Perspective Drawing

This page presents a tutorial on the basics of perspective drawing.

A Visual Introduction

Perspective drawing provides a systematic way of representing three-dimensional objects and spaces on a two-dimensional surface. It helps the artist show how objects appear to change in size, position and shape as their distance and direction from the observer change.

This introductory tutorial explains the foundations of one-point, two-point and three-point linear perspective. It also introduces eye level, vanishing points, diminution, repeated spacing and circles in perspective.

The constructions presented here are deliberately simple. They provide a practical starting point, but linear perspective is only one part of the much larger field explored throughout the Perspective Research Centre.

What You Will Need

For these exercises, you will need:

a pencil;
a ruler;
an eraser;
plain drawing paper;
optionally, a set square or drawing board.

Begin with light construction lines. Darken the final visible edges only after the main structure of the drawing has been checked.

1. The Basic Viewing Arrangement

Every perspective drawing is based upon a relationship between:

the observer or viewpoint;
the objects being viewed;
the directions in which those objects extend;
the picture plane on which the image is constructed.

The viewpoint, sometimes called the station point, represents the position from which the scene is observed. The picture plane may be imagined as a transparent surface placed between the observer and the subject.

Lines of sight extend from the observer towards points on the object. Where those lines intersect the picture plane, they determine the corresponding positions in the perspective image.

Perspective therefore depends not only upon the objects themselves, but also upon where the observer is located and the direction in which the observer is looking.

Figure 1. The Basic Perspective Viewing Arrangement

2. Eye Level and the Horizon Line

The eye level represents the height of the observer’s eye in relation to the scene.

In elementary perspective drawing, eye level is usually represented by a horizontal construction line across the page. This is commonly called the horizon line.

When the observer is standing, the eye level is relatively high in relation to objects on the ground. When the observer is seated or close to the ground, the eye level is lower.

Objects positioned:

below eye level reveal more of their upper surfaces;
above eye level reveal more of their lower surfaces;
directly at eye level reveal little or none of their upper or lower surfaces.

In a level view, vanishing points belonging to horizontal directions lie on the eye-level line. Vanishing points for inclined or vertical directions may lie above or below it.

The visible horizon in a landscape may coincide with eye level, but the eye-level construction line should not be confused with every physical or optical meaning of the word horizon.

Figure 2. Eye Level and the Appearance of Objects

3. Vanishing Points

Parallel lines do not physically meet merely because they recede into the distance. In a perspective image, however, parallel lines extending in the same spatial direction may appear to converge towards a common point.

This point is called a vanishing point.

A vanishing point represents a direction in space rather than the physical end of a line. Different sets of parallel lines may therefore have different vanishing points.

For example, the opposite sides of a straight road may appear to converge towards one point because both sides extend in the same direction. The horizontal edges of a building turned at an angle may extend in two different directions and therefore converge towards two different vanishing points.

Lines parallel to the picture plane do not normally converge within a standard rectilinear construction. They remain parallel in the drawing.

Figure 3. Parallel Lines and a Vanishing Point

One-Point Perspective

4. Drawing a Box in One-Point Perspective

One-point perspective is used when one principal face of an object is parallel to the picture plane and one principal set of edges recedes directly away from the observer.

The receding edges converge towards a single vanishing point.

Step 1: Draw the eye-level line

Draw a light horizontal line across the page. This is the eye-level or horizon line.

Step 2: Place the vanishing point

Mark a point on the eye-level line. For a simple central construction, place it near the middle of the page.

Step 3: Draw the front face

Draw a square or rectangle below the eye-level line. Because this face is parallel to the picture plane, its horizontal and vertical edges remain horizontal and vertical.

Step 4: Draw the receding edges

From each visible corner of the rectangle, draw a light line towards the vanishing point.

Step 5: Establish the depth

Choose where the back of the box should be located. Draw a vertical line between the receding construction lines.

Step 6: Complete the box

Draw the remaining horizontal and vertical edges. Erase unnecessary construction lines and darken the visible form.

Figure 4. Constructing a Box in One-Point Perspective

5. Drawing a Simple Room

The same construction can be used to draw an interior space.

Step 1

Draw a large rectangle to represent the far wall.

Step 2

Draw the eye-level line across the rectangle and place a vanishing point upon it.

Step 3

Draw lines from the vanishing point through the four corners of the far wall and continue them towards the outer edges of the page.

These lines establish the directions of the side walls, floor and ceiling.

Step 4

Add architectural features such as floorboards, ceiling panels, windows, doors or furniture. Any edges receding in the same direction should converge towards the same vanishing point.

Horizontal and vertical elements parallel to the picture plane remain horizontal and vertical.

A common error is to direct different parts of the room towards unrelated points. This breaks the spatial unity of the construction.

Figure 5. A Simple Interior in One-Point Perspective

Two-Point Perspective

6. Drawing a Box in Two-Point Perspective

Two-point perspective is used when an object is turned so that neither of its two principal horizontal faces is parallel to the picture plane.

The object’s horizontal edges extend in two different directions. Each set converges towards its own vanishing point.

Step 1: Draw the eye-level line

Draw a horizontal eye-level line across the page.

Step 2: Place two vanishing points

Place one vanishing point towards the left and another towards the right.

The farther apart these points are, the less severe the apparent convergence will be. Vanishing points placed too close together can make the object appear unnaturally distorted.

Step 3: Draw the nearest vertical edge

Draw a vertical line between the two vanishing points. This line represents the nearest corner of the box.

Step 4: Establish the upper and lower edges

Connect the top and bottom of the vertical line to both vanishing points.

Step 5: Set the width and depth

Choose the positions of the two outer vertical edges and draw them between the corresponding construction lines.

Step 6: Complete the upper or lower face

From the top of the left vertical edge, draw a line towards the right vanishing point. From the top of the right vertical edge, draw a line towards the left vanishing point.

Their intersection completes the upper surface of the box.

Figure 6. Constructing a Box in Two-Point Perspective

7. Positioning the Vanishing Points

The position of the vanishing points has a major effect on the appearance of the drawing.

When the vanishing points are widely separated, convergence is gradual and the object usually appears more natural. When they are close together, the convergence becomes stronger and the object may appear compressed or exaggerated.

In many practical drawings, one or both vanishing points lie beyond the edges of the paper. A longer ruler, temporary extension sheet or digital canvas may then be used to reach them.

Do not move a vanishing point merely to make a line easier to draw. All parallel edges extending in the same direction must remain related to the same point.

Figure 7. The Effect of Vanishing-Point Separations, Demonstrating Increasing Distortion

Three-Point Perspective

8. Looking Upwards or Downwards

Three-point perspective introduces a third vanishing point for the vertical edges of an object.

It is commonly used when the observer looks markedly upwards or downwards, or when the picture plane is tilted in relation to the object.

In an upward view:

the two horizontal sets of edges converge towards vanishing points to the left and right;
the vertical edges converge towards a third point above the object.

In a downward view, the third vanishing point lies below the object.

Three-point perspective can be visually dramatic, but it should not be used indiscriminately. In many ordinary views, vertical convergence is slight and may be barely noticeable.

Basic construction

Establish three vanishing points.
Draw one principal edge of the object.
Extend each set of parallel edges towards its corresponding vanishing point.
Use intersections between the construction lines to determine the remaining corners.
Darken the visible edges and remove unnecessary guides.

Figure 8. Upward and Downward Three-Point Perspective

Size and Spacing in Depth

9. Diminution

One of the most immediate effects of perspective is diminution: an object appears smaller as its distance from the observer increases.

A row of equally sized posts, figures or windows therefore occupies progressively less space in the image as it recedes.

This reduction should not normally be guessed independently for every object. The objects should be related to a consistent perspective construction.

In a one-point arrangement, the tops and bottoms of a row of equal objects may be guided towards the same vanishing point. Their apparent heights and spacing then decrease together.

Diminution is one of several depth effects. Overlap, elevation in the image, atmospheric change, colour change, focus and lighting may also contribute to the perception of distance.

Figure 9. Diminution of Equal Objects with Distance

10. Dividing Equal Spaces in Perspective

Equal distances on the ground do not appear equally spaced in the drawing. Their intervals become progressively smaller with distance.

A simple diagonal construction can be used to divide a receding rectangular surface.

Basic method

Draw a rectangular floor area in perspective.
Establish the first interval near the front.
Draw a diagonal across the first rectangular division.
Extend the relevant corner or midpoint construction towards the vanishing point.
Use the resulting intersections to locate the next equal interval.
Repeat the construction for additional divisions.

This method can be used for floor tiles, paving stones, fence posts, windows, columns and repeated architectural elements.

The construction represents equal spacing in the object or ground plane, not equal spacing on the page.

Figure 10. Constructing Equal Divisions in Depth

Circles in Perspective

11. Drawing a Circle on a Receding Plane

A circle viewed directly from the front remains circular. When its plane turns away from the observer, it generally appears as an ellipse in a rectilinear perspective image.

A reliable method is to construct the circle inside a square.

Step 1

Draw a square in perspective on the required surface.

Step 2

Draw the diagonals of the square to locate its centre.

Step 3

Locate the midpoints of the four sides.

Step 4

Draw a smooth elliptical curve passing through the four side midpoints.

The curve should approach the corners of the square without touching them.

Avoid drawing the ellipse as two semicircles joined by pointed ends. It should form a continuous, balanced curve.

This construction is useful for wheels, columns, arches, plates, cylindrical objects and circular openings.

Figure 11. Constructing a Circle in Perspective

Common Perspective-Drawing Errors

12. Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing eye level with the ground line

The eye-level line represents the height of the observer’s eye. It is not automatically the base of the objects or the bottom of the drawing.

Sending parallel edges to different vanishing points

Edges that are parallel in three-dimensional space must share the same directional vanishing point in the perspective construction.

Making every line converge

Only lines receding in depth converge in the standard constructions described here. Lines parallel to the picture plane remain parallel.

Placing vanishing points too close together

This can create excessive convergence and unnatural-looking objects.

Changing viewpoint within one drawing

A perspective construction assumes a fixed viewpoint. Combining objects drawn from different viewpoints can make the image spatially inconsistent unless the change is deliberate.

Drawing distant objects too large

Equal objects should show consistent diminution as their distance increases.

Drawing circles as pointed ellipses

An ellipse should form a smooth curve rather than two arcs with sharp ends.

Assuming all vanishing points lie on the horizon line

Only vanishing points representing horizontal spatial directions lie on the eye-level line in a level construction. Inclined and vertical directions may vanish above or below it.

Treating perspective as a rigid visual law

Linear perspective is a graphical system. It provides a useful representation of spatial directions, but it does not reproduce every feature of natural or human vision.

Figure 12. Common Errors in Perspective Drawing

Beyond Basic Linear Perspective

One-point, two-point and three-point perspective are forms of linear perspective. They are among the most familiar methods of constructing spatial images, but they do not encompass the whole field of perspective.

Linear perspective usually represents straight spatial lines as straight lines in the image. This works effectively within many ordinary fields of view. Across wider fields, however, natural visual directions may be better represented through curvilinear, cylindrical, spherical or other forms of projection.

Perspective also includes more than the geometrical construction of receding lines. Spatial appearance may be affected by:

changes in apparent size;
overlap and occlusion;
colour and atmospheric effects;
light and shadow;
reflection and refraction;
binocular and monocular vision;
movement of the observer;
lenses, cameras and imaging systems;
curved and panoramic image surfaces;
digital, virtual and simulated environments.

The Perspective Research Centre therefore treats perspective as a broad interdisciplinary field connecting art, vision, optics, geometry, imaging, representation and technology.

Basic linear perspective is an essential starting point—but it is not the final limit of perspective theory or practice.

Read the related analysis: The Hidden Fallacies of One-Point Linear Perspective →

Continue Exploring

To develop your understanding further, explore:

Linear Perspective
Graphical Perspective
Natural Perspective
Visual Perspective
Optical Perspective
Mathematical Perspective
Curvilinear Perspective
Spherical Perspective
Anamorphic Perspective
Colour Perspective
Dictionary of Perspective
The Past, Present and Future of Visual and Optical Perspective

These resources explain how elementary drawing systems relate to the much wider visual, optical, geometrical and technological processes of perspective.

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Perspective Defined · Science of Perspective · Teaching Perspective · Study Guide to Perspective · Films about Perspective

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