Drawing an Easy 3d Cube Step By Step with Shading

Learn about drawing an easy 3d cube step by step with shading in this simple video tutorial. Mastering the skill of sketching boxes and cubes is an important skill that will take your drawing abilities to the next level.

In this quick art lesson you will learn the foundational skills of drawing a box. You will also practice drawing a box from a still life.

Drawings of boxes and cubes in sketchbook with colorful paintings of boxes with drawing pencils and eraser — *How to Draw a Box or Cube*

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Materials
Art Lesson
Variations
Tips and Tricks
Video
Transcript
Step by Step Directions
Lesson Downloads
For More Practice
Frequently asked questions
You also might like

Learning all about drawing an easy 3d cube step by step with shading is an important drawing skill that you will learn in this online art class. Seeing the way a box sits in space and reflects light is fundamental to all artistic practices.

While it may seem too simple for some people it is an important first step. Drawing boxes and cubes from different angles and using perspective will come after you have spent some time practicing the basic shape.

Whether you want to be a painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, or even just doodle here and there it is important to master some basic artistic skills, boxes included.

Boxes and cubes are also the foundation for many other objects. Tables, furniture, houses, buildings, cars, and many other common objects can be derived from a basic box.

Students in art schools and college drawing classes spend many hours just drawing still lives of boxes and other shapes.

Materials

The materials needed for this lesson are very simple, you probably have them on hand already:

Pencil
Paper (Drawing paper is best but you can use whatever you have available. I am using a 5.5 x 8.5 inch spiral bound sketchbook with 60lb paper)

Art Lesson

*Draw two squares with overlapping corners*

Erase the lines that are behind the cube. — *Erase the lines that are behind the cube*

Connect the corners of the squares — *Connect the corners*

*Add dark shading on side, light shading on top and shadow on same side as shading*

Draw a square.
Add another square behind it with one corner overlapping.
Draw straight lines between the corners.
Then erase the lines that are behind the box.
Shade in one side with dark shading.
Shade in the top with light shading.
Add a shadow below the cube and on the same side with the dark shading.

Variations

You can practice drawing a cube with different materials such as charcoal, markers, colored pencils or ball point pen.

You could also add some color in after you have drawn your box. Water color paints, acrylic paint or soft pastels are a great way to easily add some color.

Tips and Tricks

Start by drawing a square, adding another square behind it, with one corner overlapping. Then connect the corners with lines.

To draw straight lines move your whole arm without wiggling your wrist around.

Move the paper around as you work to make it easier to shade in or draw lines at a certain angle.

Take your time to get it just right.

Practice, practice, practice

Video

Step by step tutorial of how to draw a box

Transcript

Read Transcript

Hi everyone. Welcome to Art Look Learn. We have a really great lesson today. We are going to learn how to draw a box in 3 dimension and learn how to shade it in. Let’s get started.

Go ahead and start by drawing a square and then another square behind it. Just leave the corner overlapping. Then connect the corners. There you have a basic square, a basic box or a cube.

I am going to repeat this, the same steps drawing a square behind another square. Now this time I’m going to erase the the lines that go behind the actual 3D object. So it will look like a box.

One really great thing about drawing a box, learning how to draw a cube or a box really well is because you can use them in all sorts of things for starting out in drawing other objects such as tables, furniture, houses, cars buildings, and many other common objects.

So after you have practiced it a few times you can start drawing your box just by drawing the front square and then drawing lines straight out from behind it. Then skipping the step of drawing two squares and then connecting the corners.

Now add a little shading in. So I’m imaging my light is hitting the box on the left hand side so I’m shading in the right hand side, fairly dark. And just a little bit of shading on the top.

And adding some shadow. The shadow is always going to go opposite of where the light is hitting so this shadow will sit on the same side that is shaded in.

Now don’t limit yourself just to squares. You can do this with any other type of rectangle shape.

Keep practicing them. You can do them from your imagination as well as from life. You can aways set up your own still life with your own box and look at it and try to draw what you see.

And just a little bit of shadow here on the right, again.

Now that is exactly what we are going to do next. We are going to look at this box, a photo of a box that I took and practice drawing what we are actually seeing.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, it is all just, just practice to get better at making lines and making marks.

Turn your paper if you need to, to make it easier to draw your lines or your shading. I can also turn my pencil on the side and push down from the top. That way I can cover a lot of area all at once with the shading.

If needed I can go over this all again to get a nice dark smooth shade. And touch up with my eraser as needed, if I go outside of the lines.

A little bit of shading here on the top. For this box I am drawing the light is hitting the front of the box. This righthand side is going to get a little bit of shadow right next to it.

Just a smidge more shadow, a dark line right where the box meets the table. And then add a horizon line. If I wanted I could add in a little bit background.

That is basically it.

Thanks for joining me in this fun and informative art class. I hope you learned something. Please make sure to leave all your questions comments and reviews and share with all your friends.

Thank so much. Bye-bye.

Box painted with acrylic paint in blue on light tan background — *Box painted with acrylic paint*

Step by Step Directions

Drawing an Easy 3d Cube Step by Step with Shading

Equipment

Pencil
Paper (Drawing paper is best but you can use whatever you have available. I am using a 5.5 x 8.5 inch spiral bound sketchbook with 60lb paper)

Materials

Pencil
Paper Drawing paper is best but you can use whatever you have available. I am using a 5.5 x 8.5 inch spiral bound sketchbook with 60lb paper

Instructions

Draw a square.
Add another square behind it with one corner overlapping.
Draw straight lines between the corners.
Then erase the lines that are behind the box.
Shade in one side with dark shading.
Shade in the top with light shading.
Add a shadow below the cube and on the same side with the dark shading.

Notes

To draw straight lines move your whole arm without wiggling your wrist around.

Move the paper around as you work to make it easier to shade in or draw lines at a certain angle.

Take your time to get it just right.

Practice, practice, practice

Lesson Downloads

Box Still Life to Draw Download

For More Practice

Try drawing a rectangular boxes in different widths and heights.

Practice drawing a set of boxes and cubes stacked up or leaning against each other.

Draw cubes from your imagination.

Draw some boxes from a still life. Work on drawing what you actually see.

Sketch a box and then turn it into a building or house.

Frequently asked questions

How do I draw a 3D box?

Add another square behind it with one corner overlapping. Draw straight lines between the corners. Then erase the lines that are behind the box.

How do I shade in a box?

Shade in one side with dark shading. Shade in the top with light shading. Add a shadow below the cube and on the same side with the dark shading. Turn your pencil on the side and push from the top to cover a lot of area quickly.

How many steps does it take to sketch a cube?

In this step by step tutorial you can learn how to draw and shade in a cube or box in just 6 easy steps.

Why should I learn how to draw a box?

Learning to draw a box is an important drawing skill. Seeing the way a box sits in space and reflects light is fundamental to all artistic practices.

Boxes and cubes are also the foundation for many other objects. Tables, furniture, houses, buildings cars and many other common objects can be derived from a basic box.

Watercolor painting of boxes and cubes — *Practice different sizes, shapes or adding color to your box*

You also might like

Please leave you questions, comments and reviews.

Materials

Art Lesson

Variations

Tips and Tricks

Video

Transcript

Step by Step Directions

Drawing an Easy 3d Cube Step by Step with Shading

Equipment

Materials

Instructions

Notes

Lesson Downloads

For More Practice

Frequently asked questions

You also might like

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