Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 7

Rendering techniques

I can render a 3D sketch to show the light source and effect.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

New
New
Year 7

Rendering techniques

I can render a 3D sketch to show the light source and effect.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

View new resources

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Adding tone with shading to a drawing can enhance the 3D effect.
  2. Adding shadow to 3D drawings can enhance the effect.

Keywords

  • Rendering - to add details like shading, texture and depth to a sketch to make it appear more realistic

  • Tone - the lightness or darkness of an area, which helps create a sense of dimension in the image

  • Shadow - an unlit area of an object that is blocking light

  • Highlight - the brightest part of an object lit by a lightsource

Common misconception

When rendering the light source, location might not be correctly identified.

Start with real objects and a light source to help students visualise where the shadow and highlight would be. Get students to label where the light source is.


To help you plan your year 7 design and technology lesson on: Rendering techniques, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Demonstrate the shading technique focusing on gradiation, use pencil pressure exercises.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Pencil, colour pencil, lamp/light source, 3D objects.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
What does "3D" mean in drawing?
Three different colours
Correct answer: Three dimensions
Three designs
Three drawings
Q2.
Which of these tools can be used for shading?
ruler
Correct answer: pencil
compass
scissors
Q3.
What happens when you press lightly with a pencil?
An image in a quiz
you get a darker tone
Correct answer: you get a lighter tone
the drawing becomes 3D
Q4.
What is the purpose of adding a shadow in a drawing?
An image in a quiz
to make it look blurry
Correct answer: to show where light is coming from
to make it less detailed
to remove the background
Q5.
When is a freehand sketching used?
Correct answer: when quickly planning or developing ideas without tools
when drawing precise technical drawings with a ruler
when measuring and drawing perfectly straight lines
when only using a computer to draw
Q6.
Which type of drawing uses 30-degree angles?
perspective drawing
Correct answer: isometric drawing
freehand sketching
grid drawing

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

4 Questions

Q1.
What is the purpose of rendering in drawing?
Correct answer: to add realism with shading and texture
to erase mistakes
to colour in only one part
to trace over an image
Q2.
Where should the darkest shadows be placed in a drawing?
Correct answer: in areas where no light reaches
in the middle of an object
only on the edges
anywhere on the page
Q3.
What is a mid-tone?
Correct answer: a tone between the lightest and darkest areas
the darkest part of the drawing
the outline of an object
a completely white area
Q4.
What is a core shadow?
the dark area on a surface where light is blocked by an object
the lightest part of an object where light hits directly
the middle shade between light and dark
Correct answer: the shadow on the object itself, adding depth