How to Create 3D Shapes on Paper

Creating a square in 3D adds more realism and depth.

Knowing how to draw 3D shapes in your pictures will bring realism, depth of field and texture to your drawings. Start with a horizon line and learn how to draw basic shapes from different perspectives.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Paper

Instructions

1. Draw a horizontal line on your paper witha pencil and ruler. This will be known as the horizon line. Draw a dot anywhere on the horizon line, called the vanishing point.

2. Draw a rectangle either above or below the horizon line. Make sure the top and bottom of the rectangle are parallel to the horizon line. Draw a line from the vanishing point to the corner of the rectangle. Do the same for the other three corners.

3. Draw more boxes above and below the horizon line for practice. Change the dimensions of the rectangles and experiment.

4. Draw another horizon line, this time with two vanishing points. Place one point at each end of the line in order to create a "two point perspective."

5. Draw a vertical line below the horizon line. Draw two lines from each vanishing point, each connecting to the top and bottom of the vertical line respectively. Draw two more vertical lines, one on each side of the original vertical line, between the original construction lines you just drew. Connect the top of the left line to the right vanishing point. Connect the top of the of the right line to the left vanishing point. A box should be visible via the two-point perspective.

References

• Draw Comics: How to Draw 3D Shapes
• Discover How to Draw: How to Draw 3D Shapes