Two-Point Perspective

1. Two-Point Perspective While one-point perspective has one vanishing point, two-point perspective will have two vanishing points. The difference between the two is that with one-point perspective, the viewer is looking at the front of an object head-on, while with two-point perspective, the viewer is looking at the edge of an object.

3. Put your paper in landscape view.

4. Draw a horizon line in the middle of your paper.

5. Add two points on the ends of the horizon line to use as vanishing points

6. Lightly draw a small vertical line below your horizon line in the center of your paper.

7. Lightly draw a line from the top of your perpendicular line to each vanishing point (2 lines created)

8. Lightly draw a line from the bottom of your vertical line to each vanishing point (2 lines created)

9. You should now have a double "V" or two triangles with a common line drawn on your paper. This will be the street that you will line buildings up on. Erase the original vertical line you started with.

10. Extend the lines so that the street becomes an intersection. The lines closest to you should be darkest and the lines farthest away should be barely visible.

11. Draw a vertical line where the intersection is. Make sure this line extends beyond the horizon line. This is the front corner of your building. At this point erase the horizon line.

12. Lightly draw a line from the top of your vertical line to each vanishing point (2 lines created) The street acts as the bottom of your building.

13. Draw two more vertical lines within the triangles. These lines create the far walls of the building. These lines do not have to be at equal distances from the original vertical line.

14. Now outline this shape and erase the converging lines that extend past your building.

15. Let's add some windows. Make an even number of dots down the front corner of the building.

16. Extend these in one or both directions. Pointed toward their respective vanishing points.

17. These could be full-length windows or separate. Drop vertical lines down to finish the windows. Erase your light lines.

18. Next we’ll draw a building that’s below the horizon line so the viewer will be able to see the top of it. Draw a line that is below the horizon line keeping in mind that you don't want your building in the road.

19. Extend converging lines from the top and bottom of your new building. The road acted as one of the vanishing points in this case.

20. Drop vertical lines in between your sets of converging lines

21. Now look carefully at which direction the next set of converging lines go. The right side goes to the left vanishing point and vice versa.

22. Now erase your converging lines and darken up your lines for your new building. You could erase the road lines unless you wanted a glass building.

23. You can now add details, such as stop lights, signs, cars, trucks, etc. Remember, you always start with a vertical line and let horizontal lines go toward a vanishing point. Even the tops of the lights go to a vanishing point. There should be NO horizontal lines unless they are ON the horizon line.

24. This was your practice drawing. Read carefully through what you will be graded on before you start your final drawing.

25. Your final project will require the following: • 4 or more buildings with tops above the horizon line in accurate two-point perspective • 4 or more buildings with tops on the horizon line in accurate two-point perspective (the tops will be even with the vanishing points...completely horizontal) • 4 or more buildings with tops below the horizon line in accurate two-point perspective • Shows at least 5 instances of overlapping buildings • Added at least 10 interesting components such as signs, stop lights, awnings, balconies, etc., in accurate two-point perspective • Creativity • Craftsmanship • All of your converging lines recede to the vanishing point • Buildings and details in front are sharp and dark, buildings in back are lighter and have low contrast • The drawing must touch 3 sides of the paper