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happy birthday 3d letters drawing

This mail service and the photos within information technology may incorporate affiliate links. If you lot buy something through the link, I may receive a committee at no extra accuse to you.

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

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

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

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

  1. Tools needed to describe 3D letters
  2. The nuts of 3D. What are 3D letters?
  3. How to draw 3D letters – A pace past step process
  4. 3D letters alphabet template + Gratuitous printable 3D letters worksheet
  5. Extra tips for 3D letters
  6. Final words.

Without any farther delays, let's go started.

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

Tools needed to describe 3D letters

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

These are the tools that I'1000 using (links to Amazon) –

  1. A pencil
  2. Paper
  3. A ruler (I use the rolling ruler – super helpful!)
  4. An eraser

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

  • Markers
  • Colored pencils
  • Watercolors
  • Etc.

Ok, with that in mind, let's proceed to the side by side section of this tutorial.

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

Instead of merely giving yous a premade template for you to copy from, I call up it's crucial to accept a basic understanding of what 3D letters are.

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

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

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

We are basically adding an extra dimension to the flat 2D letterforms nosotros unremarkably create.

Of import Annotation –

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

However, information technology's not the aforementioned thing. In short, shadows are a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of calorie-free and a surface.

I call back that these two terms get 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 alphabetic character.

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

If y'all look at it closely, you'll see that all the corners completely connect a 3D letter. On the other manus, the shaded letters are non connected and thus give the impression of them being cast behind the letter.

We can besides apply various shading to our 3D letters to make them await even better.

Merely more on that later on in this tutorial.

Let's go along to the next section.

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

I'm not sure if this method has a particular proper noun to it, but I call information technology – the equal distance 3D method.

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

The equal distance method is adequately simple.

Before I outset showing you lot how to employ this upshot to letters and words, let's have a footstep back and endeavour with a simpler shape – a foursquare.

You probably remember this from your geometry grade.

Draw a simple square on a piece of paper using a pencil (it can as well be a rectangle, information technology 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.

It tin can come up from any management, and for this case, I'll extend it to the bottom correct side.

I'll take my ruler, I'll place information technology on the corner and I'll draw my start line.

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

Feel costless to make these lines a bit longer, and what doesn't get used volition be erased subsequently on.

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

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

That is because that line would become "through" the foursquare.

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

Simply remember that if a 3D line goes "through" the alphabetic character (or object) you can skip it.

The next step is to determine how deep our 3D goes, and over again, it'due south totally upwardly to you.

The get-go line that you describe will determine the depth and it volition exist the same everywhere else.

You tin start either at the bottom or at the side. I prefer doing information technology from the bottom.

Then 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 have to do is flip the ruler vertically, and marshal to the side of the square.

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

This way both my bottom and side accept the same altitude.

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

And that's information technology!

Following this technique we only saw on the simple square shape example, nosotros can easily apply it to other objects (messages).

Afterward all, what are letters if non more complex geometrical objects 😀

Good, let's go started on our letters!

Important note – For beginners, information technology'southward best to starting time learning 3D on block messages. Once you lot've understood how to employ it properly on cake letters, it volition be much easier to create unlike lettering styles with a 3D effect.

Step 1 – draw the alphabetic character.

For this case, I'll go with a bones sans serif block letter A.

I'll depict information technology using the wooden board technique.

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

In short, the wooden lath technique teaches you to split and depict the letter into individual parts.

This method allows you to create better, more consistent, and more counterbalanced letterforms.

Step 2 – determine the direction of the 3D

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

Virtually commonly, information technology is either bottom left or bottom correct.

You can do it top left and top right as well.

I would only avoid doing the 3D completely vertical or horizontal considering then the effect isn't that noticeable.

This time I went for the bottom correct 3D.

Before yous depict your lines, attempt to identify all of your corners then as non to miss any.

I've washed this so frequently that I know where to place my lines, only if you are just getting started and feel overwhelmed, this will help you lot out.

Notice once more that I haven't marked the corners where the lines would move "through" the alphabetic character.

I did the same thing with the foursquare example.

Step 3 – draw the lines.

Ok, so I drew my first line from this corner.

Now, every other corner should have a line that extends in the same direction.

You can make these lines a scrap bigger, and what doesn't go used volition be deleted afterwards.

Good, once you lot've fatigued all the lines, it should look like this –

As you tin see, we work with a lot of parallel lines here, and it'southward precisely the reason I beloved using my rolling ruler for this.

Step four – Closing the shape.

We take our lines extended from each corner, and at present we only need to close the shape to get our 3D letter of the alphabet.

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

This part is totally upwards to y'all.

Yous tin showtime closing your shape either from the bottom or from the side.

I prefer doing information technology from the lesser.

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

The next thing I have to close is the beginning (inner) side of the alphabetic character.

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

This little corner tells me how far I have to become with my 3D.

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

By closing this side I have yet some other indicate that tells me where to shut the batten.

And then I align my ruler with the crossbar of the A, and I slide information technology to that corner and close the line.

Finally, I only need to connect the remaining side, and again, I have this niggling corner at the lesser that tells me how far I have to go.

In one case I'g done with connecting all the lines, all I accept to practice is erase all the extras that extend beyond our 3D.

And in that location y'all accept it, friends.

You've successfully created your first 3D alphabetic character!

Nosotros tin can, of course, farther style our 3D letter, but I'll cover that in the "Extra Tips" section.

Correct now, we are just focusing on agreement the basics of 3D messages.

As always, it's best to move gradually from easier to more than complex elements.

What about rounded 3D shapes and letters?

Applying a 3D effect to rounded shapes can exist a scrap trickier than straight lines and edges.

Don't worry. It'southward nothing also complicated, merely it does have a scrap of practice.

Let's run into an example using the alphabetic character C.

Once yous've drawn your letter C, make up one's mind the direction of the 3D.

Hither I'll go lesser left.

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

Now, I'll motility downwardly with my ruler to the furthest point of the alphabetic character C.

I'll do the same for the pinnacle side.

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

Once you lot have all the lines it should look similar this –

At present i simply need to decide how deep my 3D volition extend, and then but shut the lines.

I demand to close the line by following the exact shape of the letter of the alphabet.

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

You take to eyeball these closing shapes, and it's fine if it's non 100% the same as the original line of the letter.

Here is how it should look like in one case y'all're done.

And that'due south pretty much it!

Now y'all know how to create 3D messages using the equal altitude method.

3D letters alphabet template

Post-obit this method, you can add a 3D outcome to the whole alphabet equally I did here.

I also made a divide timelapse video where I add a 3D outcome to every letter of the alphabet.

You can watch it here –

Although nosotros covered several examples in the step-by-step processes higher up, you lot might become stuck on certain messages.

If that happens, just come to this section and expect 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 accept much for you to start cartoon 3D letters without a reference.

3D letters alphabet template worksheets

To help y'all exercise, I created two cake letter alphabet templates where you tin can practice adding a 3D effect.

  • Folio 1 – Is totally empty so you can kickoff applying the 3D effect using a ruler
  • Page ii – Has a barely visible 3D effect already applied to it then yous tin can just trace it over.

You tin download these free worksheets (forth with every other freebie) straight from the Lettering Crate.

To go instant access to the Lettering Crate, but drib your email below and follow the instructions.

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

Actress tips for 3D letters

Ok, now that nosotros accept the basics covered, we can commencement looking at different means to mode our 3D letters.

In this department, I'll mention a couple of unlike things you can try out.

The first thing we're starting with is shadows.

Adding shadows to your 3D letters

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

It gives more than depth to the letter, and information technology simply looks so much better with information technology.

To utilize the shades, we just need to make up one's mind our light source.

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

If you are only getting started, go along things simple and shade only the lower parts of the 3D.

With rounded letters, y'all can try to create more of a slope wait.

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

Once you get comfy with a basic grade of shading, you tin can first adding more detail to brand it look fifty-fifty amend.

I still kinda suck at this.

Continue in heed that understanding shading takes quite some practice.

Playing with the management of the 3D

Another absurd thing yous can do when doing 3D messages is playing with the management of information technology.

Let's say that if yous take two words, you lot can point their 3D's in the opposite direction.

Yous could too incline your letters and shoot the 3D in the contrary management.

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

Applying the 3D event to dissimilar lettering styles

As mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, information technology's all-time to start learning 3D on basic cake letters.

Patently, doing just bones block letters can quickly go slow.

Once you lot've learned how to utilize a 3D effect to block letters correctly, you can start experimenting with different lettering styles.

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

Here you tin see some other example of a 3D effect applied to script lettering.

Script lettering is maybe a bit more than challenging since near of the shapes are rounded.

However, I'm sure that with a bit of practise you'll be able to do whatever style you wish.

Learn how to create a 2 point perspective lettering piece.

Y'all idea a 1 indicate perspective lettering looked cool?

Well then, let me introduce you lot to 2 point perspective lettering!

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

Check it out here.

Final words

And at that place you lot have information technology, my friends!

I hope this tutorial will help you outset practicing 3D letters.

The more y'all do it, the better you lot will get at it.

After a couple of times, you will sympathise how to draw a 3D upshot on any object, and you won't take to use any references at all.

Have it tedious, don't rush it, and as I always say, movement gradually from like shooting fish in a barrel to more challenging elements.

A house is but as strong as its foundations.

What lettering effect or style would you similar to acquire adjacent?

Allow me know by dropping a comment below.

Also, feel free to drop a comment if you accept any wishes or suggestions for hereafter tutorials.

Thank you for reading and until the adjacent i,

Stay Awesome!

Pin me!

About the author

durhamallons1966.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.lettering-daily.com/3d-letters/

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