Sketch Like an Architect

ABOUT

BOOKS

RESOURCES

BLOG

CONTACT

‘100 BUILDINGS’ BOOK AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER - LEARN MORE

WHAT TYPE OF PERSPECTIVE SHOULD YOU USE?

Perspective_Types_Blog.jpg

There are several types of perspective - so which one should you use and when?

In this article, you’ll get an overview of linear and curvilinear perspective types and I’ll show you
examples for each of them. By the end of this blog post, you’ll know what each type of perspective is
suitable for and when to use it. Let’s dive into it!

What is perspective?

The way we see the world is driven by rules of perspective. Perspective in sketching is a tool how to
create a realistic illusion of 3-dimensional space. Everything we draw, from an apple to a spaceship,
needs to follow the rules of perspective in order to look realistic.

Perspective works like an invisible grid helping us to place objects in our spatial composition. It is a way
how to describe 3-dimensional space and express depth on a 2D plane.

Linear Perspective

In linear perspective, there are 4 major types of perspective defined by the number of primary Vanishing
Points lying on the Horizon Line:
1-point perspective,

2-point perspective,

3-point perspective,

and Multi-point perspective.

Let’s look at some examples of each of the types.

1-point Perspective

1-point perspective (aka frontal or central perspective) has only one vanishing point on the horizon line
located somewhere within the picture plane and all the orthogonals converge towards it.

When to use this type of perspective:

when you want to create a single strong focal point in your sketch (with orthogonals leading our
attention to it)

for close to front view, seeing one side of an object (almost) flat

for straight on looking points of view

for view perpendicular to the scene we draw

Common examples of such perspectives depict a view down the street, railways, or frontal interior views
(central perspective).

2-point Perspective

2-point_blog.jpg

2-point perspective (aka angular perspective) has two vanishing points on the horizon line, which don’t
necessarily need to be within the picture plane.

When to use this type of perspective:

when you’re seeing two perpendicular sides of an object, both distorted/foreshortened

for non-perpendicular point of view

In 2-point perspective, the focal point of the scene is usually NOT located near the vanishing points, but
rather following the rule of thirds composition.

Common examples of such perspectives depict a street corner view or a corner view of an interior
showcasing a single dominant object (e.g. a bed or a sofa).

Vertical 2-point Perspective

2-point_vertical.jpg

This sketch is still a 2-point perspective - just with a little twist. The horizon line here is vertical which
allows us to simulate the dynamics of 3-point perspective with only two vanishing points. What’s
important here is to realize that the horizon line in perspective doesn’t always represent the real
physical horizon.
If you want to master the basic perspective rules and other 5 steps to awesome perspective sketches,
check out my online course Sketch Like an Architect: Step-by-Step From Lines to Perspective.

I WANT TO MASTER PERSPECTIVE

3-point Perspective

3-point_perspective.jpg

3-point perspective uses three vanishing points where two of them are on the horizon line and the third
is either high above the horizon line or way below it. There are two basic types of 3-point perspective
based on the position of the horizon line:

Worm’s Eye View - imagine yourself looking high up. The horizon line is situated very low.

Bird’s Eye View - imagine being Superman flying over a city and looking down.

See the above sketch and the diagrammatic explanations of these two types.

3-point perspective offers more dynamic views thanks to all the three spatial directions converging
towards their own vanishing points and creating more diagonals in our scene.

Multi-point Perspective

Multi-point_blog.jpg

The last type of linear perspective is Multi-point perspective - it is the case when there are more than
two primary vanishing points on the horizon line. Surprisingly, this is the most common type of
perspective we can observe in the real world. Here’s when you should use multi-point perspective:
when objects in our scene don’t lie in the same orthonogal grid

when sketching curved roads

when you want to add visual variation, breaking out from a (boredom of a) single orthogonal grid

when sketching non-orthogonal objects (like pentagon shape)

See the examples above of the multi-point perspective sketches. Even though the staircase example can
seem like a 1-point perspective, it is indeed a multi-point one as each of the steps converge to its own
vanishing point on the horizon line.

Curvilinear Perspective

Curvilinear_perspective_blog.jpg

Curvilinear perspective is another type of projection, different from all linear perspectives as it
introduces curves into the grid system. The curvilinear perspective grids work with 4, 5, and even 6
primary vanishing points. They can be also divided into these categories based on their type of field of
vision:

Cylindrical field of vision (4 vanishing points)

Hemispherical field of vision (5 vanishing points)

Spherical field of vision (6 vanishing points)

You can see examples of 4- and 5-point perspectives in the image above. Curvilinear perspective
represents more advanced ways of projections (like fish-eye effect) and they are fun to experiment with,
but they are more suitable for comics illustrations than for common architecture purposes.
Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to broaden our knowledge by stretching the usual boundaries and
learning from other visual areas.

Recently I launched my new PDF Handbook focused on Advanced Techniques where I’ll dive much
deeper into:

advanced perspective,

how to draw more complex and organic shapes,

how to improve your imagination, and much more.

Click the button below to learn more about and see what’s inside!

SHOW ME MORE!

Happy sketching,

David

#SketchLikeAnArchitect

PS: Explore the Resources for related downloadable Freebies and more educational materials on
architectural sketching!

AUGUST 2, 2019

33 COMMENTS

Comments (33) Newest First

Preview POST COMMENT…

Ajit Patil

3 months ago · 1 Like

The most amazing things I have learnt today.

Thank you very much !!!

David

3 months ago · 0 Likes

Sooo nice to hear! My pleasure, Ajit! ;)

Şevval

6 months ago · 1 Like

Thank you! This is more revealing than any other source. The narration is great.

David Drazil

6 months ago · 0 Likes

Glad to hear that, Sevval! ;) Thank you!

barbara

11 months ago · 1 Like

Genius! Thank you for this. Drawing students will LOVE the multi-point description here.

David Drazil

6 months ago · 0 Likes

Thank you, Barbara, I'm happy to help!

abtpqr

11 months ago · 1 Like

If I use a grid perspective to draw a multi point perspective,can I use any point from the grid ? Thank you

David Drazil

6 months ago · 0 Likes

Hi,

The short answer is probably not.

I'd need to see an example of what you mean to help you better. Feel free to reach out via the contact
page ;)

Emily

A year ago · 1 Like

Thank you! Very interesting.

David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

You're most welcome, Emily!

Please, let me know if you have any questions, I'll be happy to help ;)

Eta

A year ago · 1 Like

I have been looking for a real good explanation on this topic to help my students understand
perspective. I am so glad I found your work. Thank you.

David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

Hi Eta,

Thanks so much for your comment - happy you've found this blog post helpful!

Where are you teaching?

Let me know if I could help you any further ;)

David

Arc. Emmanuel

A year ago · 1 Like

Thank you David, Very nice and helpful

Your explanation are straight to the point and quiet understood 🙌

David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

Hi Emmanuel,

Appreciate your kind words! Feel free to browse through other blog posts and resources on this
website ;)

David

Alicia Bringas

A year ago · 1 Like

Thank you David, I really need your help concerning perspective, so this explanations are welcome and
the examples clarify all the doubts. Gracias!
David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

Hi Alicia,

Happy you've found this useful! If you have any more questions, let me know through the contact page:
https://www.sketchlikeanarchitect.com/contact

I'll be happy to help further ;)

David

Koteswara rao

A year ago · 1 Like

Thank you sir ... Yes you are my teacher .. because when I started my architecture 1st year I don't know
how to draw ... I learned all of from your posts .. thanks a lot sir

David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

Thanks so much, I'm happy to hear that ;)

Good luck with your studies!

Koteswara rao

A year ago · 0 Likes

Sorry ....I start my 1st year architecture.....

Catherine

A year ago · 1 Like

Thanks David for this excellent post. Very precise and helpful. I would not always have guessed correctly
what the perspective on the sample drawings were but after reading your explanations, it was perfectly
clear.

David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

Hi Catherine,

Thanks so much for your comment - I'm happy you've found the blog useful!

Feel free to reach out anytime, I'll be happy to help ;)

David
Becky

A year ago · 1 Like

Thanks for this reference and for the free lessons and tips in the recent art journaling class. You've
inspired me to revisit perspective drawing (something I learned long ago but never practiced).

David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

Hi Becky,

Thanks for your comment - glad to hear that you feel inspired - feel free to share some of your
perspective sketches or reach out with any questions, I'll be happy to help.

Take care!

Kelly newton

A year ago · 1 Like

I was just wanting to draw sketch a 4 square on a playground but I wanted not a 'birds eye view'. I have
not ever had any of this examined or talked about before. I fully enjoyed this and found it helpful too.
Thank you for taking the time to do the work and allowing anyone to learn.

David Drazil

A year ago · 0 Likes

Thanks a lot for your lovely comment, Kelly! I'm happy you've found this blog post useful. Feel free to
check out more useful resources here: https://www.sketchlikeanarchitect.com/resources

Alireza

2 years ago · 1 Like

Wow, thanks a lot David. As I said before, you have guided many students in this way to improve their
sketching skill.

Could you please do us a favor and publish more about multi-point prespective such as sketching a
skyscraper from top ?

Thanks by the way

You are great, never give up !

David Drazil

2 years ago · 0 Likes

Hi Ali,

Thanks a lot for your kind words! I'm working on the new PDF Handbook on Advanced Techniques and
multi-point perspective will be covered in more detail there ;) Appreciate your interest!

Cheers,

David

Roman Scherer

2 years ago · 1 Like

Great and straight forward explanation.

Thank you!

a little bit more on the process of a multi-point perspective would be great.

David Drazil

2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thanks Roman,

I dig much deeper into the multi-point perspective in the new PDF Handbook. You can sign up to get
updates on that - just click the 'Yes, Keep Me Posted' button for more info and sneak peeks ;)

Chipp Walters

2 years ago · 1 Like

What about glide projection? Very hand for plan views, or interiors where you want to see all 4 walls.

David Drazil

2 years ago · 0 Likes

Thanks for pointing this out, Chipp! Haven't heard the term before and after a quick search, all I could
find on this topic was a book by Kevin Forseth. Do you use it in your practice and do you have some
examples of it? I'd be interested!

Thanks again!
Danny

2 years ago · 1 Like

Great post! I was searching for this info just the other day. Thanks.

David Drazil

2 years ago · 0 Likes

Glad you found it useful, Danny! Cheers!

PREVIOUS

How To Improve Your Imagination Drawing - 3 Easy Steps

NEXT

[PODCAST] Advice to Fresh Graduates, How to Overcome Fear of Failure, My Backstory, and More...

© 2019-2021 by David Drazil. All rights reserved.