# Draw an empty matchbox in Aquarell: slide the tray through its sleeve

Language: en
Canonical: [Draw an empty matchbox in Aquarell: slide the tray through its sleeve](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/aquarell-empty-matchbox-sleeve-sliding-tray/>)
中文：[中文 HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/aquarell-empty-matchbox-sleeve-sliding-tray/>)
English: [English HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/aquarell-empty-matchbox-sleeve-sliding-tray/>)
Published: 2026-11-12T00:00:00+08:00
Modified: 2026-11-12T09:43:29+08:00
Author: Bison

Check an open-ended sleeve, projecting tray and wall thickness with one sliding direction.

English translation of the [Chinese original](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/aquarell-empty-matchbox-sleeve-sliding-tray/>), translated on 2026-11-12. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained.

A sliding box can become a hinged chest if its sleeve ends are capped or its tray passes through a side wall. Draw an invented empty paper matchbox in Aquarell, tray partly extended right. Sleeve and tray must share direction while retaining separate thickness and occlusion. No lighting, manufacture or match-handling is involved; the empty box is an ordinary packaging still life.

## Give sleeve and tray one sliding axis

Use an approximately1800×1200 px landscape canvas with pale blue-grey background. Aim the box from rear left toward front right and extend the tray about one third for illustration. Block the whole sleeve, then a slightly smaller inner box on the checking layer with corresponding long edges aligned. Separate sleeve, tray, inner walls and shadow; use warm red and off-white. Realign the tray into the mouth if two adjacent boxes, or relocate the end opening if it pierces a side. Extension is illustrative, not a stop position, package size or volume derived from pixels.

## Keep the sleeve mouth open instead of capping it

Use four narrow end edges to suggest sleeve wall thickness, with tray occupying the centre. Do not draw a solid red end panel and push the tray through it. Top, bottom and sides form a through-sleeve; do not cap the hidden left end in the checking sketch either. Hide the tray to inspect the mouth, then restore it. Remove invented hinges/flaps if cabinet-door-like; add near thickness if a paper frame. Align mouth and body perspective rather than conflicting orientations. Defer texture while establishing this geometry.

## Give the inner tray its own bottom and sides

Extend the tray from the sleeve’s right mouth, enclosing its shallow floor with near low wall, far wall and front panel; the rear lies hidden inside. Keep wall heights comparable without forcing full visibility of every edge. Leave it empty so interior/exterior remain clear. Add walls and front thickness if merely a sheet; compare tray envelope with mouth if oversized. Allow modest clearance without an all-around background gap suggesting suspension. The pale tray floor must not climb across the sleeve top.

## Let the sleeve hide the tray’s middle and rear

Draw the full tray on the checking layer, then cover its inserted segment with the sleeve. Let the near mouth edge occlude the appropriate tray wall; judge far occlusion separately instead of showing all edges through. Trace the near tray edge from front to mouth, where it should disappear rather than turn abruptly into a sleeve side. Repair insertion depth if merely joined boxes, or top-face ordering if it pierces the sleeve roof. Keep the sliding axis unbent. Correct continuity matters more than dark seams or explanatory arrows.

## Distinguish empty floor from front panel

Use a slightly warm pale-grey floor, darker far wall, lighter near thickness and a distinct front exterior panel. Light from upper left, darkening the inserted rear without blackening the entire tray. Remove mirror reflections/waterlines and restore paper texture if liquid-like. Add wall-floor contact if a solid white block. Faint creases are acceptable, but avoid match-like decorative lines implying contents. Check floor and sleeve-top perspective for compatible parallel planes, then add subtle worn paper edges.

## Wrap printed colour around faces, not across openings

An unlettered colour band may turn from top to side with the faces; it must not bridge the mouth and continue over the tray as one flat sticker. Use original simple lettering if needed rather than copying a historical brand. Suggest wear at selected corners, not serrations everywhere. Remove wood grain/heavy metal handles if drawer-furniture-like, or transparent sides if plastic-like. Keep print and material separate. Reshape the opening and reposition any displaced band instead of leaving old graphics floating in new background gaps.

## Use shadow to support the extended tray

Ground the sleeve with contact shadow and vary shadow beneath the projecting tray while keeping a compatible table height. A detached black slab makes the tray float. At small size, inspect end openings, sliding axis and empty floor separately. Correct height and mouth overlap if the tray sits beside the sleeve rather than enlarging a shadow over the error. Separate floor/table with local paper-edge contrast if merged. Without material data, extension establishes no actual load capacity. The check concerns static space only.

## Verify a through-sleeve and traceable tray

Keep the native layers and inspect a separate PNG for uncapped sleeve ends, aligned tray, correct disappearance at the mouth and visible empty floor. Remove an erroneous lid if hinged-box-like rather than adding pull arrows. Repair relative dimensions if the mouth traps the tray instead of flattening the tray abruptly through it. Record an empty box and illustrative extension. A fully withdrawn version needs two separated objects, not the current occlusion. This is neither packaging manufacture, match function nor collection-size reproduction; another reader should see how the sleeve contains its tray.

## Related tutorials and sources

[Draw stacked books in Aquarell: distinguish spines, page edges and layers](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/aquarell-stacked-book-edges/>); [Draw a paper shopping bag in Aquarell: separate gusset, base and handle anchors](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/aquarell-paper-shopping-bag-gusset-handles/>).

Sources checked on 12 November 2026: the [official Aquarell App Store listing](<https://apps.apple.com/cn/app/id1591340577>) and [Apple Lookup](<https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1591340577&country=cn>) show version 1.0.7, requiring iOS / iPadOS 15.0 or later. The drawing uses the publicly described brush, colour, layer and saving capabilities manually. Sizes, shapes and colours are practice suggestions; confirm controls against the installed version. Keep the native artwork for further editing and use PNG for previews. This batch does not claim step-by-step device testing.

Structural reference: the [Science Museum Group sliding-matchbox record](<https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co159307/matchbox-rectangular-slide-in-chipwood-drawer>) identifies an inner drawer. This is a separate original empty paper box, without collection contents, branding or dimensions.