Mechanical Perspective

1. Mechanical Perspective This enables you to get the measurements on a perspective drawing accurate.

2. Important words • Plan – this is the plan view of the object being drawn rotated to 45 degrees or 30/60 • Picture plane – Plane through which you are viewing the object • Horizon Line – Eye level • Ground line – What you are standing on • Station Point – where you are standing to view the object • Vanishing Point – where the line vanishes back to

3. Step One Line up the set square that matches the plan view angles (it will be set at either 45 or 30/60)

4. Step Two • Slide your set square along the t-square until it touches the station point S.P (eye). • Rule line from S.P to Picture plane (P.P) • Do this for both sides P.P S.P

5. Step Three • Project line down from P.P to the Horizon Line • These are your vanishing points (V.P)

6. Step Four • Place set square so that the corners needed in the plan views are linked to the S.P • Draw lines from the corners to the P.P • For the corner in front of the P.P draw a line from the corner back to the P.P

7. Step Five • To get the heights needed you need to create a height line. If the corner of the plan is touching the P.P you just drop a line down from there. • In this case as the plan overlaps the P.P we need to create a height line. To do this we find a point that touches the P.P and project a line down. I chose the right hand one as it is also the corner of a step.

8. Step Six • Drop down the lines vertically from where they touch the P.P • These are the edges of the perspective step.

9. Step Seven • From where your H.L touches the Ground Line rule a line through this back to the V.P

10. Step Eight You can darken the line from the point dropped down from the P.P that represents the front corner through to the one that represents the back. This is the base line of your perspective.

11. Step Nine Do the same on the other side.

12. Step Ten Now we need to project the heights of the steps from the elevation across to the H.L

13. Step Eleven • From the top mark on the H.L project a line back to the V.P • You can draw a dark line from the vertical line representing the top step to the back of the step. • Draw in the back of the step

14. Step Twelve Follow the same process to create the second step.

15. Step Thirteen Do the same again, but this time also projecting the line forward, to create the bottom step.

16. Step Fourteen Now rule lines from each of the corners of the steps back to the left hand V.P

17. Step Fifteen Using the vertical lines that represent the corners of the plan view project lines back to the right vanishing point to create the tread of the steps and up to create the risers.

18. Step Sixteen Once complete it should look like this

19. The finished page

20. Points to remember - Plan: • The plan is either drawn at 45 or 30/60 • You need to choose the best angle to view your design. • The corner in front of the P.P makes the perspective bigger. • The corner behind makes it small. • The H.L will be a point that touches the P.P • The plan is used to get the length and width for the object

21. Points to remember - Elevation • The elevation is used to get the heights for the object • Place the Horizon Line somewhere appropriate in relation to the height of the object (i.e. are you taller than the object?) • The ground line will be at the bottom of the elevation. • You need the elevation to have all the heights you need on it.

22. Points to remember – in the perspective • All heights need to be taken through the H.L to apply them to the drawing. • Lines need to go back to the V.P’s (can be easy to mistakenly take them back to the P.P) • Use very light construction lines as the drawing is going to get busy!

23. In the external marking… • For Achieved the perspective must be set up right. Plan, Elevation, Creation of the vanishing points. • For Merit the height line has to be created and used properly. So heights have to be projected around the drawing as needed. • The drawing also has to show detail – for example the thickness of window frames. • For Excellence the angle of the perspective has to show off the design in the best way possible.