Each year at the beginning of the second semester we do a unit on perspective. For the past couple of years students learned one-point perspective and did room interiors and abstract floating cubes. This year we did two-point perspective cities.

Perspective is helpful as an artist when trying to create space in a convincing manner. It is especially useful when drawing room interiors or any kind of 3-dimensional structures. A basic understanding of one point and 2 point perspective is important for any artist that draws or paints.

Ayden Valeriano 6 (Left image)

If you look closely at the student drawings and track the street lines and the lines of the buildings you will notice that the lines meet at two points halfway down the paper on the edges. These points where the lines meet, or converge, are called vanishing points in perspective. You may also notice a fold line on the student drawings where the vanishing points were placed. This is called the horizon line, or the artist's eye level. For most of the drawings, the eye level is as if we are on a 2-3 story building while drawing our cities. You will notice that we cannot see the top of the taller buildings that are above the fold line or the horizon line. We can see the top of any building, however, that is below the horizon line because it is below our eye level.

Alexander Suarez 8 (left Image)