One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (2024)

Last Updated on April 2, 2023

This article contains everything an Art student needs to know about drawing in one point perspective. It includes step-by-step tutorials, lesson plans, handouts, videos and free downloadable worksheets. The material is suitable for middle and high school students, as well as any other person who wishes to learn how to draw using single point perspective. It is written for those with no prior experience with perspective, beginning with basic concepts, before working towards more complex three-dimensional forms.

One point perspective: definition

Dictionary.com define one point perspective as:

…a mathematical system for representing three-dimensional objects and space on a two-dimensional surface by means of intersecting lines that are drawn vertically and horizontally and that radiate from one point on a horizon line…

Although this definition sounds complicated, the concept is relatively simple. One point perspective is a drawing method that shows how things appear to get smaller as they get further away, converging towards a single ‘vanishing point’ on the horizon line. It is a way of drawing objects upon a flat piece of paper (or other drawing surface) so that they look three-dimensional and realistic.

Drawing in one point perspective is usually appropriate when the subject is viewed ‘front-on’ (such as when looking directly at the face of a cube or the wall of building) or when looking directly down something long, like a road or railway track. It is popular drawing method with architects and illustrators, especially when drawing room interiors. To understand more about the history of perspective in art, please read our accompanying Guide to Linear Perspective (coming soon).

Note: If you need to draw something that is not facing you directly, but rather has a corner nearest to you, two point perspective is likely to be more appropriate.

Rules of perspective: true shapes, vanishing points and horizon lines

In one point perspective, surfaces that face the viewer appear as their true shape, without any distortion. They are drawn using primarily horizontal and vertical lines, as illustrated by the diagram below:

READ NEXT: How to make an artist website (and why you need one)

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (1)

Surfaces that travel away from the viewer, on the other hand, converge towards a single ‘vanishing point‘. This is a point that is located directly in front of the viewer’s eyes, on a ‘horizon line’ (also known as an ‘eye level line’), as illustrated in the photo below:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (2)

It is possible to draw over photographs to identify vanishing points, horizon lines and true shapes. Studying the work of famous artists can also help you gain an understanding of one point perspective, as shown in the example by Vincent van Gogh below.

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (3)

Key Points:

  • Surfaces that face the viewer are drawn using their true shape
  • Surfaces that travel away from the viewer converge towards a single vanishing point

One point perspective tutorial

The following tutorial explains how to draw one point perspective step-by-step. The exercises are designed to be completed in the order given, with each one building upon the previous task. All worksheets are available as a freeperspective drawing PDFthat can be printed at A4 size (more worksheets will be added to this over time).

The downloadable PDF has been provided by the Student Art Guide for classroom use and may be issued freely to students (credited to studentguide.com), as well as shared via the social media buttons at the bottom of this page. The worksheets may not be published online or shared or distributed in any other way, as per ourterms and conditions.

Recommended Equipment:

  • Mechanical or ‘clutch’ pencil (with an HB or 2H lead)
  • Blank paper and/or the printed worksheets

A ruler and compass can be useful while learning to draw in one point perspective, however most Art students find that these exercises are best completed freehand, with dimensions and proportions gauged by eye. This is so that the skills are easily transferrable to an observational drawing.

EXERCISE 1: CUBES AND RECTANGULAR BLOCKS

Drawing rectangular blocks is often the first one point perspective lesson given to students. It is a simple exercise that provides a solid foundation for things to come.

This worksheet explains how to draw a cube in one point perspective and takes you through drawing these above, below and in line with the horizon line. It introduces the importance of line weights and highlights the effect of positioning objects in relation to the horizon line.

By the completion of this exercise, you should be able to:

  • Use appropriate line weights (light lines for construction lines; dark lines for outlines)
  • Position a vanishing point and horizon line correctly
  • Understand that:
    • Objects above the horizon line are drawn as if you are looking up at them (you see the bottom of the object)
    • Objects below the horizon line are drawn as if you are looking down at them (you see the top of the object)
    • Objects that are neither above nor below the horizon line are drawn as if you are looking directly at them (you see neither the top or the bottom of the object)

This information is demonstrated in the video tutorial below:

Exercise 2: stacking, holes and angles

This worksheet illustrates how to stack blocks, cut away portions and add unusual angles in a one point perspective drawing, creating gradually more complex forms.

By the completion of this exercise, you should be able to:

  • Draw stacked blocks of different sizes
  • Draw blocks that have holes cut out of them, projecting construction lines to find the back edge of the cut area
  • Slice pieces off blocks and/or add unusual angles

Once you feel confident with drawing these items, you may wish to add more challenging forms, such as letters and/or triangular shaped prisms.

The following video helps to explain how to draw one point perspective drawing step-by-step:

An artist example of perspective by Robert C. Jackson:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (6)

Exercise 3: perspective block letters

Drawing block lettering in one point perspective is a relatively straight-forward task, suitable for a homework activity.

The following video demonstrates how to do this:

Exercise 4: finding centres and equal spaces

This video explains how to equally divide items in one point perspective, allowing you to draw fence posts, lamp posts, and equally spaced windows or buildings.

By the completion of this exercise, you should be able to:

  • Find the centre of any rectangular surface using the ‘corner to corner’ method (this works even on surfaces that are receding towards the vanishing point)
  • Divide the surface of any rectangular block into any number of equal parts
  • Draw tiles on a floor in one point perspective
  • Draw repeating elements, such as fence posts, receding into the distance

This is explained in the following video tutorial:

Exercise 5: one point perspective cityscape

Drawing a road and surrounding cityscape (either imagined or observed from real life) is a great follow-up activity to the previous exercises. A one point perspective street scene typically combines repetitive manmade elements with stacked, cut and angular forms. This exercise can be as challenging or minimal as desired, allowing able students to move ahead and produce detailed, elaborate drawings.

One point perspective city scene by Lichtgestalt00:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (7)

A suburban scene by Karina Barabanova:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (8)

A one point perspective painting by Gustave Caillebotte:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (9)

A sketch by Daniyar:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (10)

Exercise 6: circles and curves

The most challenging aspect of perspective is drawing curving or circular forms. These are typically sketched freehand, inside squares or rectangles to help get proportions correct.

Key points:

  • Use the technique of ‘crating’ – drawing complex forms inside rectangular boxes
  • Use straight lines (guidelines) to aid the drawing of irregular curves, such as the curving forms of rivers or trees in a one point perspective landscape
  • Understand that:
    • Circles or curving forms that face the viewer are drawn using their true shape
    • Circles that recede towards the vanishing point appear distorted, appearing smaller as they get further away

A one point perspective drawing by Stephanie Sipp, a professor at Florida State College of Jacksonville, Interior Design department:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (11)

A perspective landscape by Vincent van Gogh:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (12)

A drawing by high school student Estherlicious:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (13)

Exercise 7: one point perspective room

The most common perspective drawing lesson is a one point perspective room. Interiors combine a multitude of skills and can be made as challenging or involved as required. Perspective flooring allows you to practise dividing surfaces into equal spaces, while the questions of how to draw a window in perspective; furniture / desks / beds; or adjoining corridors etc provide a challenge regardless of your ability level. To gain ideas about how you might approach drawing interiors in perspective, we have included a range of examples below, including bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and hallways. Drawing a room in one point perspective can be great practise for those who wish to later pursue interior design, architecture or for those who are studying Design Technology at high school.

The illustration above shows a one point perspective grid(this may be downloaded and printed for classroom use) which may be drawn on directly or traced over, using a lightbox.

To understand how to draw a room in one point perspective, please view our step-by-step video:

Please note that this video is not captioned, as it is hoped that the challenging aspects of this exercise are explained earlier in this guide.

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (15)

A one point perspective room by Dutch renaissance architect, painter and engineer, Jans Vredeman de Vries:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (16)

A one point perspective interior by Amani Cagatin:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (17)

A one point perspective bedroom by Cheryl Teh Veen Chea of One Academy:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (18)

A one point perspective kitchen by Dana Bailey:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (19)

A one point perspective hallway by Jake Mutch, completedwhile studying Fundamental Arts at Holland College:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (20)

A perspective interior by S.Kim:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (21)

A drawing by Abby Hope Skinner, whose Top in the World A Level Art projecthas also featured on the Student Art Guide:

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (22)

This guide is part of our Essential Lessons for Art Students (a series of articles packed with downloadable teaching resources) such as our guide to line drawing. This is a work in progress and will be added to over time!

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (23)

Amiria Gale

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

One Point Perspective Drawing: The Ultimate Guide (2024)

FAQs

How do you draw a one-point perspective guide? ›

Begin one point perspective by drawing a horizon line. The next step in one point perspective is to place a vanishing point on the horizon line. Next, draw a box to represent the building that you want to draw in perspective. Now, draw lines from all four corners back to the vanishing point.

What are the 3 main components of one perspective drawing? ›

The basic elements of perspective drawing. In order to understand human perception, there are three important tools for perspective drawing: The horizon line, vanishing points, and vanishing lines.

What famous artists use one-point perspective? ›

Using one point perspective allow artists to show different levels of the scene, like landscape, cityscape, buildings and rooms. There are a lot of famous artists specialized in one-point perspective painting, such as Van Gogh, Claude Oscar Monet, Camille Pissarro, Canaletto and so on.

What is the first rule of one-point perspective? ›

Rules of One Point Perspective

To use one point perspective, only one vanishing point can be used and it must be placed on the horizon line. The vanishing point can be anywhere along the horizon line. This is the point where all perspective lines converge.

Did Van Gogh use one-point perspective? ›

Van Gogh used One Point Perspective in this painting to represent the inside of a room, which is different from the landscapes that people were normally used to see.

How did Leonardo da Vinci use one-point perspective? ›

Leonardo used one point perspective, which involves all the lines in the painting converging in one place, known as the vanishing point. This strategy was used to emphasize the importance and central position of Christ. The lines all converge in his right eye, drawing the viewers gaze to this place.

Who was the first artist to use perspective accurately? ›

The first known picture to make use of linear perspective in art was created by Filippo Brunelleschi, but the artist Masaccio was the first painter who demonstrated the result of the new rules of perspective in art.

What are the four principles of one-point perspective drawing? ›

to almost any drawing or sketch as well as many paintings. It is one of the fundamentals that you need to understand in order to create realistic and believable scenes. There are four parts of a perspective drawing: the horizon line, vanishing point, orthogonal lines, and three dimensional forms.

What three lines are needed to draw one-point perspective? ›

There are three key lines to understand when creating a perspective drawing. As seen in the photos below, these three lines are converging lines, parallel lines, and perpendicular lines.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Kerri Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 5916

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kerri Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1992-10-31

Address: Suite 878 3699 Chantelle Roads, Colebury, NC 68599

Phone: +6111989609516

Job: Chief Farming Manager

Hobby: Mycology, Stone skipping, Dowsing, Whittling, Taxidermy, Sand art, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Kerri Lueilwitz, I am a courageous, gentle, quaint, thankful, outstanding, brave, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.