It’s important to understand how perspective works. With that in mind, I recommend that everyone start by reading chapters 1 through 5 of the book, preferably in order. Perspective is a lot more than a collection of recipes and techniques that help you draw specific objects a certain way. Once you understand how perspective works, you’re better able to think through the problems that your specific drawing presents.
Once you’ve developed a solid foundation as to how everything works, learning the lessons in the remaining chapters gets a lot easier. If you’re new to perspective, you should probably go through the book in order. If you have some experience with the subject matter, feel free to approach the remaining chapters in any order you like.
Click on each chapter heading below to find out more.
Click on each chapter heading below to find out more.
Acknowledgments / Introduction
The Approach of This Book
Who This Book Is For
Some Advice
The Approach of This Book
Who This Book Is For
Some Advice
What Perspective Can and Can’t Do for You
The Creative Process – Getting from A to Z
• Clarify Your Goals
• Getting Ideas
• Sketching
• Perspective
• Line Drawing
• Value Studies
• Color Studies
• Final Image
Getting the Most out of Perspective
• It’s All About Looks
Approaching Your Work
Materials
• Working Digitally
• Working Traditionally
The Creative Process – Getting from A to Z
• Clarify Your Goals
• Getting Ideas
• Sketching
• Perspective
• Line Drawing
• Value Studies
• Color Studies
• Final Image
Getting the Most out of Perspective
• It’s All About Looks
Approaching Your Work
Materials
• Working Digitally
• Working Traditionally
Create Space Any Way You Can
• Creating Space through Shape
• Creating Space through Value
• Creating Space Through Form
• Creating Space through Shape
• Creating Space through Value
• Creating Space Through Form
The Three Rules of Perspective
• Rule One - Convergence
• Rule Two - Diminution
• Rule Three Foreshortening
How Perspective Works
The Vocabulary of Perspective
• Viewer
• Ground Plane
• Eye Level
• Horizon / Horizon Line
• Picture Plane
• Ground Line / Horizontal Measuring Line
• Station Point
• Line of Sight / Distance Line
• Center of Vision
• Cone of Vision
• True Height Line / Vertical Measuring Line
Seeing It All Together
• Rule One - Convergence
• Rule Two - Diminution
• Rule Three Foreshortening
How Perspective Works
The Vocabulary of Perspective
• Viewer
• Ground Plane
• Eye Level
• Horizon / Horizon Line
• Picture Plane
• Ground Line / Horizontal Measuring Line
• Station Point
• Line of Sight / Distance Line
• Center of Vision
• Cone of Vision
• True Height Line / Vertical Measuring Line
Seeing It All Together
How We See
The Cone of Vision
• Drawing Outside the Cone of Vision
• Placing the Cone of Vision in the Setup
• Station Point, Cone of Vision, and Picture Plane
Finding the Cone of Vision Based on Your Image Area
• Working for Film, Animation, and Photography
• Making a Drawing or Painting
The Cone of Vision
• Drawing Outside the Cone of Vision
• Placing the Cone of Vision in the Setup
• Station Point, Cone of Vision, and Picture Plane
Finding the Cone of Vision Based on Your Image Area
• Working for Film, Animation, and Photography
• Making a Drawing or Painting
More Vocabulary
Setting Up Your Forms
• One-Point Perspective
• Two-Point Perspective
• Three Point Perspective
Drawing in Perspective
Before You Begin
• Why a Cube and not a Box?
About the Diagrams
Drawing a Cube in One-Point Perspective
Drawing a Cube in Two-Point Perspective
Setting Up Your Forms
• One-Point Perspective
• Two-Point Perspective
• Three Point Perspective
Drawing in Perspective
Before You Begin
• Why a Cube and not a Box?
About the Diagrams
Drawing a Cube in One-Point Perspective
Drawing a Cube in Two-Point Perspective
Drawing in Three Dimensions
Before the Basic Forms – The Anatomy of a Square
• Dividing a Square or Rectangle
The Basic Forms
• The Cube or Box
• The Pyramid
• The Cone
• The Cylinder
• The Sphere
Before the Basic Forms – The Anatomy of a Square
• Dividing a Square or Rectangle
The Basic Forms
• The Cube or Box
• The Pyramid
• The Cone
• The Cylinder
• The Sphere
Three Ways to Use a Grid
• Sketching Grids
• Transfer Grids
• Measuring Grids
• Sketching Grids
• Transfer Grids
• Measuring Grids
Perspective Is Made for Measuring
All We Need is a Horizon Line
Using Scale for Faraway Vanishing Points
Transferring Scale in Space
Multiplying in Perspective
Dividing in Perspective
Transferring Height Anywhere
Transferring Horizontal Scale
Using the Measuring System to Transfer Scale
All We Need is a Horizon Line
Using Scale for Faraway Vanishing Points
Transferring Scale in Space
Multiplying in Perspective
Dividing in Perspective
Transferring Height Anywhere
Transferring Horizontal Scale
Using the Measuring System to Transfer Scale
The Hardest Line Is a Well Drawn Curve
Understanding Ellipses
Defining a Circle In Perspective
How to Draw an Ellipse
Horizontal Plane Ellipses
Vertical Plane Ellipses
Vertical Ellipses Can’t Keep a Secret
Plotting Ellipses – Give Me Points!
Dividing a Circle In Perspective
Understanding Ellipses
Defining a Circle In Perspective
How to Draw an Ellipse
Horizontal Plane Ellipses
Vertical Plane Ellipses
Vertical Ellipses Can’t Keep a Secret
Plotting Ellipses – Give Me Points!
Dividing a Circle In Perspective
Creating Inclined Planes Using the Basic Forms
• Adding to a Form
• Removing From a Form
Inclined Planes from a Vertical Vanishing Line
Buildings on a Hill
Intersecting Slopes
• Entering and Exiting a Form
• Intersecting Equally Inclined Planes
• Intersecting Unequally Inclined Planes
• Adding to a Form
• Removing From a Form
Inclined Planes from a Vertical Vanishing Line
Buildings on a Hill
Intersecting Slopes
• Entering and Exiting a Form
• Intersecting Equally Inclined Planes
• Intersecting Unequally Inclined Planes
Seeing What the Mirror Sees
Seeing Beyond the Reflective Surface
The Two Kinds of Reflections
• Parallel Reflections
• Angular Reflections
Seeing Beyond the Reflective Surface
The Two Kinds of Reflections
• Parallel Reflections
• Angular Reflections
Shadow Setup Basics
Thinking about Light
The Four Shadow Types in Perspective
• Positive Sun
• Parallel Sun
• Negative Sun
• Indoor Light
Drawing the Four Shadow Types
Shadow Cutouts and Floating Objects
Shadows on Vertical Planes
Shadows of Sloping Objects
Cylinders and Spheres Cast Shadows Too
Thinking about Light
The Four Shadow Types in Perspective
• Positive Sun
• Parallel Sun
• Negative Sun
• Indoor Light
Drawing the Four Shadow Types
Shadow Cutouts and Floating Objects
Shadows on Vertical Planes
Shadows of Sloping Objects
Cylinders and Spheres Cast Shadows Too
The Mechanics of Three-Point Perspective
Creating the Three-Point Setup
• Finding the Center of Vision
• Finding the Three Lines of Sight
• Establishing the Station Points
• Finding the Cone of Vision
• Finding the Measuring Points
Setting Up the Measuring System
Setting Up a Grid in Three-Point Perspective
Creating the Three-Point Setup
• Finding the Center of Vision
• Finding the Three Lines of Sight
• Establishing the Station Points
• Finding the Cone of Vision
• Finding the Measuring Points
Setting Up the Measuring System
Setting Up a Grid in Three-Point Perspective