The Secrets to Drawing: Two Point Perspective
Lesson Description
Lesson Eight of The Secrets to Drawing Course takes students deeper into the world of perspective by introducing two-point perspective, an essential tool for creating believable architectural structures, streetscapes, and objects viewed at an angle. Building on the principles learned in Lesson Seven, this lesson expands the student’s understanding of spatial organization by demonstrating how forms behave when their edges recede toward two separate vanishing points. With this technique, drawings become more dynamic, realistic, and visually engaging.
While one-point perspective is ideal when the front of an object faces the viewer directly, two-point perspective is used when the object’s edges are angled relative to the viewer. This lesson explains how this system more accurately reflects the way we encounter buildings and objects in the real world—rarely straight on, but rather turned or viewed from a corner. By mastering two-point perspective, students gain a versatile tool that vastly expands their drawing capabilities.
Understanding the Structure of the System
The lesson begins with a clear breakdown of the components that form the foundation of two-point perspective: the horizon line, two vanishing points, and the orthogonal lines that extend from an object’s edges to these vanishing points. Students observe how objects in two-point perspective have no horizontal lines—every top and side edge recedes to one of the two vanishing points. This creates the illusion of a form that exists fully in space, not just facing the viewer but turning within the picture plane.
Through simple demonstrations, the lesson shows how to construct a basic box or building by:
- Establishing a horizon line
- Placing vanishing points at the far left and far right
- Drawing a vertical line to represent the closest edge of an object
- Extending orthogonal lines back to both vanishing points
From this structure, students build convincing three-dimensional forms without guesswork. This system becomes the scaffolding for more elaborate scenes and architectural drawings later in the lesson.
Applying Two-Point Perspective to Architectural Forms
Once students understand the fundamental structure, the lesson progresses into drawing more complex objects. They learn how to:
- Add doors, windows, and other architectural features
- Draw multiple buildings that share the same horizon line
- Vary building heights while maintaining perspective accuracy
- Position objects closer or farther away
- Establish the illusion of angled streets and sidewalks
These demonstrations highlight the flexibility of two-point perspective, showing students how it can be used to draw anything from simple structures to entire city blocks. The lesson emphasizes consistency—reinforcing the idea that as long as receding lines connect logically to the vanishing points, the scene will maintain spatial clarity.
The Primary Exercise: A Two-Point Perspective Cityscape
With the foundation clearly laid out, students move into the main drawing exercise: creating a cityscape in full two-point perspective. This project blends structure with creativity as students build an urban environment from the ground up using the rules of the system.
The exercise begins by establishing a horizon line and placing two widely spaced vanishing points—often extending beyond the edges of the drawing paper. Students then draw the first vertical line that becomes the corner of the closest building. From there, orthogonal lines extend to each vanishing point, defining the initial building’s sides. Additional buildings are added along the street, each constructed using the same consistent method.
The lesson guides students through positioning streets, sidewalks, awnings, rooftops, signage, and windows so that all features adhere to the vanishing points. This approach teaches how a city environment can be broken down into simple forms, then built up into a complex scene.
As the drawing develops, students see how their earlier studies in value, line quality, and form enhance the final work. Shading helps define the planes of the buildings. Details closer to the viewer become sharper, while those farther away gradually diminish. Students learn that perspective is not only a structural system, but also a creative opportunity to craft a believable environment.
Building Confidence with Complex Spaces
By the end of this lesson, students gain a solid working knowledge of two-point perspective and how to apply it to both simple and complex drawings. They leave with the confidence to draw cityscapes, angled buildings, street corners, and any form that requires a sense of depth and spatial accuracy.
Lesson Eight serves as a meaningful step toward mastering perspective and marks an important milestone in the course—where technical precision and artistic creativity meet.
Lesson Materials
White drawing paper, graphite pencil, eraser, ruler.
Lesson Resources
Distributing any content downloaded from this site is strictly prohibited and against the terms and conditions of use.
Download eBook
Course Curriculum
Founder of The Virtual Instructor, artist and teacher. Matt makes learning art easy to understand and enjoyable.
When do we use 2 point perspective instead of one?
Hi Shirley,
You can use 2 point perspective whenever you like. If you start an image in 2 point perspective, most of the time, everything else in the image will follow.
How do you decide when to use one point perspective or two? Is there a rule to this? Thank you!
Hi Lizbeth,
It’s up to you as to which method you use. Linear perspective is simply a method of drawing to creating space.
Thank you!
Great instructions,way better than the art instruction school i was doing many years ago.I’m learning much faster.
Hi Matt, Have been watching thr videos and lots of questions are being answered. Thanks much!
a little fast, but other than that awesome! 😀
I’m loving your course. I’ve just retired, so you’re my new hobby! 🙂 Thank you!
Ooh this is so much fun. Thank you.
I have been trying to draw a simple city scene and this solves my problem. Great, thanks!
i cant dowload the videos ,when i put to dowload shows “Fail – Problem with the server” how i can fix this?thx
Hi Thiago,
There is a temporary server issue currently. Should have it resolved soon.
Thank you .It’s very helpful
That’s really easy to understand! Thank You. But I have a question. As far as I understood you said that ‘never mix the methods’ Why did you say that? If we mix the methods, won’t it work? Or will it be so hard and complicated to draw?
This is really helpful but It would also be nice to have an example of real scenery taken from a picture to see how we can use the one or two point perspective.
Love this series about perspective. I’m gonna use it in my next project.
Enjoying he course. I spend time in a Botanical Garden doing the course which makes it even better.
Great course work. Thank you.
Thanks John!
I have been avoiding drawing old barns and landscapes because I’ve not understood perspective entirely. I understand the horizon, and theoretically I understand the vanishing points. However, in application, if I were drawing an old barn in a landscape, how do you determine where to put the vanishing points? This is what confuses me since where the vanishing points are places changes the picture. Thanks. Linda
From what I have read, you need to physically measure the angles of the buildings to find the vanishing point. I hope it helps
I enjoyed the video. I did learn some things… I get the 2 vanishing points BUT the building on the left, I did not understand that. What vanishing point did you use? How do you know what angle the top of the building should be? Was there suddenly 3 vanishing points?
love it
this is very useful!
-Benson daughter
I thoroughly enjoy each and every lesson so far. I started out just signing up for the colored pencil course. Then I watched you answer a question on learning to draw before painting. I’m now a Member of all! What great fun and knowledge I’m gaining. I’m disabled and pretty much home bound so this is the highlight of each and every day. You are a great teacher. Thank you. Teresa
I love the course.
I am loving the class and using some of the methods when I volunteer to teach drawing at the elementary school. I agree with Laura Andrews/ The last building was confusing. Where did you get the vanishing point for the top and bottom of that cube. I assume they are the same. But, it was rather vague.
Hi Katie,
With two-point perspective, there are only two vanishing points for the entire image. All receding lines will go to either the vanishing point on the right or the vanishing point on the left. All of the buildings within the scene will use the same two vanishing points.
Nice stuff.. easy to understand and very enjoyable 🙂 watching, listening, doing and practice 🙂 best way to learn i reckon 🙂
Thanks Matt
Your lesson is easy to follow and I am already applying it in my urban sketching – you should see the improvement!! Thankyou so much😊
I am really enjoying this series on perspective. This will take me to a new level! I am excited! Thank you so much!
Thanks! You bet Kathryn!
Hi Matt, I’m new on this course. Without getting too complicated, what are some of the determining factors when choosing how many points of perspective I need in a painting?
Hi Matt, Just one doubt. Why, when you realise that the building perspective would look unnatural, do you bring the upper line upwards and you do not make it straight? Will it be easy to realise when I have to avoid drawing the lines to the perspective line because of unnaturality? Thanks…
Hi Veronica,
Thanks for your question. I don’t fully understand what you are asking. You do have to trust the rules of perspective. It may feel unnatural when you are drawing, but if you trust the process, the end result should look very natural to how we see buildings in space.
Hi Matt! I’m a new artist at 57 yrs of age and I love it, but I know there are times I feel like I’m off somewhere in portraits, but mostly landscapes because I stink at perspective, lol. Really enjoying your courses and I know I will get much better with learning from them. Thank you so much for giving all of us the knowledge to be better artists! You’re a great teacher!
How do you make and measure a building in perspective with a particular size in mind?
Hi Majorie,
If you’re referring to actual scale, you can do this by taking the actual height of the building and reducing it in your drawing to a proportional line (the corner of the building). For example, let’s say the building is 60 feet tall. You could use a line for the corner of the building that is 6 inches tall – thus reducing each 10 foot segment down to one inch. This will get you started, but for the edges of the building that recede into space, you’ll need to work from observation to determine where to place the lines that mark the back edges. I hope this helps.
Hi wanting to make sure I understand two point perspective. Is Richard Esters’ “Drugstore” (Art Institute of Chicago) an example of two point perspective? Thank you!
Hi I was wondering what number pencil you used and Is 6b fine
So two point perspective is viewing an object from a leading edge and single point perspective is viewing an object from a leading face?
YAY. This is the kind of help with perspective I’ve been needing for ages! I’ve seen it dealt with in books but somehow this is so much clearer.
Thank you Matt for helping out with this lesson.
Hi, Great instructions. Is it possible to download the video?
Matt, This is so ADDICTIVE! I had to go ahead and put in windows on ALL of the buildings! I put a sidewalk in front of the buildings! I am really enjoying the lessons!
Thank You for theses lessons! I have done the 25 days to better drawing course. Now i am doing this one! I have improved so much from doing that course to this course!
Found this overview and following along with the exercise super helpful. Thank-you!