Art & creativity6–8 · 9+
Drawing in 3D with Light and Shadow
Light and shadow make a flat drawing look 3D!
Why?
A drawing on paper is flat, but artists have a trick to make things look round and real: shading! They make some parts light and other parts dark, just like real light does.
The side facing the light is the brightest. The side away from the light is darker. And on the table, the object makes a shadow. When you draw all three, a flat circle suddenly looks like a real ball!
Try it
Put a ball next to a lamp 💡 and look closely: where is it brightest, where is it darkest, and where is its shadow? Now draw a circle. Leave the side near the light white, color the other side darker with your pencil, and add a shadow underneath. Does your ball look round?
Ask Mum & Dad
Can you find a shadow in our house right now? Where is the light coming from?