I’ve always been fascinated by 3D drawing and the idea that an artist could create such incredible illusions using nothing more than a pencil and piece of paper.
With hopes that our readers will enjoy these as much as I have, here are some awesome examples of 3D drawings and artists. Also included are a few links to some 3D art techniques for beginners in case any of you want to give it a try.
Ramon Bruin
Dutch artist Ramon Bruin is one of the masters of the technique, drawing skulls, cities, sharks and snakes that seem more like objects that happen to be sitting on paper than drawings.
Nagai Hideyuki
Another is Nagai Hideyuki, a 22-year-old Japanese artist who creates 3D drawings in two-dimensional space with sketchbooks that lean open while he draws. Some of his drawings are so life-like, you feel as if you can reach out and wrap your hand around them.
Alessandro Diddi
Italian artist Alessandro Diddi is unique in that his 3D drawings are often set pieces that incorporate real items including pencils, his hands and flame to complete the effect.
Julian Beever
While British artist Julian Beever doesn’t technically do 3D pen or pencil drawings, he is known worldwide for the 3D street art that he calls anamorphic illusions. His pavement drawings, done in chalk, look three-dimensional when viewed from specific perspectives. And they are gorgeous.
Tips on 3D drawing
If you’d like to make some of this 3D art for yourself, there are some good tutorials available that start with the basics.
Lou Pemberton’s art site shows how to create the 3D shapes that form the basis of any 3D drawing. Drawing Now also offers some very simple 3D drawing starters that include 3D letters, buildings and cars.
On Youtube, TutoDraw offers a three-part tutorial on 3D drawing, but the videos are in French with badly translated subtitles, so you’ll mostly have to learn just by watching the techniques.
VamosArt also provides a close look at the creation of a 3D drawing of a gaping hole in the ground in the video below.
We’d love to see and post any of your 3D work, so if you draw something you’d like to share, send it along.
