3D shape shading
Learn how cubes, cylinders, cones, spheres, pyramids and prisms look from different angles, then shade them with a pencil so they look solid.
3D playbox
Drag the shape to turn it. Drag the sun to move the light. Watch how the light and dark parts change, and where the shadow falls.
Shape
Look from
Shading style
Light
Show
Keyboard: focus the drawing and use the arrow keys to turn it.
One shape, five views
The same cube seen from the top, front, side, bottom and at an angle. Pick a shape in the playbox above to change it, or tap a view to jump the playbox there.
Draw it step by step
Follow along with a pencil. Each step draws itself. Press Next when you're ready, or Play all to watch the whole drawing.
Shading with a pencil
Every shaded shape has the same parts of light and shadow. Learn their names, then use a value scale to match your pencil pressure to them.
Value scale
- 1 · Paper whiteHighlights. Don't shade at all.
- 2 · LightFaces the light. 2H or H, very gentle.
- 3 · Mid-toneTurning away. HB, even pressure.
- 4 · DarkIn shadow. 2B, layers of hatching.
- 5 · DarkestCore and cast shadow. 4B–6B.
H pencils are hard and light. B pencils are soft and dark: the bigger the number, the darker. HB is in the middle.
- Start lightSketch with a 2H or HB and hardly any pressure. You can always go darker, but it's hard to go lighter.
- One light sourceDecide where the light comes from before you shade, and keep it the same for the whole drawing.
- Build in layersGet dark areas by going over them a few times, not by pressing really hard straight away.
- Follow the formStraight strokes for flat faces, curved strokes that wrap around round shapes.
- Save the whiteLeave the paper white for highlights, or lift them back out with a putty rubber.
- SquintSquinting hides the detail so you can see if your lights and darks are right.
- Don't smudgeRest your hand on a scrap of paper. Blend with a tissue or blending stump, not your finger.
- Edges meetWhere a light face meets a dark face, make the dark side darkest right at the edge. It makes the corner pop.