Christmas Ornament Drawing
This How to Draw Christmas Ornaments post helps you learn how to draw multiple spheres that overlap to make them look 3D! You’ve got this!!
Servings: 1 Christmas Ornament Drawing
Cost: $1
Ingredients
- Paper or a drawing pad
- A couple pencils
- A good eraser
- Christmas ornaments (to draw- or set of other round objects)
Instructions
- A Christmas ornament is a sphere. Here’s the link to How to Draw a Sphere if you want to review this.
- Arrange several Christmas ornaments on the table in front of you. Or you can use the picture of the ornaments from this post if you want.
- Select the ornament that is closest to you and in the center of the grouping. Draw it on the paper. It is in the center of the grouping and so it is also in the center of the paper. Don’t worry if it isn’t a perfect circle- do the best you can or even use something round to draw around.
- Choose a second ornament that is next to the first. Draw it as a full circle overlapping the first ornament, to the right (or left) and slightly higher (or lower) on the paper. Then do the same thing with a third ornament that is mostly behind the first one. It is drawn higher on the paper, overlapping the first circle.When the second or third ornament is placed slightly higher on the paper surface it will appear to be further back in your drawing.
- Then I come back and erase the lines of the second and third circle that are on top of the first ornament. Do you see how that immediately gives the effect of one circle being closer than the others, that it is in front of the second two circles?
- Repeat this with the rest of the round objects you have chosen to draw.Draw the circles to the left or the right of the one before, slightly higher if further back or slightly lower if closer forward in the grouping. Draw the complete circles to begin with, overlap them and then erase the lines that are on top of the sphere that is towards the front.
- We will have the light source be to the upper right of the paper. Using a flashlight to simulate a light source really helps to see where the shadows are on both the ornament and on the paper. You can see it in the video or try it yourself.Next make the contour lines on the spheres in semi circles as shown in the How to Draw a Sphere post. Complete this on each individual sphere in your drawing. They will all be on the side away from the light source.
- Add some shading in these areas and around the outside of each sphere. Don’t do any blending yet.
- Draw the decorations that are on each Christmas ornament next. Remember that the surface of the sphere is curved so your lines will usually be curved, like the contour lines. Do the best you can, have fun, do some shading to represent the darker colors.
- The shadows that the spheres cast on the table surface are done with shading. Draw this next. Remember how the light source cast a semi-circle shadow on the table?Shade the cast shadow and shade more darkly in the spaces between the spheres.
- Use your finger to do some blending of the shading and contour areas.
- In my arrangement of ornaments there is a place mat underneath. I drew a rectangular shape around the ornament drawing and some small lines across the surface to simulate the texture of the placemat. Notice that the lines are all parallel, but I didn’t worry about them being perfectly straight. Note: You can draw your table or just a line behind to look like a table edge.
Notes
Come to the post for more tips and variations. There are more how to draw tutorials on the website.