How to Draw an Easy 3d Sphere Step by Step with Shading

Learn how to draw an easy 3d sphere step by step with shading in this art lesson. Find out how to sketch a basic 3d sphere or ball and shade it in as well.

Practice drawing a sphere from a still life and learn all the tips and tricks to make drawing a ball easier. This step by step tutorial will teach you how to draw a sphere or ball in simple steps.

drawing of sphere painted in with watercolor paint with paint brushes, paint tray and drawing pencil — *Color sphere in with watercolor paint if desired*

Jump to:

Why is drawing a sphere important?
Materials
Art Lesson
Variations
Tips and tricks
Drawing a Sphere Video
Transcript
Lesson Downloads
For More Practice
Frequently Asked Questions
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In this quick online video art class, practice the basic skill of sketching a 3d ball or sphere. You will also learn how to shade it in to make it look more realistic.

While it may seem too simple for some people, it is an important first step in learning how to draw. Sketching balls, spheres and other basic shapes will help you see more accurately and become a better artist.

Don’t worry if your drawing of a ball is not perfect. It is all about training your hand and mind to work together.

Just keep practicing. And have fun doing it!

Why is drawing a sphere important?

Learning how to draw a sphere correctly is important drawing skill. It helps you learn how to see objects in space and then depict the shape and value into paper.

More importantly, spheres translate into many other objects that you might want to draw or paint.

Within still lives, spheres can be seen in many fruits, vegetables, eggs, bowls, cups and pitchers and other objects.

In figures, the sphere is necessary for accurately drawing shoulders, elbows, knees, heads, eyes, noses and much more.

Spheres are also commonly seen in planets, water drops, bubbles, balls, balloons, light bulbs and stones. Think about a setting sun or rising moon.

Believe it or not students in art schools actually spend many hours drawing from still lives of spheres.

After you have mastered spheres, drawing other objects and figures will be easier. Drawing a sphere is a basic drawing ability that is fundamental to learning how to sketch, draw, paint and even sculpt well.

Materials

The materials that you need for this lesson include:

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

Highlights, mid tones, core shadow, cast shadow and reflected highlights in a diagram of a pencil drawn sphere — Highlights, mid tones, core shadow, cast shadow and reflected highlights in a sphere

When drawing a sphere keep in mind the different highlighted and shadowed areas. Highlights, mid tones, core shadow (the darkest shaded area of the sphere), cast shadow and reflected highlights should all be visible in your drawing.

*1. Sketch in a circle and ellipse, drawing lightly*

*3. Start lighter then darken, leave white highlight*

*2. Shade with short strokes, following the contour*

Sketch in a circle for the sphere or ball shape, drawing lightly.
Sketch in an ellipse at the base of the circle for the shadow.
Determine where your light source is coming from. Leave a white white highlight where light is hitting the sphere or ball.
Shade in the darkest areas first. Use short strokes that follow the counter of the circle.
Work from the outside of the circle in toward the highlight. Use lighter and lighter shading as you get closer to the highlight.
Go over all the shaded area again making the dark areas darker. Try to get an even tone as you transition from darks to lights.
Leave an area on the bottom darker part of the sphere just a bit lighter than the surrounding dark values. This is the reflected highlight. Light is hitting the table (or surface) and bouncing back onto the sphere leaving it a little lighter.
Darken the core shadows of the sphere even more.
Lastly, darken in the ellipse to make the shadow. Shade in more lightly at edges of the shadow to soften it a little bit.

Variations

*Adding color to a sphere with soft pastels*

Add color to your sphere by painting it in with watercolor or acrylic paint.
Draw a sphere and then color in the value using soft pastels, oil pastels or colored pencils.
Add some background in behind your sphere. Start with a horizon line and expand from there. You could add walls, a table cloth, windows etc.

Tips and tricks

Move from your shoulder and don’t wiggle your wrist when drawing the initial circle and eclipse. This will help you make more accurate shapes.
When drawing in the initial shapes make very light lines. They will be easier to erase if you need to adjust your sketch.
Move your paper as you work to make the shading easier.
Don’t forget to leave the reflected highlight. This is important to make your 3d sphere look more realistic.

Drawing a Sphere Video

Transcript

Read Transcript

Hi. I am Sam and this is Art Look Learn.

In this lesson we are going to learn how to draw a sphere. Now, just a few quick tips on drawing a sphere before we jump into our drawing.

Our light is coming in from the upper left, making a highlight where it hits right there. It is surrounded by those nice middle grays, also know as mid tones.

Those are followed by the darkest values over in the shadow area. They are known as the core shadow. Our cast shadow lies right there.

And right there we see a reflected highlight. That is where light is hitting our table or surface and bouncing up onto our object.

Move from your shoulder and avoid wiggling your wrist as you really lightly draw in several circles. Then draw in an ellipse for the shadow.

Then go back and erase the lines that you don’t need. Choosing to keep the lines that look most circular.

However don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Remember it’s just all about practice.

That is where my highlight is going to go. And then keeping that in mind I am going to start shading around.

I’m going to make short lines that follow the contour of my sphere. I’m going to start lighter then continue to darken them up as I go. So start very light then moving out to that white spot where the highlight sits.

If I turn my paper as I go it can make that shading a little bit easier and help me follow the contour a little bit better. It can also help me see what I am drawing better and actually see if it is circular.

So I can always, as I turn my paper, kind of adjust the shape of my circle as I need to.

It is really important to learn how to draw a sphere because it translates into so many other objects. Like, for example, fruit, eggs other objects in still lives and people.

People are all about spheres. All of our joints are spheres, can be drawn from spheres, like knees, shoulders even the eyeballs or nose can come from a sphere.

And in nature. Think about the setting sun or water drops, stones, bubbles all come from spheres.

So I am just going to continue to darken up the values leaving the mid tones that nice middle grey. And then, making a soft transition between the darks and lights.

I am leaving that little reflected highlight where the light bounces off the table and goes back up and hits the sphere. And then making all the other areas on this side really nice and dark.

Again, pushing lighter on my pencil as I move out into those lighter mid tones.

Making my shadow nice and really dark.

The shadow is always on the opposite side of where the light hits the object. Just soften the edges of that shadow a little bit so it is not a really harsh shadow.

Here, if I wanted to I could add a little bit of background in or just leave it as it is.

I hope you had as much fun as I did drawing and shading in a sphere. I hope to see you next time here at Art Look Learn.

Print Directions Pin Lesson

Pencil Drawing of a sphere with watercolor and soft pastel drawings of ball

Learn How to Draw an Easy 3d Sphere Step by Step with Shading

Learn how to draw an easy 3d sphere step by step with shading in this art lesson. Find out how to sketch a basic 3d sphere or ball and shade it in as well.

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)

Instructions

Sketch in a circle for the sphere or ball shape, drawing lightly.
Sketch in an ellipse at the base of the circle for the shadow.
Determine where your light source is coming from. Leave a white white highlight where light is hitting the sphere or ball.
Shade in the darkest areas first. Use short strokes that follow the counter of the circle.
Work from the outside of the circle in toward the highlight. Use lighter and lighter shading as you get closer to the highlight.
Go over all the shaded area again making the dark areas darker. Try to get an even tone as you transition from darks to lights.
Leave an area on the bottom darker part of the sphere just a bit lighter than the surrounding dark values. This is the reflected highlight. Light is hitting the table (or surface) and bouncing back onto the sphere leaving it a little lighter.
Darken the core shadows of the sphere even more.
Lastly, darken in the ellipse to make the shadow. Shade in more lightly at edges of the shadow to soften it a little bit.

Lesson Downloads

Photo of Sphere for Drawing Practice Download

For More Practice

Draw several spheres together.
Change the direction of the light source on your sphere. Sketch it with the light hitting the bottom, directly in the middle front or the top. What changes in the value if you place the light directly behind the sphere?
Set up your own still life using a playground ball, globe or styrofoam craft ball.
Challenge yourself by drawing a bowl of round fruit or eggs from a still life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you draw a 3d sphere or ball?

Sketch in a circle for the sphere or ball shape, drawing lightly. Sketch in an ellipse at the base of the circle for the shadow. Then shade it in to make it appear 3 dimensional.

How do you shade in a sphere or ball?

To shade in a sphere leave a white white highlight where light is hitting it. Shade in the darkest areas first.

Use short strokes that follow the counter of the circle. Try to get an even tone as you transition from darks to lights.

Leave a reflected highlight on the bottom of the sphere just a bit lighter than the surrounding dark values. Lastly, darken in the ellipse to make the shadow.

Why should I learn how to draw a sphere?

Learning how to draw a sphere correctly is important drawing skill. Spheres and balls also translate into many other objects that you might want to draw or paint.

Spheres can be seen in fruit, eggs, bowls, cups, figures, shoulders, knees, heads, eyes, noses, planets, water drops, bubbles, light bulbs and stones and much more.

Drawings and paintings of spheres with watercolor paints, paint brushes and drawing pencil

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