how to draw small 3d letters

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In this tutorial, I volition teach you how to draw 3D letters stride past step.

3D letters may seem complicated at first, but with a flake of theory and some practice, you'll acquire it in no fourth dimension.

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

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

Tools needed to draw 3D letters
The nuts of 3D. What are 3D letters?
How to draw 3D letters – A footstep by footstep process
3D messages alphabet template + FREE printable 3D messages worksheet
Extra tips for 3D letters
Final words.

Without any further delays, let's become started.

If you prefer to scout, I as well made a video tutorial –

Tools needed to draw 3D messages

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

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

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

If you lot wish to add colors to your 3D letters you tin also utilize these other tools –

Markers
Colored pencils
Watercolors
Etc.

Ok, with that in mind, let's go on to the next section of this tutorial.

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

Instead of simply giving y'all a premade template for you to copy from, I think it's crucial to have a basic agreement of what 3D letters are.

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

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

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

We are basically calculation an actress dimension to the flat second letterforms nosotros usually create.

IMPORTANT Annotation –

I ofttimes see that people refer to 3D equally shadows or shading.

However, it's not the same thing. In brusque, shadows are a nighttime area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of calorie-free and a surface.

I call up that these two terms go dislocated and used interchangeably because they seem similar at first.

Here is one practiced tip on how to recognize a 3D alphabetic character from a shaded letter.

We have a shaded letter and a 3D letter adjacent to each other.

If you look at it closely, you'll run across that all the corners completely connect a 3D letter. On the other hand, the shaded messages are not connected and thus give the impression of them being cast backside the alphabetic character.

We can besides apply various shading to our 3D messages to make them look even better.

But more than on that later on on in this tutorial.

Allow's go on to the next section.

How to draw 3D letters – A pace past pace process

I'one thousand non sure if this method has a particular name to it, only I call information technology – the equal distance 3D method.

I call it this manner because well, the 3D extends equally everywhere.

The equal altitude method is adequately simple.

Before I offset showing you lot how to apply this effect to letters and words, allow's take a step back and try with a simpler shape – a square.

You probably remember this from your geometry class.

Draw a simple foursquare on a piece of paper using a pencil (it tin also be a rectangle, it doesn't matter).

One time you lot've done that, you need to determine the direction of the 3D.

Where will it extend?

The selection is totally upwardly to y'all.

It can come from any management, and for this case, I'll extend information technology 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 free to make these lines a flake longer, and what doesn't get used volition be erased later on.

One time y'all are done you should have something that looks like this –

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

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

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

Just remember that if a 3D line goes "through" the alphabetic character (or object) you lot can skip information technology.

The side by side pace is to decide how deep our 3D goes, and again, it's totally upwardly to you.

The starting time line that you draw volition decide the depth and it will be the same everywhere else.

You lot can kickoff either at the lesser or at the side. I adopt doing it from the bottom.

So I align my ruler with the bottom line of the square, and I slide it a bit lower like this.

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

In one case I've closed the bottom line, all I take to do is flip the ruler vertically, and align to the side of the square.

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

This mode both my bottom and side have the same distance.

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

And that's it!

Following this technique nosotros just saw on the simple square shape example, we tin easily apply information technology to other objects (letters).

After all, what are letters if not more complex geometrical objects 😀

Good, let'south get started on our letters!

Important notation – For beginners, it's all-time to start learning 3D on block messages. In one case you've understood how to employ information technology properly on block messages, it volition be much easier to create different lettering styles with a 3D event.

Stride 1 – draw the letter of the alphabet.

For this example, I'll get with a basic sans serif block letter of the alphabet A.

I'll draw it using the wooden board technique.

If you are not familiar with it, I talk more almost it in my hand lettering tutorial for beginners.

In short, the wooden lath technique teaches you lot to dissever and draw the letter into private parts.

This method allows you to create better, more consequent, and more balanced letterforms.

Stride 2 – make up one's mind the direction of the 3D

As I mentioned earlier, the alphabetic character's 3D (or the depth) can extend in multiple directions.

Virtually commonly, it is either bottom left or lesser correct.

You can do it top left and elevation correct as well.

I would just avoid doing the 3D completely vertical or horizontal because and then the effect isn't that noticeable.

This time I went for the bottom right 3D.

Before you draw your lines, effort to identify all of your corners so as not to miss whatever.

I've done this so often that I know where to place my lines, but if y'all are just getting started and experience overwhelmed, this will help yous out.

Notice once again that I haven't marked the corners where the lines would move "through" the letter of the alphabet.

I did the same affair with the square example.

Step 3 – draw the lines.

Ok, and so I drew my outset line from this corner.

Now, every other corner should have a line that extends in the aforementioned management.

You can brand these lines a chip bigger, and what doesn't get used volition exist deleted later on.

Good, once you lot've drawn all the lines, it should expect like this –

Every bit you can see, nosotros work with a lot of parallel lines here, and information technology's precisely the reason I dear using my rolling ruler for this.

Step 4 – Endmost the shape.

We have our lines extended from each corner, and now nosotros just need to shut the shape to get our 3D letter.

With the outset closing line, yous determine the length (the depth) of the 3D.

This part is totally up to y'all.

You can 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 of the alphabet A which are these two lines here.

The next thing I have to shut is the first (inner) side of the letter.

I take hold of my ruler, marshal it to the side of the letter A and slide it to the corner I've created in the previous footstep.

This little corner tells me how far I accept to go with my 3D.

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

By closing this side I have yet another betoken that tells me where to shut the crossbar.

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

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

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

And there y'all have it, friends.

You lot've successfully created your start 3D letter!

We tin, of course, further style our 3D letter, merely I'll cover that in the "Extra Tips" section.

Right at present, we are only focusing on understanding the basics of 3D letters.

Equally ever, it's best to move gradually from easier to more circuitous elements.

What about rounded 3D shapes and letters?

Applying a 3D outcome to rounded shapes tin be a chip trickier than direct lines and edges.

Don't worry. It'south nix as well complicated, merely information technology does take a chip of do.

Let's run across an instance using the alphabetic character C.

Once you've drawn your letter C, determine the direction of the 3D.

Here I'll get bottom left.

I'll start with this line inside since information technology has a corner.

Now, I'll move downwards with my ruler to the furthest indicate of the letter of the alphabet C.

I'll do the same for the top side.

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

Once y'all take all the lines it should look similar this –

At present i simply need to determine how deep my 3D will extend, and and so but close the lines.

I need to shut the line past following the verbal shape of the letter.

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

You take to eyeball these closing shapes, and it's fine if it's not 100% the aforementioned as the original line of the letter.

Here is how it should look like once you're washed.

And that's pretty much it!

Now you know how to create 3D letters using the equal altitude method.

3D letters alphabet template

Following this method, you tin add together a 3D effect to the whole alphabet every bit I did here.

I also fabricated a separate timelapse video where I add together a 3D event to every letter of the alphabet.

Y'all can watch it here –

Although we covered several examples in the step-past-step processes in a higher place, y'all might get stuck on certain letters.

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

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

Believe me,

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

3D letters alphabet template worksheets

To aid you practice, I created ii cake letter alphabet templates where you tin can practice adding a 3D issue.

Page one – Is totally empty so you can start applying the 3D result using a ruler
Page 2 – Has a barely visible 3D effect already practical to information technology and then yous tin can just trace it over.

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

To get instant access to the Lettering Crate, simply driblet your e-mail below and follow the instructions.

You'll receive a welcome e-mail containing a link and a password.

Extra tips for 3D letters

Ok, now that we take the nuts covered, we tin start looking at unlike ways to style our 3D letters.

In this department, I'll mention a couple of different things y'all can try out.

The first thing nosotros're starting with is shadows.

Adding shadows to your 3D messages

Shading your 3D letters is probably 1 of the best and easiest means you can mode your letters.

It gives more depth to the letter, and it just looks so much ameliorate with it.

To apply the shades, we just demand to determine our light source.

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

If you are just getting started, keep things unproblematic and shade simply the lower parts of the 3D.

With rounded letters, y'all tin can try to create more of a gradient look.

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

Once you get comfy with a bones form of shading, you can start adding more than item to make information technology look even improve.

Go on in mind that agreement shading takes quite some practice.

Playing with the management of the 3D

Another cool affair you can do when doing 3D letters is playing with the direction of it.

Let's say that if you have two words, y'all can point their 3D's in the contrary direction.

You could also incline your letters and shoot the 3D in the opposite direction.

There are a bunch of unlike combos you can play with.

Applying the 3D effect to dissimilar lettering styles

Equally mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, information technology'south best to kickoff learning 3D on basic cake letters.

Plain, doing simply bones block messages tin can chop-chop get boring.

Once you lot've learned how to apply a 3D effect to block letters correctly, y'all can start experimenting with dissimilar lettering styles.

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

Hither you tin can come across some other instance of a 3D upshot applied to script lettering.

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

Nonetheless, I'thousand sure that with a chip of exercise y'all'll exist able to do any manner you wish.

Learn how to create a 2 bespeak perspective lettering piece.

Yous thought a ane point perspective lettering looked absurd?

Well so, allow me introduce you to 2 indicate perspective lettering!

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

Bank check it out hither.

Concluding words

And in that location you have it, my friends!

I hope this tutorial will help yous start practicing 3D letters.

The more you lot practise it, the ameliorate yous will get at it.

Afterwards a couple of times, y'all will empathize how to depict a 3D upshot on any object, and you won't take to use any references at all.

Accept information technology slow, don't blitz it, and as I always say, movement gradually from easy to more than challenging elements.

A house is just as stiff as its foundations.

What lettering consequence or fashion would y'all like to learn next?

Let me know by dropping a comment below.

Besides, experience free to drop a comment if you have any wishes or suggestions for futurity tutorials.

Thanks for reading and until the next one,

Stay AWESOME!

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Lettering Daily is an online customs that provides educational and inspirational content for manus lettering and calligraphy beginners. Our mission is to assist artists and enthusiasts from all around the world to acquire and improve their hand lettering and calligraphy skills.

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