How to Draw 3D Block Letters

3D letters can stand out and draw attention to your words when you're trying to make an impact in posters or banners. You can draw 3D block letters freehand with a little patience and practice. Consistency will come with time.

Things You'll Need

• Scrap paper
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Poster board
• Markers (if desired)

Instructions

1. Achieve consistency in your letters by practicing the block style you'll use over and over on scrap paper. You can practice with the entire alphabet or simply the letters you need for the project. Use the same style of writing utensil you'll use for the finished project so it feels the same in your hand.

2. Switch to a pencil (if applicable) and sketch the lettering lightly onto the poster board. Leave extra space between each letter. Adjust the lettering as necessary until you're happy with the look.

3. Locate the upper-left corner of the poster's first letter. Offset your pencil down and to the right 45 degrees. Keep in mind that the further away your hand is from the original corner, the thicker your 3D letters will be. Maintaining the offset, sketch a duplicate letter. Repeat the process using the same offset angle with each letter of the sign. Fix any anomalies until you have two duplicate sets of letters.

4. Connect the letters with a straight line at each corner point. Done correctly, your letters will resemble 3-dimensional wire frames.

5. Envision a light shining brightly upon your 3D letters from the upper-left corner of the page. Think of the "lit up" parts of your letters as solids. Carefully erase all obscured connection points.

6. Use markers or another medium of your choice to draw in the final lines of your 3D letters. For added effect, leave negative spaces (spots without color) where the light would hit the letters and darken areas that would fall in shadow.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a program such as Microsoft Word Art as a visual reference.