Cube

How to draw a cube! Pretty simple, but surprisingly, lots of people don't know how to do this...

Step 1 Step 1

Draw a square. It doesn't have to be perfect, just a square.

Comments

[monsterpie]

Very nice 3D square/cube unlike those 4D cubes drawn with 2 squares

[struckbyanarrow]

thats a pretty sad cube. didja make it on paint?

[fungus amungus]

For those who haven't taken the time to do some drawing, drawing a cube isn't as easy as it looks. Take the time to learn 1-, 2-, and 3- point perspective and you'll be much better off for it.

tofood, try doing this with a pencil and paper. You'll get a much better feel than a computer drawing program can give you.

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For this one, you'd want to:

Draw a square- easy enough.

Make a vanishing point - Just put a dot somewhere outside the square.

Perspective lines - Draw faint lines to connect the two or three corners closest to the vanishing point to the vanishing point itself.

Finish the cube - Say the vanishing point is above and to the right of the square. Start at the bottom right corner, darken the diagonal line a short way. Now draw a line straight up until you hit the middle diagonal. Now draw a horizontal line left until you hit the third diagonal. Follow that diagonal back.

Play around with the depth so that it "feels" like a cube.

Now to make series of cubes and then move into other perspectives.

[kiwi_soccer_maniac]

fungus amungus, have you used 2 point perspective?

[fungus amungus]

Yup, it's the one I use the most often. 3-point adds the extra drama if I want it. 1-, 2-, and 3-point are all pretty easy to learn if you're willing to practice. I'd recommend the book "Rapid Viz" for learning those and other useful drawing techniques.

[trebuchet03]

Two shakes away from full blown descriptive geometry :P

[tofood]

i had to do that in art in 6th grade. its a ton of fun

[LasVegas]

Maybe you should have started with something more basic like a Square or even a Line and work up from there.

[spinafire]

lol

[spinafire]

omg that was so hard

[Stikk]

Haha, ok, i honestly think that drawing a cube is extremely easy and not a whole lot of ppl would need to use this instructable, but im not saying it has no right to be here.. I do have a question though.. Why did you go to all this trouble and not bother to draw a decent cube? The one used in this instructable is lop sided and doesnt really look like a cube. Looks like someone pinched it at the back..

[skids927]

I now realize why people are saying this site is turning to shit...

[hawkdude61]

well if you don't like it, you don't have to stay. no one is making you stay!

[CameronSS]

Then post something that you deem worthy of Instructables. I notice you haven't contributed anything. I know multiple people who can't figure something like this out.

[PetervG]

Maybe there should be more rules.

[Tomtrocity]

I think this is a very good thing to be on instructables but I would like it if the cube was drawn a little better.

[tofood]

Yeah, sorry about that, i had to use the paint program for that, cuz i dont have a camera, but im getting one, so when i do, ill get a better picture! :P

[trebuchet03]

Wow.... you guys are making asses out of yourselves.... Believe it or not, there's quite a few people that don't have the spatial reasoning to do this. This doesn't make them any less than you or me intellectually . Those with comparatively lower spatial reasoning very likely have incredibly great Verbal reasoning (you know, great at things like arithmetic, programming, negotiation, etc.).

Not everyone is going to be an Engineer.... But how many Engineers are great orators and business persons?

While this site does attract many that likely do have the capability to envision and apply dimensional reasoning that doesn't mean that everyone does. Being a maker of physical objects kinda requires some spatial reasoning.

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Hell it was a big deal when artwork started to have perspective (perhaps indicating a huge jump in human development?).

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In any case.... What was drawn here is called an oblique view. That is, the most foreword part is not distorted and is perpendicular to the viewing plane. A oblique "3-D" house for example looks a little funny (but a 30-60 perspective would fix that).

[TetsuoTW]

While you're right that those with lower spatial reasoning may excel otherwise, surely even those with lower spatial reasoning that are capable of using a computer without electrocuting themselves can figure this one out.

[ewilhelm]

So after making a nonconstructive comment, you are now defending that action? If you don't have anything positive to say, don't say anything.

[trebuchet03]

Surely Not... that's exactly my point. "Figuring out" is a very complex mechanism. For someone that is unable to figure it out, following directions is the next best thing.

The best comparison is to those with perfect pitch (can you differentiate the difference between C sharp and C?)... In the United States, about 1 in 100 have it. You can not hand someone a tuning fork and tell them "figure out how to have perfect pitch." It's just not in the cards - after all, that's why people like me use a tuner to stay in pitch ;)

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Of everyone that has responded thus far, Kiteman is spot on -- He's teaching kids that are right in the middle of this type of brain development. That's the time when environment is going to play a role - to what extent is still being studied but seems to be significant.

As an anecdote on development.... My earliest recollection of my surroundings was in the rocket garden at the Kennedy Space Center.... Perhaps that's why I choose my major and enjoy sciences :)

[trebuchet03]

I feel I need to add something more as to why I'm posting on this (I can't get back to studying otherwise :P).

There was a time when my brother could not do this. But not for the same reason as I have posted. He is very intelligent (we had IQ tests, but my parents won't say what any of our scores are -- and now, I don't care to know because it doesn't matter; I know my personal capabilities and that's good enough for me). But, he has a form of dysgraphia related to spatial dysgraphia that was not caused by trauma.

Imagine being able to think -- but misfiring when it comes to written communication while having normal motor skills/control. Not only are you labeled (socially) as an idiot but you're likely to be misdiagnosed unless you get the right testing. There's no cure, but once you're diagnosed, you can learn (over a long long time) to gain control. And if you're not diagnosed and don't receive the proper concessions to learn... it's likely you won't and you will fall through the cracks of society (which almost happened with my brother if not for my family's intervention with what the school system was doing).

It's been nearly 10 years since he was diagnosed (he's also ADHD - common for people with dysgraphia) and he's doing well. So I say all of this with first hand experience when someone (unknowing teacher) tells someone else that doesn't have the capability: Just draw a cube - it's just not going to happen.

To reiterate, it is no reflection of intelligence. Where we lack in one skill, we make up with others. And in the case of my brother, it's very common to have a high IQ and also have dysgraphia.

[App13]

I feel the need to comment on this. I myself have rather severe dysgraphia and could not draw a cube for quiet some time. My teachers at first thought I was trying to fake dyslexia (you can imagine the trauma an 11 year old would go through when no body believes he can't write). To add insult to injury I was a rather accomplished fencer and since dysgraphia is usually linked to motor skills, it was just another nail in the coffin. I don't know my IQ exactly, but trebuchet03 was spot on with his bolded statement.

[Kiteman]

Way to go with the constructive citisicism, chaps I teach kids up to age 13, and you would not believe how many can't do this without help. I actually have a similar file saved on my IWB for use when discussing solids and volume.

[fobblewabble]

whats wrong with this post?

[irwinner]

i understand where your coming from (most of the people always draw 3d stuff/ cubes incorrectly) but this isnt much help you should have done something to do with prospective, or at least add on how you could use the basic concept in this cube to draw just about any 3d object (for example that rectangle shape you can use to draw 3d cars). this post is pretty much useless, im not saying that to be mean but rather to give you advice on how to make your next post better.