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THEORY AND DEFINITION
THEORY AND DEFINITION
The idea behind one point perspective is that from where you are standing objects that are closer seem larger and objects that are further away appear smaller. In your own head, you of course know what size the object is, but because it is far from you it seems quite small. For example, you know that all telephone poles are relatively the same size (about 35 feet in fact) but when you are walking down the street some of the poles that are far in the distance might only appear to be a few centimetres in height - this is the underlying principle of One Point Perspective.
This principle is most easily applied to all man-made structures that are meant to be standing straight up.
Some examples of this are poles, lamp posts, fence posts, buildings, and many others.
It can also include things that are not man-made (trees - a tree-lined street), but sometimes these are of varying heights so the principle idea does not always prove the best examples of this theory.
Sometimes the vanishing point and/or horizon line (you’ll learn more about these words next) are not really visible, but they are always there. An example of this is the principle of one point perspective used in an interior room, not in the landscape where it is much more apparent.
VOCABULARY
VOCABULARY
Perspective
Perspective
the way in which you view something, it can be from different angles (eye level, bird's eye, below, etc.)
Horizon Line
Horizon Line
the “imaginary” and ever-changing line that shows the furthest away you can possibly see, it is where the sky and the earth meet
Parallel Lines
Parallel Lines
these lines are the tops and bottoms of buildings that run from left to right or parallel to the horizon line
Vanishing Point
Vanishing Point
this is a spot that is always on the horizon line, it is always in a direct line of where the viewer is looking, it is the furthest away point you can see, and it is where all the objects visually “move towards”
Converging Lines
Converging Lines
all the tops and bottoms of every object have lines that move towards the vanishing point
Perpendicular/ Verticle lines
Perpendicular/ Verticle lines
these are the lines that are always at a 90 degree angle, noeff matter where they are in the view, they stand perfectly straight up and down (example: sides of a building or telephone poles)
CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE
Challenge: create a drawing of a landscape or cityscape that demonstrates your understanding of one point perspective. Use the step by step lesson (provided next) for the basic principles of one point perspective; please be creative and add other elements of art (colour, shading, texture, etc.). I suggest doing a rough draft first and then being more creative once you have demonstrated a good understanding of the principle.
Supplies: Paper, pencil, ruler, eraser Optional Supplies: pencil crayons, crayons, markers
LESSON
LESSON
You will be creating your rough draft on only one piece of paper, so I always recommend drawing lightly to start, you will need to erase some of the lines you start with - starting with a rough draft will make for better end results. Please note that I am using a highlighter so that you know which line I am referencing (you do not need to do this part). To start, only use a pencil on your good copy; have it be the best example you can do before you colour it.
Try a rough draft that looks something like the image to the left by using the step by step instructions. When you feel you have an understanding of all the steps, apply them to a more creative good copy.
Step One: Horizon Line
Step One: Horizon Line
Draw a line from one side of the paper to the other, it should be perfectly straight across (image 1), if it is diagonal at all it will change your perspective slightly. The horizon line can sit a bit higher or lower on the page (image 2), but to keep it simple, halfway down the page is fine. Now your page is split into two sections: sky and earth.
Image 1
Image 1
Image 2
Image 2
Step Two: Vanishing Point
Step Two: Vanishing Point
The vanishing point is always on the horizon line (never below or above), it can be anywhere on the line, but to keep it simple try to put it near the middle of the line (image 3).
Image 3
Image 3
Step 3: Perpendicular Lines (pink)
Step 3: Perpendicular Lines (pink)
The perpendicular lines must be created using a ruler. They are esentially the sides of your building or the begining of poles or other man-made objects and must be at 90 degree angle to the ground (image 4). Start off simple to make sure you are understanding the principle, but remember to still add your creativity and demonstrate the perpendicular lines with more than two different objects (image 5a,b). Also see the example of what not to do, this is the number one mistake people make when drawing these lines; you will notice the linse are leaning in towards the vanishing point, not standing straight up (image 6). We know that all man-made structures (with few exceptions) are made to stand up perfectly straight no matter how close or far awy they are.
Image 4
Image 4
Image 5a
Image 5a
Image 5b
Image 5b
Image 6: WHAT NOT TO DO!
Image 6: WHAT NOT TO DO!
Step 4: Converging Lines (blue)
Step 4: Converging Lines (blue)
These lines will be the tops and bottoms of the buildings, windows, doors, or the sides of railroad tracks or streets. These lines are all going towards the vanishing point (away from you), no matter where they are in the landscape. These are the lines that demonstrate the principle of :as objects are physically further away from you they appear smaller (image 7). These lines do not apply to the side of the building that is directly in front of you (like the perpendicular lines).
Image 7
Image 7
Start by lining the ruler up to the vanishing point and leading from the top corner of a building to the other side of the roof top (image 8). It is okay if some of the building sides are "too tall" to start, that's why we draw light, erase any extending lines to match up with the converging lines.
Image 8
Image 8
Step 5: Parallel Lines (orange)
Step 5: Parallel Lines (orange)
These lines are always parallel to the horizon lines, they are the tops and bottoms of the structures (buildings, windows, doors, etc.) that are directly in front of you. These lines are also things that may run parallel to the horizon line such as side streets or railroad tracks. (image 9)
Image 9
Image 9
Step 6: Details (pencil)
Step 6: Details (pencil)
It is a good idea to practice adding windows or doors to your rough draft (image 10). The windows and doors will follow all the same principles of the lines you have learned so far. Remember sides are perpendicular to the ground and tops and bottoms are converging towards the vanishing point.
Image 10
Image 10
Step 7: The Good Copy
Step 7: The Good Copy
If you are satisfied with your knowledge of the concepts we covered it is now time to put them to practice. Try to create something a bit more original. If possible, take some time to google “one point perspective” ; look at images of photographs so you can see how it is true in real life, and look at some drawings so you can see some creative inspiration for this principle. The number one thing is to have your lines correct, from there have as much fun as you would like with this assignment. (images below)
For an extra lesson watch this youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjhkxFDvD78
He describes some things differently, both methods are correct, but one might be easier for you to follow. You are not required to watch this video, but sometimes it is easier to get all the steps. He also goes into moving the vanishing point (keep vanishing point in middle of page if you want to keep it simple). Sometimes it is good to see things in real time as they are being explained.
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