How to Make Your Drawings Look More 3D (7 Techniques That Actually Work)

James Otto Allen
Jul 30
4 min read

Updated: Aug 4

One of the questions I hear most often when teaching is:

"Why do my drawings always look flat?"

If you've ever finished a drawing that looked technically correct but somehow lacked depth or solidity, you're not alone. It's happened to me loads of times.

The good news is that the problem usually isn't your talent (a very controversial word in art). More often than not, it's that you're thinking about the drawing as a collection of lines instead of a collection of three-dimensional forms.

Here are seven techniques that have made the biggest difference to my own drawing over the years.

Comparison of a mug drawn as a simple outline beside the same mug constructed from cylinders and basic three-dimensional forms. — Thinking in cylinders immediately gives the mug believable volume.

1. Think in Forms, Not Outlines

When we're starting to draw, we naturally copy the outside edge of what we see.

The problem is that outlines only describe the silhouette. They don't explain the structure underneath.

Instead, try to imagine every object as a simple solid:

A head becomes a box with rounded edges.
An arm becomes a cylinder.
A mug becomes a combination of cylinders.
A house becomes a collection of boxes.

I've found that once I started thinking about volume rather than shape, my drawings immediately begin to feel more believable.

Perspective diagram showing a box, horizon line and vanishing point to demonstrate how simple objects are constructed in one-point perspective. — A single box teaches more useful perspective than an entire street scene.

2. Learn Basic Perspective

Perspective isn't just for drawing buildings. Every object exists in perspective.

Even if you're drawing a character's head, a coffee mug, a car or a tree, the same principles apply.

Understanding ideas like:

horizon lines
vanishing points
eye level
boxes in perspective

will dramatically improve almost every drawing you make.

Perspective has always felt intimidating to me. For years I thought I needed to understand everything before I could draw anything. Eventually I realised that if I could draw a simple box in perspective, I could start constructing almost anything. I've found it's surprising how few objects you need to know how to draw in perspective to be able to draw almost anything.

If perspective feels new, I've put together a list of my favourite perspective books.

Step-by-step construction of a simplified head showing how drawing through the hidden forms creates a more solid three-dimensional structure. — Imagine the hidden parts even if you never draw them.

3. Draw Through the Form

One habit that transformed my drawing was learning to draw the parts you can't see. I actually do this when studying 2D animation where it's really essential to be able to do this, because you need to be able to move those forms.

Imagine drawing a transparent box rather than only its visible edges. When drawing a head, imagine the far side of the skull. When drawing a cylinder, picture the hidden ellipse on the back. You won't keep all of these construction lines in the finished drawing, but thinking this way forces your brain to solve the object as a complete three-dimensional form.

4. Use Overlap to Create Depth

One of the simplest ways to make a drawing feel more three-dimensional is overlap.

If one object sits in front of another, let it clearly overlap it.

Even small overlaps help the viewer understand which forms are closer and which are farther away.

Without overlap, everything tends to sit on the same flat plane.

5. Simplify Before Adding Detail

It's tempting to jump straight into eyes, fingers, bricks or leaves.

The problem is that details can't fix weak construction.

Professional artists almost always work in stages.

First:

big forms

Then:

medium forms

Finally:

small details

Strong construction makes detail look convincing.

The reverse is rarely true.

6. Use Line Weight Carefully

Not every line needs to have the same importance.

A slightly thicker line can help separate foreground from background or emphasise where one form overlaps another.

Used sparingly, line weight can reinforce depth without needing any shading at all.

Think of it as directing the viewer's eye rather than decorating the drawing.

7. Learn to See Everything as Simple Solids

This is probably the biggest shift of all.

Every complicated subject can be broken down into simple forms.

A hand is a collection of boxes and cylinders.

A face is a series of planes wrapped around a simplified head.

Even complicated machinery often begins as surprisingly simple boxes.

The more often you ask yourself:

"What is the simplest three-dimensional form I could build this from?"

the easier drawing becomes.

A Simple Exercise

Choose any household object.

Before drawing it, ask yourself:

Is it mostly a box?
Is it mostly a cylinder?
Where is eye level?
Which planes face me?
Which planes turn away?

Then construct the object using those simple forms before worrying about the details.

You'll probably be surprised how much more solid your drawing feels.

Final Thoughts

Making drawings look three-dimensional isn't about learning hundreds of tricks.

It's about changing the way you think.

Instead of copying shapes, begin constructing forms.

Instead of drawing what something looks like, draw what it is.

That's the mindset behind almost every artist I admire, from Andrew Loomis to Peter Han and many of today's visual development artists. Once I started thinking this way, drawing became far less about guessing and much more about understanding.

If you're interested in developing these skills further, many of the tutorials here on the Drawing Library explore perspective, construction and practical drawing techniques in more depth.