How to Draw a Name
in 2 Point Perspective
by Kathy Barclay
The rectangle below represents your drawing paper. The lines
extending off the paper are the ends of the eye level line. You
can attach strips of paper for this purpose.
The vanishing points are not marked but they are at
the ends of the line shown.
Start with the corner line of the letter closest to you.
Like an outside corner of a building or box, take orthogonals
from the top and bottom to the point on the left…
…complete the side with a vertical line…
Then draw lines to the point on the right side…
And complete with a vertical at the end.
To divide the “box” in half, draw diagonals from the
opposing corners.
To further divide into 4 parts, use the crossing
diagonals method again in each half.
This will work for a 4 letter word (keep it clean!).
An alternative is to use the “spacing” method.
Establish the width of the first letter, find the midpoint of the 2nd
line, cross from top of corner line through midpoint and where it
lands on the bottom orthogonal is where the next line goes.
Continue…
…until…
…you have the desired number of letter spaces.
For my example, I am going to use 3 letters: ART
The X’s help me find the midpoint of each letter.
That is so that I can make the letters a consistent
thickness. Notice the vertical line drawn to establish the
width of the left side of the first letter.
Once that is established, a line is drawn to the VP
to show the top thickness of ALL the letters.
Notice the second letter has verticals that start at the
place where the orthogonal crosses the X…
…and the center of the “T” is smaller since it is
farther away.
Look at the thickness of the top bar of each letter to help
determine the thickness of the center horizontal bars.
Since these horizontal lines are on the front of the
letters, they must go to the point on the right.
Erasing the part of the orthogonals no longer needed
is helpful, but now we have to do a bit more shaping
of the letters.
Place arches at the corners where the letters
curve…as shown.
Now, to show the depth of the letters we will take
lines to the point on the left.
Draw a line from every corner and every place where
a curve starts or stops.
Erase all lines that are no longer needed.
Establish your source of light and shade accordingly.
Remember to change the value abruptly at corners where flat
planes meet, and shade gradually wherever a surface curves.
The following are
examples done by the
art teacher and some
of her students.