Drawing a scene or object in one-point perspective gives the drawing depth. The objects slowly recede until they reach the horizon creating a realistic visual.
Drawing in one-point perspective is usually the first step to understanding perspective as a whole. Learning how to draw this type of perspective is very easy. Several simple concepts need to be understood, then the artist can begin practice. Here is an explanation of one-point perspective and a demo of how to use it.
Vanishing Point
The vanishing point is the most important part of one-point perspective. It is the area in a drawing where an object disappears out of sight. As objects approach the vanishing point, they get smaller and smaller until they seem to fade away.
The Horizon Line
The horizon line serves as the horizon. It is a line the runs horizontally across the page and runs through the center of the vanishing point.
The horizon line also marks where the observer is looking. For example, three-dimensional objects below the horizon line are below the viewer’s line of sight, so the viewer will be able to see the top of the object. Objects above the horizon line are above the viewer, so only their bottoms will be visible (see Horizon Line Example). This should be taken into consideration when drawing objects in one-point perspective.
Orthogonal Lines
Lines that go through the center of the vanishing point and radiate to the edges of the paper are orthogonal lines. These are more or less guidelines for drawing any object in one-point perspective.
Putting it All Together
This demo will help the reader put all of the parts of one-point perspective together to understand how to use it in everyday drawing.
- Example One: The artist should draw an ‘X’ on the paper, with the lines starting and ending at the corners of the paper. The ‘X’s center is the vanishing point. A horizontal line should be drawn that goes through the center of the vanishing point. This line is the horizon line. The ‘X’ is the orthogonal lines.
- Example Two: Using a ruler, the artist should draw two lines that extend from the vanishing point and run parallel with the orthogonal lines. This step can be repeated again to create the yellow line. This is a road drawn in one-point perspective.
- Example Three: Trees can be drawn using the top orthogonal lines. The tops of the trees follow the top line and the bottom of the trees follow the bottom line. This gives the artist a way to make the trees progressively smaller as they approach the horizon line and the vanishing point.
This basic concept can be adjusted to fit different situations so that the artist can draw a variety of scenes in one-point perspective.
 |
 |
 |
 |
