One-Point

Perspectiv
“ Just a walk in the
e
park!”

A Purple
Paintbrush
For this project, we will need:
- drawing
paper
- pencil
- eraser
- ruler
- colored
pencils
During this project, we will:
- Learn how artists create space in art.
- Learn how to utilize one-point
perspective.
- Strengthen our drawing skills.
- Use our creativity to create an
individual park scene.
-Strengthen our coloring
skills and experiment
with colored pencils.
 Essential Question:

How do artists
create space in art?
 Essential Question:
How do artists create space in art?

Sometimes artists want a drawing or

painting to feel as if you can “walk” into the
picture. Even though it’s a flat piece of
paper, artists want it to seem as if some
things are near, and some things are far.
There are several different ways to
accomplish this.
 Essential Question:
How do artists create space in art?

OVERLAP
Let the drawing of one object go over the top of
another.
Which appears closer, the ladybug or the leaf?
 Essential Question:
How do artists create space in art?

HEIGHT
Each ladybug is the same size. Which appears the
farthest away, the one near the bottom, middle,
or top of the picture?
 Essential Question:
How do artists create space in art?

SIZE
The ladybugs are at the same height, but which
seems closer, the one on the left, or the one on
the right?
 Essential Question:
How do artists create space in art?

LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
This type of linear perspective is called one-point
perspective.
Which ladybug appears the farthest away?
 Essential Question:

What is one-point
perspective?
 Essential Question:

What is one-point perspective?

One-point perspective is just one type

of linear perspective. It is a
mathematical way of creating the
illusion of space. It is called one-point
perspective because there is only one
vanishing point (as opposed to two,
three, and four-point perspective).
 Essential Question:
What is one-point perspective?

One-point perspective can often be found by looking out a

window! Let’s first identify the elements of one-point
perspective before we draw our own.
 Essential Question:
What is one-point perspective?

HORIZON LINE

The horizon line is where the sky ends and the land (or water)
begins. Sometimes there are mountains, trees, or houses in the way,
in which case you may have to make an educated guess.
 Essential Question:

What is one-point perspective?

VANISHING
HORIZON POINT
LINE

The vanishing point is sometimes near the center, sometimes off to

the side, but it is always on the horizon line. This is the point at
which all perspective lines converge, and where objects seem to
 Essential Question:
What is one-point perspective?

VANISHING
HORIZON POINT
LINE

PERSPECTIVE LINES

Perspective lines are straight lines that connect to the vanishing

point. These are also used as guidelines to tell the artist how big or
how small to draw objects that are near or far.
A famous example of early one-point perspective is Delivery of the
Keys, painted in 1481-1482 by Italian artist, Pietro Perugino.
Can you find the horizon line, vanishing point, and
perspective lines?
HORIZON LINE
VANISHING
POINT
PERSPECTIVE LINES
One-point perspective is...
“ Just a walk in the
park!”

Just follow these easy

steps!
 Step
#1

Decide whether you would like to hold your paper horizontal or

vertical. Place your ruler near the middle of the paper and lightly
drag your pencil across to create the horizon line. (Where the land
ends and the sky begins.)
 Step
#2

On your horizon line draw a dot for your vanishing

point. (This will be the point where all your lines
converge and all your objects seem to disappear.)
 Step
#3

To begin the park scene, draw a large tree on the left-hand side
of your paper. This can be any type of tree that you like. I like
to draw two lines for a trunk, and a cloud-shape treetop.
 Step
#4

Next create a perspective line (guideline) that connects the

bottom of the tree to the vanishing point.
 Step
#5

Also create a perspective line (guideline) that connects the top of the
tree to the vanishing point. You can later erase these lines if you
don’t need them.
 Step
#6

Make each tree fit between the guidelines you just created. Be sure the
top of the tree touches the top line, and the bottom of the tree
touches the bottom line. To fit many trees onto your path, overlap as
necessary.
 Step
#6

Be sure to keep your tree trunks nice and straight to prevent them from
looking as if they are tipping over.
One-point perspective
can be as basic as this.
Notice how you created
an illusion of space; it
seems as if the trees are
getting farther and
farther away.

One-point perspective can

also be very detailed and
intricate if you continue
adding objects, as you’ll
see on the next page.
 Challenge Step (Optional)

For added interest, you can add more objects to your scene. For
example, flowers, grass, sidewalk, people, etc. The same rule applies to
these objects as the tree. Start the first object on the far left.
 Challenge Step (Optional)

Connect the bottom of the object to the vanishing point.

Connect the top of the object to the vanishing point. Draw
all the other objects within the guidelines until they are so
tiny, they disappear.
 Step
#7

To make the illusion of space very powerful, repeat what was drawn
on the left, on the right. Begin drawing a large tree on the right.
Connect the top and bottom of the tree to the vanishing point.
 Step
#8

Make all the other objects fit within the guidelines. If you added a
challenge object on the left, be sure to add it on the right
as well.
Challenge Step (Optional)

You can leave your park pathway grass or dirt by coloring it accordingly,
and adding texture. But if you are up for a challenge, try to make a
brick-lined path. First divide the beginning of your path by making
marks for how wide you would like your bricks to be.
Challenge Step (Optional)

Using your ruler, connect each marking to the vanishing

point.
 Challenge Step (Optional)

Now holding your ruler horizontal, draw lines across to create the length
of your bricks. Be sure to make your bricks shorter and shorter as
you near the vanishing point.
 Step
#9

Using colored pencils, begin coloring the objects in your drawing. Try
breaking your coloring jobs into sections. For example, maybe first
only focus on the treetops. If you finish the treetops, then move on to
the tree trunks.
 Step
#9

Experiment with the colored pencils. Try layering colors to make new
colors. Push down and darken the edges of objects to make shapes
stand out. Try using a variety of colors to add interest to your
drawing.
 Congratulatio
ns!

Your masterpiece is complete!

 Assessmen
t
On the next slide you will find a printable that you
can use as an extra-time activity or for a lesson
assessment!
Name: One-Point Perspective Assessment Sketch an example of how to create the illusion of space, using
the drawing techniques listed in the boxes below:

OVERLAP SIZE HEIGHT

ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE In the photograph to

the right, find and
label the: HORIZON
LINE VANISHING
POINT
PERSPECTIVE
LINES
 Student Examples &
Variations

Cityscape Farmscape
(Marker) (Marker)
 Student Examples &
Variations

Railroad Track Rural Highway

(Marker) (Marker)
Student Examples &
Variations

Road Scenes (Construction Paper

Crayon)
 Thank
you!
Thank you for purchasing a Purple Paintbrush presentation! Please visit my
TpT store for feedback, questions, or to find more fun, engaging,
elementary art lessons.

If you would like an editable version of this presentation, please contact me

via my Purple Paintbrush TpT store with your email address, and I will
gladly send you a link to a Google doc version, that you can change as
you wish.

Happy Art-Making!
Amanda Bengle
Elementary Art
Teacher
 Reference
s
“Elements and Principles of Art.” The J. Paul Getty Museum. 11 August 2013.
[Online].
http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/formal_analysis.html

“Pietro Perugino.” Wikipedia. 11 August 2013. [Online].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Perugino.

All other images are owned by author, Amanda Bengle, or found on Advanced Google Image Search as
“free to use or share, even commercially”.