This week, I drew a foreign cathedral, and I hope to visit it in person someday. I'm in awe of how much time and effort earlier generations dedicated to designing such intricate structures.
By sketching the cathedral, I learned how squares and circles can be combined to create structures. This technique can be applied to drawing spaces and buildings, and the process resembles computer modeling—defining shapes, planning spaces, and layering elements like stacking a cake. 🙋
Let’s dive in to explore how to use lines to create a sense of space!
Before You Start Drawing: Key Concepts
● What is perspective?
Perspective is a technique that makes your drawings look spatial and realistic by projecting real-world objects onto a flat surface. It helps you understand proportions and the size relationships between near and far objects.
● The role of the picture plane in perspective:
Think of the picture plane as a window that directs your view, similar to a camera lens or a canvas. 3D objects are projected onto this 2D surface, creating the image you see.
● What is a vanishing point?
In a perspective drawing, all parallel lines that recede into the distance converge at a single point called the vanishing point. This simulates the effect of objects appearing smaller as they move further away.
For example, in the upper-right illustration, lines in the same direction all converge toward their respective vanishing points on the horizon.
Line of Sight / Eye Level Height
Your eye level determines the viewing angle of the scene, whether it’s straight-on, bird’s-eye (looking down), or worm’s-eye (looking up). It defines how the scene feels to the viewer.
Using the head as an example:
Common Types of Perspective
● One-point perspective:
As shown in the bottom-right hallway illustration, all lines converge toward one vanishing point.
● Two-point perspective:
Imagine you're standing at a street corner. In front of you, one road extends to the left, and another to the right. As both roads stretch into the distance, their edges appear to converge into a single point at each end—these are the left and right vanishing points, aligned on the horizontal plane at your eye level.
● Three-point perspective:
Now imagine looking up or down at a tall building. Not only do the horizontal edges converge toward the two vanishing points on the left and right, but the vertical edges also appear to converge—either upward or downward—toward a third vanishing point. This is what we call three-point perspective.
By introducing a third vanishing point along the vertical axis (above or below the horizon), you can simulate dramatic perspective angles, such as looking up at a skyscraper or down from a high viewpoint—perfect for adding tension or dynamic energy to a scene.
● Square perspective:
The objects we see in our daily lives can often be simplified into squares to construct shapes and proportions. By using squares, we can quickly understand structures and establish the size relationships between objects and space when drawing.
Imagine objects as constructed from squares. For example, in the "blocky character" demonstration, the width equals one square, while the height is roughly two squares plus a bit more. Stacking these "blocks" helps establish proportions (1:2.3 in this case).
This method allows you to easily calculate the object's dimensions and predict how it will look when viewed from different angles.
● Circular perspective:
How circles change in perspective: In perspective, circles appear as ellipses. The further the circle is from the viewer's eye level, the more it flattens into an ellipse.
These perspective tips are a great starting point. Why not try them out yourself? Practice applying these principles to capture the shapes and structures you see in daily life.
If you're interested in learning to draw but don't know where to start, or if you'd like to understand the knowledge behind drawing,
feel free to join my LINE and contact me. In my classes, I organize drawing methods in a clear and structured way.
Click here to learn more about my drawing courses!
Want to explore more articles on extended drawing techniques?
How to Draw a Car for Beginners: Using Simple Shapes
Boots Sketch Tutorial: Learn Proportions and Structural Lines
How to Master the Proportions,Shape, and Symmetry of a Teapot
Three Easy Steps to Drawing a Stuffed Duck with a Pencil
Sketching Class Fishing Boat Drawing Techniques
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