Three smooth stones in a small stack

Practice three uneven rounded forms balanced in a small stone stack. Contact shadows show the overlaps while the stone surfaces remain mostly unmarked.

A way into the drawing

1. Set the broad base stone

   Draw a flattened uneven oval for the largest stone. Give it enough width to support the stack.

2. Balance the two smaller stones

   Place a smaller stone above it, slightly off center, then a small tilted stone at the top. Hide the edges at their contact points.

3. Darken the contact points

   Add narrow pale shadows where the stones meet and one or two simple surface marks. Keep most of each stone as open paper.

A small thing to tryCheck the stack’s center of weight before shading; the top stone should feel supported by the shapes below.