The Art of
Perspective Drawing
Perspective drawing is most
commonly illustrated in two ways:
Objects get smaller as they get
further away
Linear objects will meet at a point on
the horizon (the viewer’s eye level)
You can have anywhere from one to
FIVE-point perspective, depending on
your angle.
Perspective Drawing
The Days Before
Perspective Drawing
Painters started to catch on to
the idea of depth and form to
objects back in the 1300s, but
there was no SCIENCE to it…
They used what we now call
‘Intuitive Perspective’… That
means they just GUESSED at
the angles of the objects!
Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Allegory of Good
Government. Detail. 1337-40.
Fresco. Siena, Italy.
Perspective Drawing
Jan Van Eyck
Giovanni Arnolfini & His Bride
1434.
Very detailed and
beautiful piece, but
none of the lines
match up!
Perspective Drawing
… Many artists also used an unnatural technique that we call ‘Steep
Perspective’ – which is slightly higher-than-usual point of view (with the tables
turned up just a little) so the viewer can clearly see what was going on.
Robert Campin, Merode Altarpiece(open),1425
Perspective Drawing
The Early Italian
Renaissance Painters
were the first to create
a mathematical basis
for creating the illusion
of perspective. In this
case, the persepctive
lines meet at the base
of Christ’s cross.
Masaccio,
Holy Trinity, 1427.
EARLY ITALIAN
RENAISSANCE
When looking at the wall,
the vanishing point is
right about at the
average eye level, which
gives a nice illusion!
Perspective Drawing
Masaccio,
Holy Trinity, 1427.
EARLY ITALIAN
RENAISSANCE
Perspective Drawing
The HORIZON LINE
The Horizon Line is where the sky and ground meet. It also
shows where the eye level of the viewer is located. The
higher the horizon line, the higher the viewer!
WORM’S EYE VIEW
BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Perspective Drawing
Vanishing Points don’t have to be dead center… Check out this one!
Perspective Drawing
In a ONE-point perspective drawing, ONE side of an object will face
you, but other sides will go to the vanishing point…
Perspective Drawing
Perspective Drawing
Perspective Drawing
Perspective Drawing
Perspective Drawing
In a TWO-point perspective drawing, the CORNER of an object will
face you, and both sides will go to the vanishing points…
Perspective Drawing
Perspective Drawing
Perspective Drawing
Perspective Drawing