The Secrets to Drawing – One Point Perspective (2024)

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Lesson Description

Space is explored further in this video through one point perspective. Concepts covered include horizon line, vanishing point, one point perspective.

Lesson Materials

White drawing paper, medium grade drawing pencil, ruler, eraser.

Lesson Resources

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Course Curriculum

Lesson 1: Introduction (5:03)Lesson 2: Line (14:25)Lesson 3: Shape (8:19)Lesson 4: Form (13:00)Lesson 5: Value (11:59)Lesson 6: Space (6:13)Lesson 7: One Point Perspective (12:58)Lesson 8: Two Point Perspective (12:13)Lesson 9: Three Point Perspective (10:27)Lesson 10: Basic Drawing Techniques (15:03)Lesson 11: Drawing From Life (9:01)Lesson 12: Drawing From Photos (15:25)Lesson 13: Composition (12:20)Lesson 14: Graphite (9:00)Lesson 15: Charcoal (10:32)Lesson 16: Ink (9:00)Lesson 17: Color (14:28)Lesson 18: Colored Pencils (11:56)Lesson 19: Oil Pastels (11:51)Lesson 20: Soft Pastels (11:21)Lesson 21: Facial Proportions (13:56)Lesson 22: The Eye (14:05)Lesson 23: The Nose and Mouth (12:24)Lesson 24: The Ear (4:51)Lesson 25: Hair (14:02)Lesson 26: Figure Drawing (20:00)Lesson 27: Foreshortening (12:54)Lesson 28: Conclusion (2:58)

  1. so, so interesting.

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    • very creative; BRAVO.

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    • Absolutely amazing teaching

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    • Thank you. I really enjoyed the tutorial

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  2. shlomo avruch on January 19, 2015 at 10:26 pm said very creative; BRAVO

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  3. Thanks a lot! You made it very easy to understand perspective.

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  4. For a complete novice like me, this is FANTASTIC…. Thank you Matt

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  5. Very interesting video. Thanks

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  6. Thank you Matt your an awesome teacher

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  7. Thank you Matt. I had many books teaching it but finally drawing it with you…I get it! Many thanks

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  8. Great video! It was easy to understand. One question, let’s say that all the trees are at the same distance (10 meters), how I know the correct position of each tree? Thanks!

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  9. Beautifully simple and easy to follow. Thank you.

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  10. Very well explained. Perspective has always been a mystery to me. Can’t wait to give it a go. Thanks.

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  11. Well explained and demonstrated. Inspirational!

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  12. Hope I get this struggle with brain fog due to fibromyalgia plays with cognition

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  13. waooo I did it. I never thought I could do a perspective

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  14. I am so glad I found you online. I really am learning a lot. This subject on perspective was amazing and very challenging. I got through it and learned very well. Thank you for sharing your talents and helping us to grow with Art.

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    • Thanks Thelma!

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    • I totally agree with Thelma! Thanks a lot Matt for supporing us and giving us the tools to learn to draw! So inspiring and creative.

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  15. The videos keep stopping. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this?
    Thx for your time>

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    • Hi Lynda,

      All of the videos are set to play in High Definition by default. This can cause “skipping” or buffering if your internet connection isn’t super fast. You can turn off this feature by scrolling over the video embed and clicking on the “HD” icon. This will make the videos play much faster without much buffering.

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  16. Hi! Matt,
    you make difficult things so easy and interesting to understand :D…. Thank you !!

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  17. What if I draw a street curving to the left. Will there not be more than one perspectiv point on my horisont line ?

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    • this is such a good question! I am also wondering.

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  18. Can anyone recommend a good graphite eraser?

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  19. Excellent!

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    • Thanks Cathy!

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  20. Hi Matt! Thank you for the amazing tutorials!
    I have question: how far should the second cube be placed? How do we determine the depth of the cube? Should all the sides be still equal? Or does it change in perspective?
    Thank you!

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    • Hi Elena,

      You can place additional cubes wherever you would like them. If they are closer to the viewer, then they should be placed lower on the picture plane than the first. If they are farther away, then they should be placed higher on the picture plane. I hope this helps.

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  21. matt,
    how far back does one draw the 2nd cube on the back after the 4 lines drawn to vanishing pt.?
    thanks a bunch!,
    raquel

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    • Hi Raquel,

      This is up to you. It depends on how long the structure is.

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  22. Hi Matt I have tried my hands on many types of drawings and this class was so interesting thanks a ton for sharing this knowledge

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  23. I remember doing this exact excercise in art class at school! looking forward to learning two adn three point..never did that. 🙂

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  24. I really enjoyed this video! So interesting. Couldn’t believe the drawing I got at the end!

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  25. Hi Matt – what about triangles/pyramides – how do we combine them with the cubes – is it up to me where I place the 3rd “arm” of the triangle (meaning the backline) – or do I simply draw a straight line to join the 2 bottom lines that are connected with the vanishing point which will show me where the 3rd arm of the triangle should be? I hope you understood my question 😉 and what about the different ypes of base they could have … 🙂 thanx in advance for your reply

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  26. I have been painting for years but this drawing class is really helping me with perspective!

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  27. How does one know how far back to draw the back side of the building or cube?

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    • Hi Jenae,

      You can place the back side of the square as far back as you wish. The further back you place the back side, the longer your form will appear.

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  28. lOVE IT FOR SURREALISM

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  29. Super helpful, and very logical. However the question is how can one identify looking at a picture or a scenery if it has one, two or three perspectives. (Not second nature right now, hence asking if there is simple rule of thumb) Thank you Matt.

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  30. i loved it bravo

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  31. very good

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  32. i loved it

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  33. Best example of One Point Vanishing Point I have seen! Easy to understand.

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    • Thanks Patsy!

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  34. This is easily the simplest and most effective demonstration of this concept I’ve seen in half a year of “online tutorials.” You are an excellent teacher, Matt, and these lessons are working for improving my skills and understanding. Thank you for your work in simplifying key concepts into easily digestible videos.

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  35. Enjoying this drawing. Great teaching.

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  36. Thanks so much! I am a semi-professional portrait artist who is self-taught. I am able to reproduce an image quite well and can play around with what I am seeing a bit. However, I never learned the fundamentals and thus struggle to experiment in my work the way I desire to. I have been struggling with finding a way to fill in the gaps of my knowledge and have even considered art school (despite the cost and the fact that I am already in grad school). These videos are literally an answer to prayer! I stumbled on them a few days ago and I am so impressed. Thank you for your clear instruction and thoughtful presentation.

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  37. Really enjoying my first drawing lesson. Will help immensely in my future watercolor endeavors. Thanks Matt!

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  38. This is wonderful. I’ve read so much about this and got completely confused but with your video, I totally understand it right away. Thank you.

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  39. Really good lesson. Worth noting that you will see the top of objects drawn below the horizon line and the bottom of objects drawn above the horizon line.

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  40. Oh wow, that all makes sense now! I can believe I can draw this! Thank you!

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  41. Hello Matt
    I really appreciate your work and your passion for this courses. I want to ask a question. As far as I know, the videos can be downloaded. For some reason, though, I can’t download them. Can you tell me why? Thank you.

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    • Hi Maria,

      Video file downloads were removed in July of 2020 due to abuse and piracy. You can read more about why this was removed here…https://thevirtualinstructor.com/members/removal-of-download-links/

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      • Okay, I understand.

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  42. Matt really an interesting lesson I learned quite a bit and I can’t believe how easy it was to understand. Kudos to my teacher.

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  43. I have literally Hundreds of art books. . . Several of them are on perspective drawing. You made it look simple enough for me to go get my paper, ruler, pencil, and eraser and get to work. . . I was amazed at how well it turned out! Thank You for giving me the confidence to TRY! ( I did this after completing the tutorial on the water glass in graphite on toned gray paper. THAT was the hardest drawing I have ever completed. I usually draw by grid method, but followed your directions and used my pencil to measure from the photo on the computer screen. Although it took all my spare time for two days, it was time joyfully spent GROWING! Growing in skills, Growing in confidence, and Growing in observation. . . Words can not express how grateful I am!!!!) Thank You! Thank You! THANK YOU!!!!!

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    • Awesome to hear! Thanks Linda!

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  44. I was experimenting with the one-point-perspective method to attempt to make a drawing of a small space. After drawing a basic rectangle to represent a bar (without bar stools) and locating the vanishing point about center of the horizon or viewer’s eye line, I completed the second, smaller rectangle and connected the lines for a 3D representation of the rectangular “box”. It became obvious that if there was to be say a 3-foot wide space behind the bar and then another 2-foot counter behind that… the drawing was going to look extremely squished.
    This one-point method works great for sketches of large buildings and streets, etc. Is there some other method for interior spaces too small for a vanishing point? Thanks, Lee
    PS: So far I’m really enjoying the drawing course. Maybe I’m just getting ahead of myself?
    So far I’m really enjoying the course. Maybe I’m just getting ahead of myself

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  45. Loved it . Love your accent 😁 I was able to stay focused which is a huge deal for me with my learning difficulties and I found that you’re explanations held my attention.
    I’m looking forward to alot more of your videos 👍

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  46. These are great videos and show so much that I often go through them once to get the theme and then go back a second time to get the drawing part of it. One thing I would like though is if the introduction and phase out display and its music were not so much louder than the voice instruction on the video. I have to drop my sound bar setting from about 70-80 to 35-40 so as not to get overwhelmed by the volume of these parts of the video.

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  47. I’m learning so much! Thank you Matt!

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The Secrets to Drawing – One Point Perspective (2024)

FAQs

What are the rules of one-point perspective drawing? ›

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. The only lines that do not intersect are horizontal lines, vertical lines and slanted lines.

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

So, these nine principles of one-point perspective in interior sketching are:
  • All the lines in your drawing are either horizontal, vertical, or recede to the vanishing point.
  • All horizontal lines are parallel to each other.
  • All vertical lines are parallel to each other.
Sep 7, 2021

What are the 3 rules of perspective drawing? ›

Page 1
  • Basic Rules of Perspective.
  • ▶ The farther an object is from the drawing plane, the smaller.
  • its perspective image in the drawing plane.
  • ▶ Lines that are mutually parallel and parallel to the drawing.
  • plane are depicted as parallel.
  • ▶ Mutually parallel lines that are not parallel to the drawing.

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

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 are the 6 principles in perspective drawing? ›

6 important principles for drawing In Perspective Principles (Overlapping, Convergence, Vanishing points, Horizon line, Foreshortening, Diminution)

How do you start a one-point perspective drawing? ›

To start out, draw a geometrical shape below or above the horizon line. (Squares are the easiest) With a ruler (or without) draw light vanishing lines from each corner of the square to the vanishing point. (One line will show the inside of the square)

What is the basic rule of perspective? ›

The most basic rule of perspective is that the farther away an object is, the larger it will appear. Don't know? 1. The vanishing point is the point on the horizon line where objects begin to disappear because of distance.

What are the main rules of perspective? ›

The person drawing must maintain the same point of view to achieve perspective, as this is what linear perspective depends on. Artists are advised not to move when drawing and to limit their subject scope to around 60 to 80 degrees (a cone of vision), as more panoramic views are challenging to reproduce in perspective.

What are the 4 elements of perspective drawing? ›

There are four elements of perspective that determine the level and visual angle of the viewer in the context of the drawing:
  • Horizon Line;
  • Point of View;
  • Vanishing Point;
  • Convergence Lines.
Apr 18, 2023

What is the 70 30 rule in drawing? ›

Here's a secret drawing tip👆: the 70/30 rule that no one talks about. Just focus 30% on your main subject and detail, and let the remaining 70% fill in the rest. This trick draws attention to your main subject and makes your artwork stand out!

What is the number one rule of drawing? ›

Rule #1 suggests that it's easier to work from the general to the specific rather than the other way around. Start with the largest shape you see. Forget everything else and draw that shape.

What is the law of perspective in drawing? ›

It establishes the sense of depth and spatial relationships in a drawing or painting. The ground plane is often depicted as level or flat in a typical perspective drawing. Parallel lines drawn on this plane appear to converge at a vanishing point on the horizon line, giving the illusion of depth and distance.

What is the principle of one point perspective? ›

The basic principles of perspective include an horizon line, a vanishing point and the top point and bottom point where the images' move toward the vanishing point (VP). The image below shows these basics in simple one point perspective .

What is the most important principle in 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.

How do you teach perspective drawing? ›

Begin with the square or rectangle closest to the vanishing point. Draw tangent lines from the corners of the square to the vanishing point. Because these are solid objects, if you run into a building while drawing, stop. Repeat these steps until all the shapes are in one-point perspective.

What is the rules of perspective in art? ›

Every line of the subject is an orthogonal line and goes to one of the three vanishing points. With two-point perspective, these vertical lines remain straight up and down perpendicular to the ground plane. With three-point perspective, the vantage point either looks down or up at the subject.

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