25 Days to Better Drawings: Two Point Perspective

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This course features:
10 Hours of Instruction
25 Videos
24 eBooks
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Lesson Description

Learn how to create the illusion of space using a graphical system known as two point perspective. Create a drawing of a cityscape.

Lesson Materials

Graphite drawing pencil, ruler, kneaded eraser (or any eraser) and white drawing paper.

Lesson Resources

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Course Curriculum

Lesson 1: Materials and Mindset (10:07)Lesson 2: Drawing with Lines (25:29)Lesson 3: Drawing Ellipses (18:26)Lesson 4: Drawing with Shapes (15:56)Lesson 5: Line Quality (13:10)Lesson 6: Cross Contour Lines (11:32)Lesson 7: Shading with Line (38:49)Lesson 8: Value (10:52)Lesson 9: Light and Shadow (11:58)Lesson 10: Drawing Basic Forms (17:25)Lesson 11: Drawing with Forms (21:12)Lesson 12: Texture Study #1 (28:54)Lesson 13: Texture Study #2 (49:20)Lesson 14: Texture Study #3 (17:31)Lesson 15: The Illusion of Space (16:33)Lesson 16: One Point Perspective (46:39)Lesson 17: Two Point Perspective (48:35)Lesson 18: Three Point Perspective (54:30) Lesson 19: Sighting, Measuring, and Mapping (10:02)Lesson 20: Positive and Negative Space (8:13)Lesson 21: The Grid Technique (11:07)Lesson 22: Basic Facial Proportions (41:52)Lesson 23: Figure Drawing (1:03:53)Lesson 24: Drawing in Reverse (16:29)Lesson 25: Conclusion / Final Exercise (3:56)

Lesson Discussion

  1. I attempted to make rounded objects (a flower pot and garbage can) with the two point perspective and struggled to get it to look correct. Are the vanishing point lines still used to do this?

  3. You are such a fabulous instructor. Everything is always explained so clearly. Can you tell me how one would determine/draw the sidewalk cracks accurately (vs eyeballing) the narrowing of each width as they recede into the distance? I completed this entire assignment but for fun added some “ghost” buildings in the lower front R corner (so blocking out the trees so-to-speak) and one looks maybe not correct. Is there any way to send an image? Thank you so much!!!

  4. The video is buffering. I see that the fix is to click on “Player” and take off HD. I don’t see “Player” anywhere. Can you help me with that?

    • Hi Patricia,

      The player is what you are viewing the video through. There is a small gear icon that becomes visible when you scroll over the video with your mouse.

  5. Thanks one course Matt , I’m learning a lot from your courses , but please I see the tree on the right is too big , I don’t think it should be that long , do you agree with me?

  6. Hi Matt
    Would you have any idea why my streaming from your site is continually interrupted for this course. Any other site works.
    Thank you in advance,
    Johanna

    • Hi Johanna,

      The videos are presented in 1080p High Definition by default – some are presented in 4K. For some lessons, these files are very large and can cause buffering. If you are experiencing buffering (or the stopping of the video playing), you can change the quality settings. To do so, scroll over the video player with your mouse and click on the small gear icon in the lower corner. Choose a lower quality and the video should play without issue. Keep in mind, that right now during the virus isolation, internet service providers, websites and video hosting providers are very strained and in many areas, the connection to the internet is throttled or overloaded. This will also cause the videos to buffer.

  8. Thank you so much for this course. It’s very helpful for me. Now I’m really struggling with the perspective. I can draw a street view or house in the woods etc according to video but yesterday and today I went out, sat in the park and tried to draw café tables outside on the street. The Cafe tables with coffee were the most important point of my drawing. As background there was a historical building and some trees. It was a disaster. I really didn’t know what to do,where to put my horizontal line and vanishing points. I tried a few variations, it never felt right. After some time I figured out the vanishing points should be outside the picture. So another problem, how to draw a city sketch, if I can not see the vanishing points.. I made two dots on my table, but it didn’t really work. After one hour I just gave up… The biggest problem was to figure on my own where to put vanishing points. If it is o it outside the picture, how can I drow lines? Thank you for your help.

  9. This was a really good lesson I am learning loads that has in the past been my stumbling block!
    I was able to keep up with this one because I had mastered yesterday’s lesson . These unprecedented times have a real positive as they are giving me the time to study even tho I am 60 in April, your never to old to learn Right !
    Your lessons are so valuable!

  11. Two Point Perspective: what impacts how far apart the vanishing points should be on the horizon line? Does creating the impression of greater distance means the vanishing points are farther apart?
    Presumably if the vanishing points are off the page then I should tape my paper down and create two stable vanishing points on the table. Thanks!

    • Hi Kathy,

      It varies. If you place the vanishing points too close together, you will see distortion. In most cases, at least one vanishing point is off the picture plane as you describe.

  12. Oh my. 2 point is so easy. Thanks for the lessons.
    I’d post my pictures,unfortunately don’t know how or where to go to find out. Don’t want to waste my time trying to find out, rather draw and paint.

  13. Thank you Matt for your time and effort in posting these Lessons. I have done the soft pastels,love them. Now on lesson 17 of better drawing in 25 days.

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