PERSPECTIVE DRAWING

PERSPECTIVE DRAWING
 Perspective drawing is a drawing technique used to illustrate dimension
through a flat surface. It is an approximate representation of a three-
dimensional object on a flat surface as it is seen by the eye.
 The two most characteristic features of perspective are that objects are
drawn:
I. Smaller as their distance from the observer increases
II. Foreshortened: the size of an object's dimensions along the line of sight
are relatively shorter than dimensions across the line of sight.
 There are many forms used under perspective drawing such as, one
perspective, two-point perspective, three-point perspective, four-point
perspective, five-point perspective, bird’s eye view, worm’s eye view and
others.
FORESHORTENING
Foreshortening is the visual effect or optical illusion that causes an object or distance to
appear shorter than it actually is because it is angled toward the viewer.
 Additionally, an object is often not scaled evenly: a circle often appears as an ellipse and a
square can appear as a trapezoid.
 Although foreshortening is an important element in art where visual perspective is being
depicted, foreshortening occurs in other types of two-dimensional representations of
three-dimensional scenes.
 Some other types where foreshortening can occur include:
I. Oblique parallel projection drawings. Two different projections of a stack of two cubes,
illustrating oblique parallel projection foreshortening ("A") and perspective foreshortening
("B")
II. Epimetheus (lower left) and Janus (right). The two moons appear close because of
foreshortening; in reality, Janus is about 40,000 km farther from the observer than
Epimetheus.

(i) (ii)
 ONE POINT

A linear perspective in which all parallel

lines meet at a single point on the
horizon.

Therefore one establishes the flat side

of the object, then makes all the
receding lines to meet at a single
 TWO POINT

A graphical technique in which a three-

dimensional object is represented in two-
dimensions and in which parallel lines in
two of its dimensions are shown to
converge towards two vanishing points.
 THREE-POINT

Linear perspective in which parallel

lines along the width of an object meet
at two separate points on the horizon
and vertical lines on the object meet at
a point on the perpendicular bisector of
FOUR POINT
 Four-point perspective, also called infinite-point perspective, is the curvilinear variant of
two-point perspective.
 As the result when made into an infinite point version), a four point perspective image
becomes a panorama that can go to a 360 degree view and beyond – when going beyond
the 360 degree view the artist might depict an "impossible" room as the artist might depict
something new when it's supposed to show part of what already exists within those 360
degrees.
 This elongated frame can be used both horizontally and vertically and when used vertically
can be described as an image that depicts both a worm's- and bird's-eye view of a scene at
the same time.
 Like all other foreshortened variants of perspective (respectively one- to six-point
perspective), it starts off with a horizon line, followed by four equally spaced vanishing
points to delineate four vertical lines.
 The vanishing points made to create the curvilinear orthogonals are thus made ad hoc on
the four vertical lines placed on the opposite side of the horizon line. The only dimension
not foreshortened in this type of perspective is the rectilinear and parallel lines
perpendicular to the horizon line – similar to the vertical lines used in two-point
perspective.
FIVE-POINT

A curvilinear perspective with its

vanishing points are mapped into
a circle such that four vanishing
points are at the cardinal
headings i.e. n, w, s, e and one at
the circle origin.
ZERO POINT
 Since vanishing points exist only when parallel lines are present in the scene,
a perspective with no vanishing points ("zero-point" perspective) occurs if
the viewer is observing a non-linear scene.
 The most common example of a nonlinear scene is a natural scene (e.g., a
mountain range) which frequently does not contain any parallel lines.
 A perspective without vanishing points can still create a sense of depth.
METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION
 Several methods of constructing perspectives exist, including:
 Freehand sketching (common in art)
 Graphically constructing (once common in architecture)
 Using a perspective grid
 Computing a perspective transform (common in 3D computer
applications)
 Mimicry using tools such as a proportional divider (sometimes called a
(variscaler)
LIMITATIONS
i. Only three sides of a component are shown.
ii. No feature is a true proportion. They are not drawn to a constant scale.
iii. Sectioned perspective drawings are often confusing.
iv. Sometimes a hidden outline is shown which can be confusing.
v. Dimensions are often difficult to show.

It is due to these disadvantages that engineering drawings are

rarely drawn in perspective projection.