Drawing Perspective
Drawing a perspective may seem daunting and like an impossibly difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. By breaking this seemingly huge task into manageable steps, you can make perspective drawing easy and even enjoyable! Don’t worry if it seems size and intimidating in the beginning—through care and dedication, you can learn to draw beautiful perspectives with ease.
Understanding Perspective Basics
The first step to becoming a skilled perspective artist is to understand the fundamentals of perspective. Perspective is a technique of drawing that attempts to portray three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface. To do this well, the artist must study the pattern of the changing sizes and angles to accurately portray the object in two dimensions. This study involves understanding how light affects the object, how shadows may appear on the object, and how the object changes in size and shape depending on the point of view.
Selecting the Subject
Once you understand the basics of perspective, you need to decide what to draw. This can be anything you can imagine: a cityscape, a vase, a mountain range—the possibilities are endless. You can even take pictures or pictures of interesting objects as inspiration. Just make sure to pick something that you are personally interested in and that you think you can recreate well in two dimensions.
Choosing the Media
The next step is to choose the type of media you would like to use for your artwork. This can be anything from traditional pencils, pens, and paper to more modern tools such as digital drawing tablets. Whichever type of medium you decide to use, make sure you are comfortable with it so that it doesn’t get in the way of your artistic expression.
Planning the Artwork
Once you have chosen your subject and your medium, it is time to start planning. Before you start in on the actual artwork, make sure to dedicate some time to planning the piece. Decide what you wish to draw and make a rough sketch. This will help you avoid unnecessary erasures and also help to make your final artwork look much better and more professional. You can even draw it on graph paper if you wish, as this makes it easier to transcribe all of the straight line, angles, gradients, and vanishing points accurately.
Now, Start Drawing!
Once the plan is ready, the fun part begins: it is time to start drawing. Begin slowly and carefully, paying attention to details, angles, and proportions. Be sure to go back and make corrections as you go along. Eventually, you will reach the point where your piece is finished, and then you can step back and admire your artwork!
Putting the Finishing Touches
You’re almost done! Now is the time to add the little touches that will make your piece stand out. Consider adding shading, texture, and even highlights to your piece. Those little touches can make the difference between an average artwork and a stunning and remarkable masterpiece.
Knowing When to Stop
Finally, it is important to know when to stop. You can always get carried away and continue adding more and more details to your artwork, but if you become obsessed with perfection it can start to look overworked. It is important to remember that there is beauty in restraint, and sometimes the most interesting artworks are the ones that leave the most to the viewer’s imagination.
