3-D Block, or "shadow effect," as the title suggests, are a great alternative to your ordinary letters. This article will show you how to draw them.

Sample Alphabets

  1. 1
    Start with simply drawing out your desired letter. Try to make the lines as straight as possible, or you can use a ruler. Just be sure that the lines are light, as you are only using them as a guide and will erase them later. (note: the lines will appear dark in the illustration, for visual purposes.)
  2. 2
    Outline the outside of your letter. Don't forget to do the inside "holes" in A,B,D,O,P,Q,R,etc.
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  3. 3
    Draw a line off of either every right, left or down facing corner of your letter. Make each of these lines the same length.
    • Don't forget the inside holes.
  4. 4
    Connect all of the lines as shown in this illustration.
  5. 5
    Erase your guidelines that you drew in step 1. Remember to draw it on paper first
  6. 6
    Consider shading or outlining. You can stop at this point. Alternatively, you can shade the sides in and/or outline the edges, as shown here:
  7. 7
    Finished.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Any 3D drawing tips for a growing artist?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Use a #1 pencil for the guide and first step, then a #2 pencil for the rest. If you don't have a #1 pencil, you can use a #2 pencil really lightly.
  • Question
    Can you show how to draw the letter "F" in 3D block letters?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It's the same as all the other letters. First, the angle for the area you want shaded, then shade just like normal. If you have any additional problems, just look up images of the letter "F" in 3D block letters and copy those.
  • Question
    How can I draw a letter U with a 3D effect?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It may be best to start with a single character until you get confident. It is relatively easier to add the 3D effect on some characters than others. The easier characters to start with are those with straight edges such as I,L and T. Characters with curved edges such as R,S and Q are relatively more difficult.
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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Pen or SHARPIE Marker for outlining (optional)
  • Crayons, colored pencils, colored markers, etc. (optional)
  • Paper
  • Ruler (optional)

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 118 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 726,602 times.
636 votes - 66%
Co-authors: 118
Updated: August 31, 2021
Views: 726,602
Article SummaryX

3D block letters are easy to draw and instantly make your text stand out. Start by drawing out a letter as you normally would for a guideline. Then, make an outline around your letter and inside any holes. Once you’ve made an outline, draw short, diagonal lines off of the corners of the outline. Draw straight lines to connect these diagonal lines you’ve drawn to finish the 3D effect. Make sure to erase the original guideline letter you made. To learn how to shade your block letters, read on!

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