Just be sure to follow the drop shadow’s direction with the shading! by Mky Get creative and weird, don’t be afraid to mess things up-you most certainly will, that’s how we all learn!. Once you get the hang of it, you can mix things up and add different light sources to your angled drop shadows. Look at different objects in your room, both rounded and rectangular, to get a feel of how light and shadow play on it. At first you’ll get lost a bit but that’s okay.Īn easy way to figure this out is by imagining that your letter is an actual object on a table. by MkyĪlright, now that you have mastered adding the drop shadow, go ahead and add some shading to it.įirst thing you need to do is define a light source and stick to it. There is no right or wrong way to do this-you simply have to try all options and see what works best for you.
In the meantime, you can also start experimenting with different shadow sizes. Similar to the previous technique, duplicate, recolor, drag to a 45* angle and connect the edges. This look will make your piece more dynamic. Now that you’re more confident, let’s spice things up by using different angles for the different words. Staying on the same layer, start connecting the edges of the two layers. Instead of dragging the opacity down though, this time you want to recolor it. Start off the same way you did for the drop line: duplicate the layer that contains the letters, send it behind the main one and move it to a 45* angle. Go ahead and experiment with adding shadows and dimensions to more lettering styles. by Mky Drop shadowĪdding shadows works for bold, blocky letters as well as some thinner scripts. That way, you can just use the papers as guides, just like you would with the layers. If you’re using pen and paper, try working with tracing paper at first.
Just make sure that when you draw your initial letters you leave enough space between them for the drop line. On a new layer, trace the edges of the shifted layer, then delete the low opacity one. Drag its opacity down and slightly move it to the side-this tends to be a 45* degree. If this is your first time doing this, it will help to duplicate the layer that contains the letters. You simply have to trace a line near your main letters. The drop line is probably the simplest and quickest way to give your letters some dimension. But before we begin, keep this essential rule in mind: when creating shadows it’s important to define a light source and stick to it throughout the design to maintain a consistent look.
Shade 3d basic tutorials how to#
Sounds fun, right? Let’s take a look at each option, starting from the easiest, with quick tips on how to achieve each look. For extra depth you can add some inner shadows to your letters or if you’re feeling adventurous you can play with some bevels, too. Then turn that line into a clean drop shadow, which you can add some shading to later.
Start with something as simple as a drop line. When adding shadows and dimensions to letters, there are quite a few routes you can take. Once you’re no longer intimidated by drawing simple letters, words or phrases, you can jump into the tutorial below and add some mind-blowing dimensions to your lettering! Different types of shadows and dimensions for 3D lettering