How to draw volumetric figures for beginners. How to draw a cylinder with a pencil with a shadow step by step? Step by step instructions and recommendations

If you are new to fine art and want to learn how to create easy 3D pencil drawings for beginners, then this article will help you get the basics right.

3D paintings have taken the art of painting to a whole new level. A plethora of contemporary artists create mind-blowing 3D drawings that literally burst into the air from the surface of the paper through superimposition of shadows, impeccable perspective, and the use of multiple sheets of paper to create a more complex composition.

You can learn how to draw just like these masters, but first you need to learn more about the basic principles and techniques. We will help you with this.

Basic principles

The first point that needs to be mastered when drawing three-dimensional images is how to properly hatch the place on the sphere that is farthest from the light.

Those points on which the light falls should be the brightest, and the surface of the object should become darker the farther you move from the light source.

If you plan to take a picture of your drawing, as many artists do, you must pay attention to the actual light source in the area where you are working. See how it affects the object you are drawing. This can reinforce the impression that the subject in the drawing is actually in the room.

Don't forget to work out how the different textures (stone, brick, leaves) look depending on the lighting.

This is not such a difficult thing when you remember its basic rule: objects that are closer to the viewer are depicted larger than those that are further away.

If you want to visually check this rule and make sure it really works, just find a long street, stand at its end in the middle and look in the opposite direction. The width of the road will gradually decrease towards the horizon.

When you draw your 3D picture, think about how the viewer will be located, how will he look at it - from the side or from above?

Leaving the sheet. Some artists use their hand as an addition to the drawing. The fact is that the hand interacts with the drawing and adds a sense of reality, complements the 3D effect.

At first, in some photographs it is clear that the master seems to be holding his image with his fingers ... But only then we see that this is just an illusion.

Some craftsmen choose a real glass or pencil to interact with the picture. They place them in some way next to the depicted objects or even on them. And sometimes it is not clear where is reality and where is creativity!

Drawing 3D Shapes

If you want to learn how to draw 3D pictures realistically with a pencil, then you should start with basic three-dimensional geometric shapes. Once you understand the principles of drawing multidimensional shapes, you can apply what you have learned to any object.

In our lesson, we will analyze how to gradually create volumetric drawings with a pencil of such figures as a prism, pyramid, cube, cylinder, sphere and cone.

Both of these figures are based on triangles.

When drawing a prism, start with a regular isosceles triangle and a small dot somewhere to the side (a dot on the horizon). It doesn't matter which side you chose.

Start building two dotted lines from the top of the triangle to our point and from the corner of the base, which is closer to it. Determine how long the prism will be. Remember that its farthest visible edge will be parallel to the side of the triangle, relative to which the prism was lined up.

To create a pyramid, draw an equilateral triangle with a dotted line at its base. From the top, build a vertical line down. It should fall just below the dotted line.

Connect the lower point of the segment diagonally with the corners at the base of the triangle. Nothing if the corners are not exactly identical, it will even add realism.

This figure can be drawn in several ways, below you will see two of them.

Method 1. Draw two squares of the same size. One should partially overlap the other, how much is up to you. Connect the upper and lower corners of the two squares, thus forming the edges of the figure.

Method 2. The principle of drawing here is similar to the approach that we used when drawing a pyramid. Only this time you need to make three equal parallel lines. The two lines on the sides should be at the same level, and the one in the middle should be lowered a little lower.

Connect the top points of the three lines with diagonals, do the same with the bottom points. Through the top points, draw lines parallel to the top edges of the cube closest to you. At their intersection, a point is formed - the far corner of the cube.

Cylinder

Start with an oval. Don't worry if it doesn't come out right the first time. Train!

If your oval is vertical, then draw perpendicular horizontal lines from its extreme points above and below (if the oval is horizontal, then vice versa, respectively). Spend them as long as you need, depending on how long you want to get the cylinder.

Connect the extreme points of the drawn segments with a curved line that repeats the roundness of the oval. To make sure the top and bottom of the cylinder match up, try flipping the pattern upside down or 90 degrees. This will change your point of view and any inconsistencies will stand out.

There are several ways of depicting a sphere of varying complexity. But in any case, the drawing of the sphere will begin with a simple circle. Draw it freehand or circle an object, such as a glass.

To make the circle look like a three-dimensional sphere, you need to correctly shade its surface, determine the shadow areas. First, the brightest place of the ball is determined, where the light falls. Then intensive shading begins from the opposite side. There the shadow will be the darkest.

Gradually work your way up to the highlights, reducing the intensity of the color so that you end up with the lightest color. Try to make your strokes repeat the shape of the ball, not be sharp, perpendicular.

To make the transitions from the shadow to the light place minimally noticeable, blend the surface of the sphere with your finger or special feathering.

This figure is a cross between a cylinder and a pyramid. So, we use our knowledge of both figures and apply now in drawing.

When trying to draw any shape in 3D, straight lines are important. To do this, especially at first, use a ruler or some other flat object made of durable material (so as not to bend) with a straight edge.

Pay attention to angles and line placement. For example, shapes like the cube have right angles and parallel lines at the base. A cone can have different angles.

Compare angles with a pencil. If you want to achieve a really technical drawing, then use a protractor. Pencils and erasers are your friends. Whenever possible, draw with a pencil to get the right angles and lines.

So, you have learned how to draw 3D drawings for beginners with a pencil in stages, basic geometric shapes that are the basis for various objects. Therefore, you can apply the acquired knowledge in drawing many objects.

Very easy, but far from it. To depict volume and shadow, skill and accuracy in work are necessary. Consider how to draw a cylinder with a pencil.

First option

There are many options for drawing with a pencil, we will analyze one of them in stages. To work, you need a pencil, preferably medium soft, an eraser and a sheet of white paper, you can take A4 format.

Progress:

Draw two parallel lines. Connect the segments at the top and bottom with ovals. Since this is a drawing lesson, do not use any rulers, try to put your hand right away so that in the future it will be easier to draw various objects.
Make two perpendicular lines in the upper oval, and from the middle draw a line down.
Draw two lines at the bottom as well.
Outline the outline more brightly and proceed to the implementation of the shadow.
Select the right side for a darker shade, the left side of the cylinder will remain white. Apply the shadow carefully, shading the pencil. The hue should change very smoothly.
Draw a shadow from the cylinder. Since it is darker on the right, we depict it in front.
There is no exact length, since at different times of the day the length of the shadow from objects is not the same.
In this case, we take about a third of the height of the cylinder. We draw two parallel diagonal segments and connect their vertices.
We paint over the shadow.

The work is ready. This is one of the easiest options since we didn't use perspective and only depicted one cylinder.

Second option

In this master class, we will look at how to draw a cylinder with a pencil at a more professional level, so if you are unsure of your abilities, it is better not to get to work. Also, this graphic technique is not suitable for young children.

For work you will need:

paper, and for novice artists it is better to purchase a special medium-grained paper, on which it is much more pleasant to draw;
several pencils with different degrees of hardness;
eraser;
a stick to rub the hatching (you can simply roll the paper into a cone and rub it with it).

Tip before starting to create: sketch with thick strokes, as they are easier to erase later.

Let's move on to the work itself, how to draw a cylinder in stages:

Mark up a sheet of paper. This is necessary to correctly determine the location of the figure.
We do markup. To do this, draw two vertical lines by hand, lightly pressing the pencil. Then two horizontal ones - top and bottom, to connect the rectangle.
Next, draw a pair of ellipses (bottom and top) - this is the base of the cylinder. To make them the correct shape, you should mark two points at the same distance on both sides from the center of the upper and lower lines, and then draw a figure.
Let's move on to toning. Let's assume that the light source is located at the top right. And, starting from this, we will draw the brightest and darkest places.
We will have the darkest front side, slightly to the left of the center. Now let's move on to hatching, it is desirable that the strokes repeat the shape of the object.
It remains to draw a shadow from the cylinder, make it small and in the form of a cone mirrored from the cylinder.

The work is ready. To hide the brightness of the hatching, we take a rubbing stick or paper and smoothly pass over the sheet with small movements until we achieve the desired effect.

It is best to hone your skills by drawing a real object, so it is wiser to take some object for the base. In the form of a cylinder, there are many things around you, for example, a glass.

Multiple cylinders

Now let's look at how to draw a cylinder with a shadow pencil if we want to display several objects at once.

Step by step drawing:

Draw two anchor points.
Step back down a certain distance and draw an ellipse.
Now draw two vertical lines up and draw an ellipse there too.
Erase the extra bottom line, you will get a kind of saucepan.
Now put two parallel points behind the figure.
Draw an ellipse and from it two lines down, with one line only to the first figure, and the second to the desired length.
Draw a bottom curved line to close the second shape.
In the same way, draw the third cylinder on the other side.
Now we draw the shadow. It will be on the right, so on all the figures we paint over the right side with denser shading.
With small strokes in the form of a rectangle from the beginning of the curved line, draw a shadow from objects on the surface.

Your work is ready. We looked at how to draw a cylinder with a shadow, with several elements in the picture.

By the same principle, you can draw many turrets at your discretion, most importantly, do not use a ruler and do not go to the first figures to get a three-dimensional work.

Draw a cylinder on the table

Now let's look at how to draw a cylinder with an environment. To draw everything correctly, take a real object and put it on the table. And adjust the light so that the shadow falls beautifully on the table, while not being too short or long.

The most accurate drawing can be done on a tablet by pulling a sheet of paper over it. The suitable size of this device is 30 by 40 cm.

Let's move on to the process of creating a drawing:

Decide on the location of the figure and draw "invisible lines" for the future cylinder.
Build a cylinder by first drawing two parallel lines, then an ellipse at the top and bottom.
"Invisible lines" will also be required for the correct placement of light and shadow. Draw invisible edges on the front side of the cylinder so that you understand which areas will be darker and which ones will be lighter.
Hatching is done according to the shape of the figure, in small lines, so that later it will be easier to smear the strokes.
Fill in the pre-drawn shadow. It should be darker.
Now you need to draw the plane of the table and the back wall. Moreover, the back wall will be darker than the table, but lighter than the main shadow of the figure.

Thus, very carefully and slowly, you can draw a three-dimensional figure. It does not have to be a cylinder, you can take a ball or a cube.

How to draw a composition with several objects

To practice your skill, use several figures at once. To begin with, a cube is good, and put a cylinder on top of it. Adjust the light so that the shadow falls beautifully on the table, and start painting.

How to draw a cylinder and a cube with a pencil:

Since we will have a cube below, we first draw it on a piece of paper. To draw it correctly, first draw the front square, and then the diagonal lines to give volume. Connect the lines at the back, then erase the extra edges.
Now we draw a cylinder. The process of its reconstruction is no different from the previous options, since the cube is also a flat plane.
When you arrange the shapes, erase the extra edges.
Let's move on to shadows. Since we have a pyramid in the drawing, then they will have one common shadow in the form of a tower.
Paint the front shadows on the figures according to how your light falls.
Finish with the back wall and table.

Such compositions can be made in a variety of ways, depending on your desire. After you master the skill of drawing geometric shapes, you will be able to draw more complex objects or compositions.

To understand how to draw a cylinder correctly, it is better to take a real object as a basis, adjusting the lighting in advance.
It is more convenient to draw on a tablet, as the sheet will not slip.
Use pencils with varying degrees of hardness.
Take your time when completing the elements, and if something does not work out, do not be afraid to start over.

I continue to talk about exercises that improve the skill of drawing, in this case, geometric shapes. We will train to draw their two-dimensional display, three-dimensional display and shading of shapes. So, drawing exercises. Part 2. Let's get started.

But before starting the exercises, I remind you that there is.

2D shapes

Circle. At first it will be difficult to draw an even beautiful circle, so let's help ourselves with a compass. Draw a circle with a light line and circle it. Once, then again, we remember the nature of the movement and try to reproduce it. You can help yourself by putting down a few points to start. Over time, if you perform this exercise, the circles will get better and more beautiful. 🙂

Triangle. Trying to draw an equilateral triangle. Again, to help ourselves, for starters, we can draw a circle with a compass and enter our figure into it already. But then we will definitely try to draw on our own.

Square. Yes, it is difficult to draw all sides the same and all angles 90 degrees the first time. Therefore, to remember the correct form, we use a ruler. Then we draw point by point, and then on our own, without auxiliary tools.

After the square, draw a rhombus, that is, the same square, but rotated by 45 degrees.

We draw a 5-pointed star, we draw without lifting the pencil from the paper. For the first time, you can use a compass and inscribe a star in a circle to achieve symmetry.

Six pointed star. It is drawn as 2 equilateral triangles.

Eight pointed star. Drawn as 2 squares.

Egg. It is an oval that is narrower at one end than at the other.

Crescent. This figure is not as easy to draw as it might seem at first glance. First, try to draw it yourself, and then with the help of a compass, remembering that the month is actually part of two intersecting circles.

3D shapes

Let's move on to 3D shapes. Let's start with a cube. We draw a square, then another square a little higher and to the right, we connect the corners with straight lines. We get a transparent cube. Now let's try to draw the same cube, but without visible lines inside.

Now we draw a cube in other foreshortening. To do this, first draw a flat parallelogram in the shape of a rhombus, drop their perpendiculars and draw the same figure at the base. And the same cube, but without visible lines.

Now let's try to draw a cylinder from different angles. The first cylinder will be transparent, draw an oval, lower the verticals down and draw an oval base. Then we draw a cylinder with an invisible lower inner face and a cylinder with an invisible upper inner face.

And we complete this cycle of figures by drawing a cone from different angles.

We draw a circle. We outline with light hatching a shadow in the lower left corner. The shadow should be in the shape of a crescent. Next, add tones to the shadow with more pressure on the pencil, shade from the center to the edge according to the principle from light to dark, while leaving a small area of a lighter shadow near the border of the circle, this is a reflex. Further we shade the falling shadow, the farther from the base of the ball, the lighter. The shadow is on the opposite side from the light source. That is, in our case, the light source is in the upper right corner.

Now shade the cube. In this case, the light is also in the upper right corner, which means that the darkest shadow will be on the opposite side, there will be no shadow on top, and the right visible face will have a lighter tone. Accordingly, we apply hatching.

Using the same principle, we shade the sides on the cube and cone, it is important to follow the shape of the object and how the light falls on it. And the drop shadow also needs to match the shape of the object.

And yet, in the exercises for shading, diagonal hatching is used, but I would advise you to try further hatching according to the shape of the object, then the object will be more voluminous. But shading in shape, and shading in general, is a rather extensive topic, I have already begun to study it and I will say that without training hands and an even quick stroke there is nowhere, so even if you only do what I have already posted, do it regularly, then drawings will inevitably get better.

We draw and continue 🙂

Studying and drawing geometric bodies in educational academic drawing is the basis for mastering the principles and methods of depicting more complex forms.

Education in the visual arts requires strict adherence to the sequence of complication of educational tasks and multiple repetitions to master the technique. The most suitable form for mastering the principles of drawing construction are geometric bodies, which are based on clear constructive structures. On simple geometric bodies the easiest way to understand and assimilate the basics of volumetric-spatial construction, the transfer of forms in perspective reduction, the patterns of chiaroscuro and proportional relationships.

Simple drawing exercises geometric bodies allow not to be distracted by the details that are available in more complex forms, such as architectural objects and the human body, but to focus entirely on the main thing - visual literacy.

Correctly understood and assimilated patterns in the depiction of simple forms should contribute to a more conscious approach to drawing complex forms in the future.

In order to learn how to competently and correctly depict the shape of an object, it is necessary to realize the internal structure of the object hidden from the eyes - the design. The word "construction" means "structure", "structure", "plan", that is, the relative position of the parts of the object and their relationship. This is important to know and understand when depicting any form. The more complex the form, the more and more seriously you will have to study the internal structure of the full-scale model. So, for example, when drawing living nature - the head or figure of a person, in addition to knowing the design features, you should definitely know plastic anatomy. Therefore, without a clear understanding of the structure of the form and nature of the object, it is impossible to correctly master the drawing.

When depicting spatial forms, in addition to knowing the patterns of the structure of a structure, knowledge about the laws of perspective, proportions, and chiaroscuro is necessary. For the correct image of a full-scale model, it is necessary to accustom yourself to always analyze nature, to clearly represent its external and internal structure. Approach to work should be consciously, from a scientific point of view. Only such drawing will contribute to the successful completion of work on the image of both simple and complex forms.

Drawing geometric shapes to inexperienced draftsmen seems at first glance quite easy. But this is far from true. For confident mastery of the drawing, first of all, it is necessary to master the methods of analysis of forms and the principles of constructing simple bodies. Any form consists of flat figures: rectangles, triangles, rhombuses, trapezoids and other polygons that delimit it from the surrounding space. The challenge is to correctly understand how these surfaces fit together to form a shape. For its correct image, it is necessary to learn how to draw such figures in perspective, in order to easily select three-dimensional bodies on the plane, limited by these flat figures. Flat geometric figures serve as the basis for understanding the constructive construction of three-dimensional bodies. So, for example, a square gives an idea of building a cube, a rectangle - about building a parallelepiped prism, a triangle - a pyramid, a trapezoid - a truncated cone, a circle is represented by a ball, a cylinder and a cone, and elliptical figures - spherical (ovoid) shapes.

All objects have three-dimensional characteristics: height, length and width. Points and lines are used to define and depict them on a plane. The points define the characteristic nodes of the design of objects, they establish the mutual spatial arrangement of the nodes, which characterizes the design of the form as a whole.

The line is one of the main visual means. Lines indicate the contour of objects that form their shape. They designate height, length, width, constructive axes, auxiliary, space-defining lines, construction lines, and much more.

For a thorough study, geometric shapes are best viewed as transparent wireframe models. This allows you to better trace, understand and assimilate the basics of the spatial construction of structures and the perspective reduction of the shapes of geometric bodies: a cube, a pyramid, a cylinder, a ball, a cone and a prism. At the same time, such a technique greatly facilitates the construction of a drawing in which all spatial angles, edges, and edges of the body are clearly traced, regardless of their rotations in space and in perspective contraction. Wireframe models allow a novice artist to develop three-dimensional thinking, thereby contributing to the correct representation of a geometric shape on a paper plane.

For a solid fixation in the mind of a novice artist of a three-dimensional idea of the structure of these forms, it would be most effective to do them yourself. Models can be made without much difficulty from improvised materials: ordinary flexible aluminum, copper or any other wire, wooden or plastic slats. Subsequently, in order to assimilate the laws of light and shade, it will be possible to make models from paper or thin cardboard. To do this, it is necessary to make blanks - appropriate scans or separately cut out planes for gluing. No less important is the modeling process itself, which will be more beneficial for students to understand the essence of the structure of one form or another than the use of a ready-made model. It will take a lot of time to make frame and paper models, therefore, in order to save it, you should not make large-sized models - it is enough if their dimensions do not exceed three to five centimeters.

By turning the manufactured paper model at different angles to the light source, you can follow the patterns of light and shadow. At the same time, attention should be paid to the change in the proportional relations of the parts of the object, as well as to the perspective reduction of forms. By moving the model closer and further away from the light source, you can see how the contrast of lighting on the object changes. So, for example, when approaching the light source, the light and shadow on the form acquire the greatest contrast, and as they move away, they become less contrasting. Moreover, the nearby corners and edges will be the most contrasting, and the corners and edges located in the spatial depth will be less contrasting. But the most important thing at the initial stage of drawing is the ability to correctly display the three-dimensional construction of forms using points and lines on a plane. This is a fundamental principle in mastering the drawing of simple geometric shapes, as well as in the subsequent study of more complex shapes and their conscious representation.

This lesson is part of the initial set of tasks in. WITH drawing geometric shapes acquaintance with the basic laws and rules of academic drawing begins.

For staging, one, two or three geometric figures are selected, for example, a cube, a cylinder or a plaster vase with a simple section. Objects are depicted on a white object plane, against a light background. The emphasis is on the image of the figure, excluding the study of the surrounding space. Lighting is set above and to the left of objects for a visual structure of classical volumes and a greater difference between light and shadow, which is of great importance at the first stages of training for analyzing the form and conveying tonal gradations on the sheet.

The purpose of drawing geometric shapes.

Learn to arrange objects on a sheet;
Master the basic skills of building and shaping objects on a plane;
Get an idea of the perspective location, the shortening of the horizon line;
Acquire skills in working with a pencil, put a stroke on the form, use tones and semitones, correctly convey the layout of plans.

To work with subsequent tasks of the program, all the techniques and techniques used here will be useful. The main result of this task, of course, is the ability to arrange objects in space. Your drawing will become a reflection of the space on the sheet, where everything is subject to the invariable laws of composition and the arrangement of light and shade on objects.

Examples of drawings of simple geometric shapes made by students of our school.

This is the main and important task, where a simple example, without piling up objects and tones, clearly demonstrates the design and principles of building a key form that underlies most things - a cube. This simple geometric figure contains the basis for creating any object.

The work has been completed.

Having learned how to correctly build and depict the corners, faces and planes of a cube, accurately depict a perspective reduction, correctly determine the vanishing points, model volume and shadows with a stroke, you will be able to intuitively represent the constructions and volumes of any objects. It is not just that at the heart of three-dimensional modeling of the most complex structures there is always a cube, as the basis for creating any subsequent form. And for drawing, the cube is the embodiment of a three-dimensional image; when drawing it on a sheet, lines show the vertical as height, the horizontal as width, and the third line as depth, which reveals space, making the object voluminous.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this task. Don't be put off by the simplicity of the production, as it contains the fundamental principle of creating works of art: from simple to complex.