Traditional cabinet pull

SketchUp is a very forgiving and plastic. It is quite possible to model a cabinet pull with a few curlicues based on a single image as the model contours can be fine-tuned throughout the modeling process.

This is 1 part sculpture : 1 part modeling.

Note: This object has some pleasant sculptural curves, but is not excessively complicated. The object has symmetry - only 1/2 needs to be modeled - joining 2 mirrored halves. But to shorten the length of this tutorial, some artistic license is used as only 1/4 will be modeled and mirrored.

To help keep the alignment square, begin by drawing profiles on a cube.

TIP: Try to minimize the number of edges to the lowest number needed to form the model. This will make the model easier to manipulate and not bog down the file. If a high-poly model is needed for 3D printing or rendering, subdividing plugins can be used later.

The way this model is shaped - with a defined, creased border on top, extruded side geometry - lends itself to copying bits of geometry to make separate parts as individual components and later merge those parts with the Outer Shell tool from the Solid tools extension. Even SketchUp Make and Web users have this tool.

Another benefit of making a model of separate components is that tight-fitting parts can be modeled separately and component copies can even be enlarged if it helps to view the workspace.

For the Outer Shell tool to work, the new curlicue component needs to be a solid. Draw some edges as shown to enclose the geometry. The two, protruding edges (which prevent the component from being detected as a solid by SketchUp) are for reference and will be removed later.

Try not to move the edges you want to merge back with the original handle component. For this tutorial, those are the highlighted edges.

As shown here, the Scale tool can rotate a face in addition to scaling stuff. But this may lead to reversed faces too. To reverse selected face(s), r-click on the face and choose Reverse Faces from the context menu. The color change is not just a distraction: if this model will be 3D printed or rendered, front faces need to be on the outside. To speed up reversing faces, get ReverseFaces and assign it a keyboard shortcut.