of class, further manner our 3D letter, simply I'll cover that in the "Actress Tips" section.

Right at present, we are just focusing on understanding the nuts of 3D letters.

Equally always, it's all-time to motility gradually from easier to more complex elements.

What about rounded 3D shapes and letters?

Applying a 3D result to rounded shapes tin be a bit trickier than straight lines and edges.

Don't worry. It'south nada too complicated, simply it does have a bit of exercise.

Permit'southward see an example using the letter C.

Once y'all've drawn your alphabetic character C, determine the direction of the 3D.

Here I'll become bottom left.

I'll showtime with this line inside since it has a corner.

Now, I'll move down with my ruler to the furthest signal of the letter C.

I'll exercise the same for the height side.

What matters the most here is that you locate that furthest edge of the rounded letter of the alphabet.

Once you take all the lines it should await like this –

Now i only need to determine how deep my 3D will extend, and then but close the lines.

I demand to close the line past post-obit the verbal shape of the alphabetic character.

This is the reason why these rounded letters are a bit more than challenging.

You have to eyeball these endmost shapes, and it's fine if it's not 100% the same as the original line of the letter.

Here is how it should wait like once you're done.

And that's pretty much it!

Now you know how to create 3D messages using the equal distance method.

3D letters alphabet template

Following this method, you can add a 3D effect to the whole alphabet as I did hither.

I also fabricated a carve up timelapse video where I add a 3D effect to every letter.

You lot tin watch it hither –

Although nosotros covered several examples in the step-past-step processes to a higher place, you might go stuck on certain letters.

If that happens, just come to this section and look at these references.

After doing the whole alphabet a couple of times, you'll already start to feel much more confident in creating 3D letters.

Believe me,

It won't take much for you to start cartoon 3D letters without a reference.

3D letters alphabet template worksheets

To help you practice, I created 2 block letter alphabet templates where you lot can practice adding a 3D effect.

Page one – Is totally empty so you can start applying the 3D event using a ruler
Page two – Has a barely visible 3D effect already applied to information technology then you can just trace it over.

Yous can download these gratuitous worksheets (along with every other freebie) straight from the Lettering Crate.

To get instant access to the Lettering Crate, just drop your email beneath and follow the instructions.

You'll receive a welcome email containing a link and a password.

Extra tips for 3D letters

Ok, now that nosotros have the basics covered, we can start looking at different ways to style our 3D messages.

In this department, I'll mention a couple of different things you tin attempt out.

The first thing we're starting with is shadows.

Adding shadows to your 3D letters

Shading your 3D letters is probably 1 of the best and easiest ways you can fashion your messages.

It gives more depth to the alphabetic character, and information technology just looks then much better with it.

To employ the shades, we merely need to determine our low-cal source.

Shades are usually practical on the reverse side of the light source.

If you lot are just getting started, keep things uncomplicated and shade only the lower parts of the 3D.

With rounded letters, you can try to create more of a gradient await.

As information technology goes from the bottom, it's darker, and equally it moves towards the side, it gets brighter.

Once you lot become comfortable with a bones class of shading, you tin outset adding more than item to brand it await even better.

Proceed in mind that understanding shading takes quite some practise.

Playing with the direction of the 3D

Another cool thing you tin can practice when doing 3D letters is playing with the direction of information technology.

Allow's say that if y'all have 2 words, y'all can betoken their 3D's in the opposite direction.

You could too incline your messages and shoot the 3D in the opposite direction.

At that place are a bunch of different combos yous can play with.

Applying the 3D upshot to different lettering styles

As mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, it'due south all-time to start learning 3D on basic block letters.

Obviously, doing just basic block messages can quickly get boring.

Once you've learned how to apply a 3D event to block letters correctly, you lot can outset experimenting with different lettering styles.

Hither is an example of a 3D effect applied on serif lettering –

Here you lot can see another example of a 3D issue applied to script lettering.

Script lettering is maybe a flake more than challenging since nearly of the shapes are rounded.

However, I'm certain that with a bit of practice you'll be able to do any fashion you lot wish.

Acquire how to create a 2 point perspective lettering slice.

You lot idea a 1 point perspective lettering looked cool?

Well then, let me introduce you to two bespeak perspective lettering!

My friend Selina wrote an in-depth, stride-by-step tutorial that volition teach you how to create exactly that!

Check it out here.

Final words

And there you have it, my friends!

I promise this tutorial will help you start practicing 3D letters.

The more you do it, the meliorate yous will get at it.

Afterwards a couple of times, you will sympathize how to draw a 3D effect on any object, and yous won't accept to use any references at all.

Take it slow, don't blitz it, and as I ever say, move gradually from easy to more challenging elements.

A house is simply as potent every bit its foundations.

What lettering issue or style would you like to learn side by side?

Permit me know past dropping a comment below.

Also, feel free to driblet a comment if you take whatever wishes or suggestions for futurity tutorials.

Thanks for reading and until the next i,

Stay Awesome!

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