How to Draw a 3d Cube - artlooklearn.com

Learn how to draw a 3d cube and shade it with this simple art lesson. This is a great tutorial for beginners who want to learn basic drawing skills. It is easy and fun!

You will be able to draw a cube perfectly after completing this quick step-by-step class. Once you have learned this important technique, drawing other 3d objects will be much easier.

Drawings of boxes and cubes in sketchbook with colorful paintings of boxes with drawing pencils and eraser

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Why is Drawing a 3d Cube Important for Beginners?
Materials to Draw a Cube
How to Draw a 3d Cube Video Tutorial
Transcript
How to Draw a 3d Cube Step-by-Step (Art Lesson)
Variations
Tips and tricks
More detailed instructions on Drawing a Cube
Lesson Downloads
For More Practice
Frequently asked questions
You also might like

Whether you are a master artist or just beginning, sketching cubes or 3d boxes will take your drawing abilities to the next level.

How do you draw a 3d cube? How do you shade in a cube? Just follow along with the instructional video to learn the best way to sketch a cube.

Why is Drawing a 3d Cube Important for Beginners?

Learning how to draw simple 3d shapes like cubes is an important first step in beginning drawing. Students in art schools spend many hours sketching cubes from life to learn how to draw from observation.

Seeing the way a box sits in space and reflects light is fundamental. Drawing a cube from different angles and using perspective will come after you have spent some time practicing the basic shape.

Whether you are a painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, or just like to doodle, it is important to master some basic artistic skills, cubes 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.

Materials to Draw a Cube

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)

How to Draw a 3d Cube Video Tutorial

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.

How to Draw a 3d Cube Step-by-Step (Art Lesson)

An artist beginning to draw a 3d cube. — Draw two squares with overlapping corners.

An artist erases lines on a 3d cube that are not needed. — Erase the lines that are behind the cube.

An artist drawing a 3d cube. — Connect the corners.

An artist shades in a 3d cube. — Shade the cube.

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.

A 3d cube painted with acrylic paint in blue on light tan background

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

More detailed instructions on Drawing a Cube

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.

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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 box 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 cube?

Draw a square and 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 you shade a cube?

Shade 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.

Why should I learn how to draw a cube?

Learning to draw a cube is an important drawing skill. Seeing the way a cube sits in space and reflects light is fundamental to beginning drawing.

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*

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Please leave you questions, comments and reviews.