A really fun thing to explore with perspective drawing is points of view. Artists can draw from the viewpoint of a human, a bird looking down or a worm looking up to capture visual interest and add drama to their work. This blog post will explore how to draw 3 different points of view using 2 point perspective. This post features free resources, a video tutorial, and step by step photos to help you work at your own pace.
If you are looking for an introduction to perspective drawing and one point perspective, check out my blog post here.
What is two point perspective?
Two point perspective is a linear perspective technique used to create the illusion of depth using two vanishing points.
Exploring different points of view
The three points of view our drawing will explore include (1) bird’s eye view, (2) worm’s eye view and (3) street view.
#1- Bird’s eye view is a drawing from the point of view of a bird. When drawing in bird’s eye view, the viewer will see the tops of subjects as if you are looking down on subjects.
#2- Worm’s eye view is the opposite of bird’s eye view. It is a drawing from the the point of view of a worm. When drawing in worm’s eye view, the viewer will see the bottoms of subjects, looking up at subjects.
#3- The third and most common point of view is street view. This is from the point of view of a human at eye level.
Now let’s put this terminology into practice! Below is an activity that mixes two point perspective drawing with exploration of these three different points of view.
Video tutorial:
Step by step photos:
Step 1- Draw a line to divide your paper in half vertically, and then draw a line to divide your paper in half horizontally. Be sure your lines intersect at a 90 degree angle.
Step 2- Draw 2 more vertical lines on the left and right side of the mid line. Make them about the width of your thumbprint. Be sure these lines are PARALLEL to the mid line.
Step 3- Make two dots to mark your vanishing points on the left and right side. Then, create a small line above the horizon line and a small line below the horizon line. We will use this as a guide for BOX 1.
Step 4- Connect a line from the top mark to the left vanishing point and a line from the top mark to the right vanishing point. Repeat this on the bottom.
Step 5- Make two small marks for BOX 2 on the top half of your paper.
Step 6- Connect a line from the top mark to the left vanishing point and a line from the top mark to the right vanishing point. Repeat this on the bottom.
Step 7- To create the bottom of CUBE 2, connect a line from the bottom left corner to the right vanishing point.
Step 8- Then, connect the right bottom corner to the left vanishing point.
Step 9- To create BOX 3, make marks on the bottom half of your paper and follow the same steps you used for BOX 1 and 2. Connect the marks to the left and right vanishing points.
Step 10- To create the top of BOX 3, connect the top left corner to the right vanishing point and the top right corner to the left vanishing point.
Step 11- Darken your final lines that you wish to remain visible with either a pencil or marker.
Step 12- Erase out any unwanted visible lines.
Step 13- Add some value to your boxes. Imagine a light source on the left and create darker shadows on the right.
Step 14- Label the three different points of view: bird’s eye view, worm’s eye view, and street view.
Voila! You are done!
I hope you found this tutorial to be useful! Feel free to leave your comments or feedback below! If you wish to keep up with the latest from Make a Mark Studios, follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Thanks!
-Stephanie Villiotis
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