A green circle with a white, cube-like square in the center. A gray line runs horizontally through the middle, intersecting an orange dot in the center of the square.
The image is completely blank with a plain white background and no visible objects, text, or features.
The image is completely blank with a plain white background and no visible objects, text, or features.
The image is completely blank with a plain white background and no visible objects, text, or features.
The image is completely blank with a plain white background and no visible objects, text, or features.
The image is completely blank with a plain white background and no visible objects, text, or features.

One-Point
Perspective
drawing.

VCD 2024

Building
depth
and space.

One-point perspective is a formal device that uses line, shape and scale to create an illusion of three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional field. Designers use it to draw pictures of objects, buildings and interiors. Students of Visual Communication Design are required to use One-Point Perspective for visualising and developing ideas and as part of a process of translation between two and three-dimensional views. This page will explore several methods for using One-Point Perspective to depict form, space and relationships between them.

Takeaways

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One-Point perspective

One-point perspective is a drawing technique that uses line, shape, and scale to create an illusion of three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface by representing parallel lines as converging toward a single vanishing point on the horizon line. This system depicts objects with elevation in true measurements and undistorted, remaining parallel with the picture plane, while lines receding from the elevation converge at one vanishing point.

  • The vanishing point position controls everything
    The vanishing point is situated exactly where the viewer's eyes are, determining both height and lateral position in the drawing. As the viewer's position changes (left, right, up, or down), the vanishing point shifts accordingly, dramatically altering the proportions of walls, floors, and ceilings in the final image.
  • True measurements work on the front plane only
    In one-point perspective, the front elevation sits parallel to the picture plane at 90 degrees to the line of sight, meaning all horizontal and vertical lines on this front face remain undistorted. This allows artists to use true measurements when calculating dimensions for the front of objects or rooms.
  • Proper format proportions are essential
    Most drawing paper formats won't suit the majority of real spaces, so artists must assess the actual proportions of their subject using visual measurement techniques. The drawing format should be constructed as a rectangle that matches the width-to-height ratio of the space being depicted.
  • Construction follows a systematic process. One-point perspective drawings are created methodically: establish the format and horizon line, position the vanishing point, draw converging guidelines, construct the back wall, measure and project features from plans and elevations, and calculate depths using proportional methods such as diagonal division of planes.

INTRODUCTION TO one-point perspective

Perspective drawing is a system that represents parallel lines as converging as they recede away from a viewer. The components of perspective drawing include a horizon line (or eye level) and vanishing points. Perspective was invented in the 15th Century in Northern Europe.

One-point perspective represents a form or space where an elevation is shown in true measurements and undistorted, parallel with the picture plane. Lines receding from the elevation converge at one vanishing point on a horizon line. The position (height and latitude) of the vanishing point is set by the position of viewer or camera.

One-point perspectives are used frequently by environmental designers to represent interiors.

Model answer

Here is an illustration of one of my favourite chairs of all time. The Red and Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld, 1917. I made this picture from a photo of a copy of the chair I have at home. I have set the view point quite low. I used the One-Point Perspective grid in Adobe Illustrator to help guide the drawing.
A digital illustration of Gerrit Rietvelds Red and Blue Chair, shown in one-point perspective with geometric shapes and bold colors: red, blue, yellow, and black. The view is from the front, emphasizing the chairs structure.
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History of Perspective
Components of perspective
1-pt perspective interior
1- Make Lines converge
2 - position of vanishing point
3 - Proportions of a format
4 - Measuring in 1pt perspective
1-PT Perspectivce Object

History of perspective

It may seem almost impossible to understand, in our digital age where everyone has a camera on their phone, that finding a way to depict objects, buildings, people, animals, plants and space in a realistic manner took more than 500 years of artistic and scientific research, experimentation and development. The product of this quest resulted in the invention of a pictorial device known as linear perspective. The idea of this linear perspective is to create a realistic illusion of spatial depth and relationships between figures in a two-dimensional field.

Types of perspective

Linear Perspective
The kind of perspective we are used to drawing with lines is called Linear perspective. This page will give students a range of ways to create drawings using this method. However, Linear Perspective is not the only way to use Elements and Principles of Design to create and organise depth in a picture. There are several other ways including:

Planar Perspective
Objects are organised in planes. These may create a foreground, middle ground and background. This device relies on the overlapping of figures and/ or variations in scale.

Oblique projection
Parallel angled lines and shapes are used to create the appearance of receding planes. (Note that VCD no longer uses Oblique as a drawing method).

Atmospheric Perspective
Variations in colour and tone are used to mimic atmospheric effects on colour in the natural world. Saturated and warm colours seem to advance, whereas less saturated colours and cool colours appear to recede. Atmospheric perspective is usually used in conjunction with variations in the scale of objects.

Planar perspective

Objects are organised in planes. These may create a foreground, middle ground and background. This device relies on the overlapping of figures and/ or variations in scale.
Three panels show row houses: planar with flat gray shapes, oblique with shaded 3D gray houses at angles, and atmospheric with rows of houses in different colors, each labeled below.
Three methods for creating an illusion of depth in a picture. Each is seldom used individually but are combined for greater effect.

History of Linear Perspective

Come with me on a one-thousand-year journey into space, time and art. This is the story of how humans learnt how to depict built forms realistically. Our story begins in Asia, where artists used oblique projections (angled shapes) to push back into space. Then it continues in Central Europe, where artists during the Middle Ages became aware that not all lines of recession are parallel. Here, they found that the lines in buildings seem to travel together.  They realised that lines above the viewer angle down and those below angle up as they move away. Then, during the early Italian Renaissance, a massive breakthrough came as an order with mathematical precision was found and realised as true, One-point Perspective. Following this seemingly perfected and almost divine device for the laying out of form and depth came a new, rotated point of view. This new pictorial device is known as Two-Point Perspective. Viewing a subject from a corner gives a more natural and dynamic feel to a picture.

Consider, when you feel that learning to use perspective is challenging, that you are not alone in that journey. You are uploading one thousand years of human knowledge in a lesson!

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Looking in a Mirror by an Ornamental Box. Wang Shên (c. 1036–c. 1093). Southern Sung dynasty. National Palace Museum of Taipei, Taipei (Image: via Wang Shên, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
This is a perfect example of both planar and oblique projection in perspective. Note how each of the figures, including the tables, fence and trees, appear to be flat and each on a separate plane within the space. Then the artist added oblique lines angling up and to the right reaching further into the space behind. Probably the most noticeable is the line of paving reaching upwards behind the trees in the background.
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Virgin and Child enthroned, surrounded by angels (known as the Rucellai Madonna).
Duccio di Buoninsegna (Siena, C1278 - 1311) (Image: Wikepedia).

The artist Duccio nothingused a combiniation of planar and oblique projections. Planar perspective has been used to organise the figures around the Madonna. Scale has been used to create depth and a sense of hierarchy simultaneously. Then, just as one thinks there is nothing reaching back, one notices the angled lines of Madonna's chair reaching back to create space and depth. Overlap is also employed in the hands of the angels as they embrace the chair.
A medieval painting shows a man in blue robes sitting by a well, speaking to a woman with a red jug on her head. Three men stand nearby outside a pink stone building. The scene features gold leaf and stylized architecture.
Christ and the Samaritan Woman. 1310 - 1311, Duccio di Buoninsegna. (Image: via Wikimedia Commons).
In this beautiful image from a cycle of frescos, Duccio has begun to modify the angles of receding lines in buildings. He has realised they are not parallel and must work at different angles. One can see the origins of perspective in the lines below the eye level angling upwards and those at the top of the castle angling down as they recede to the left. In addition, scale has been used to show features smaller in the distance. These techniques begin to give a more natural sense of depth.
A Renaissance painting shows an angel visiting a kneeling pope inside a building, with a cityscape, cathedral, and people engaged in various activities outside in the background.
Dream of Pope Sergius. Rogier van der Weyden, 1437-40. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. (Image: Getty Museum Collection, Public Domain).
And then, as if by magic, the idea of perspective spreads north to Brussels. Here we see two almost correctly laid out One-point Perspective views (the building on the left and the church in the background) simultaneously. Note that each view has its own vanishing point and receding lines leading there. Almost natural, yet not quite yet.
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The Ideal City. Attributed to Fra Carnevale. c. 1480–1484. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. (Image: Wikipedia).
Back in Italy, forty years later, One-point Perspective is born in a drawing depicting an ideal city - in an ideal way. This beautiful painting depicts spacial and social order using a formal perspective system developed in Florence. Each component is totally subservient to the system used to create depth. And in an almost ironic way, the focal point of the picture, the military arch is the smallest part. A beautiful exercise in balance, scale and space.
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The Last Supper. Lenoardo da Vinci. C1490. Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan. (Image: Wikipedia).
Leonardo took the innovative device of One-Point Perspective and used it to frame his depiction of the Last Supper. Using the vanishing point in a metaphoric way, he shows the figure of Jesus at the centre and the point at which all lines of perspective converge. This device couples the powerful principle of focal point with the system of perspective. It is an exercise in story and structure of a composition.
Black and white architectural drawing showing columns, arches, and a geometric tiled floor, demonstrating linear perspective with multiple vanishing points and lines converging toward the central horizon.
The first known diagram of a two-point perspective. Jean Pélérin. 1505. (Image: Essential Vermeer).
In this illustration, the artist Jean Pelerian constructs a perspective with several vanishing points. His rotation of the central built form creates oblique axes for lines that had previously been depicted as horizontal and vertical. Two vanishing points, one on the left and one on the right, emerge. The central one is merely a feature of the construction of the grid-tiled floor and not a structural part of the overall form known as Two-Point Perspective.
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Nighthawks. Edward Hopper. 1942. Art Institute Chicago. (Image: Wikipedia).
Edward Hopper, an American realist working in the 1940s uses Two-Point Perspective to frame a realistic view down across the front of a diner. He then uses shape to guide a viewer's eyes past the long, wide window and around the corner, down the street to the right as if passing the quiet scene. Two-point Perspective is a natural way to build space exactly as it is seen.
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Broadway and 64th Street, Spring ‘84. Richard Estess. 1984. (Image: Sothebey's).
In perhaps the last great wave of landscape painting of the Modern era, photo-realist painter Richard Estess uses Two-Point Perspective to create a powerful vision of public space. The garden at left is rendered to reach forward, its benches offering a quiet rest in the sun whilst the street on the right reaches deep into the distance, cars speeding away.
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Components of One-Point Perspective

One-point Perspective can be approached in both simple and quite complex ways. This section will begin with simple methods to create a One-point Perspective effect. However, students who end their learning there will not understand the drawing system's structure and be unable to apply their knowledge correctly in different contexts. Therefore, each step below builds on the preceding, sometimes replacing it completely. Students may start with the first exercises, but by the time they complete this page, they will be much more advanced and drawing in a completely different, far more sophisticated way. Be patient; give it time.

How it works

Perspective drawings are made using a set of visual devices. Students must be familiar with these components and understand how they function in a drawing.
Diagram showing a person looking at a transparent house with perspective lines labeled: horizon line/eye level, vanishing point, spectator point, picture plane, and line of sight, each explained with descriptive text.
This image shows the components of a One-point Perspective drawing and where they are situated. Imagine you are standing as the figure shown at the front left, looking at the house through a glass panel. Note how you can see the corners of the house in front of you. Can you see how points are captured on the glass panel? This is the Picture Plane and represents the paper on which your drawing sits.

task

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1.1 look around
Where you are sitting now, take a look around at the room you are in. Can you see the lines at the top and the bottom of the walls in your room? Look at them carefully in relation to each other. Do you see how they recede? The lines at the top of the wall go down and the ones at the bottom come up as they get further from you. Visualise how this might look in a drawing.
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Drawing a One-Point Perspective interior

One-point Perspective is often used to draw houses' interiors (or rooms). Below are steps that can be used to learn how to draw them. These steps can be used for observational, visualisation and presentation drawings.

CAUTION

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Process for drawing in One-Point Perspective
The following sections are a breakdown of the skills used in drawing a One-Point Perspective. Students can work through them in sequence. However, they are not an order in which all One-Point Perspectives are done. Once students have practiced each of the skills separately then they will be in a position to implement these skills in ways that they see fit, according to the needs of their drawing.

Skill 1. Making lines converge

The most elementary aspect of One-Point Perspective is that parallel lines on an object converge as they recede away from the viewer. The simple exercise below shows how to make lines at the corners of a room converge at one single Vanishing Point.
A metal ruler placed vertically on a piece of paper with diagonal lines forming an X, a cross at the center, and small red marks indicating measurement points.
Choose a height (and width) for the base of the back wall in your drawing. Measure it in two points and mark it out.
A drawing of a rectangle with diagonal and center lines, red arrows marking the center area, and a transparent green triangle overlay on the right side.
Follow the base of the back wall line until it hits the lower right receding line. Turn 90 degrees up and continue drawing and turning as you hit each receding line.
A white rectangle with diagonal lines from each corner meeting at a red plus sign in the center. A black shadow appears along the bottom and right edges of the rectangle.
The back wall of the room is complete.
A perspective drawing guide with rulers on both sides, showing two-point perspective lines in black, vanishing points connected by blue lines, and a red center mark on a white background.
Mark our heights for a door and a window. Draw light receding construction lines to support each feature.
A simple line drawing of a rectangular room viewed from above, with one window on the left wall, one door on the right wall, and a cross symbol at the center of the back wall.
Complete features on each detail. Erase unwanted lines.

task

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2.1 Converging lines
Practise making a space in One-Point Perspective with converging lines. Copy the drawing shown above.
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Skill 2. Positioning of vanishing point

As the reader is aware, the vanishing point is situated exactly where the viewer's eyes are. This means that the position; both in height (up and down) and latitude (left and right) is set by the position of the viewer's eyes.

Therefore, as the viewer takes different positions, left, right, up or down relative to the space, the vanishing point appears in different places. Finally, as the vanishing point shifts, so do the proportions of each wall, floor and ceiling. Consider how each view if this 'room' looks when the position of the vanishing point is changed.

The illustrator must determine both the height and the position, left and right, for their drawing before they start.

A stylized green human figure stands on a platform facing a rectangular tunnel, with perspective lines and grids illustrating depth and vanishing points in a geometric space.
The viewer is high and centre. This shows little of the ceiling but much of the floor.
A green figure stands facing a large gray rectangular tunnel with grid lines and blue perspective lines showing depth, vanishing point, and proportions in the background.

The viewer is low and centre. This shows much of the ceiling and little of the floor.

Diagram showing a green figure facing a large, dark-shaded cube, with perspective lines converging toward the horizon, illustrating a one-point perspective view.
The viewer is low and left. This shows much of the ceiling, little of the floor, little of the left wall and much of the right wall.
A simplified diagram showing a person standing in front of a box-shaped structure, with perspective lines and grids illustrating depth and vanishing point in architectural drawing.
The viewer is low and right. This shows much of the ceiling, little of the floor, much of the left wall and little of the right wall.
A simplified diagram showing a green human figure standing on a block, facing a gray rectangular room in perspective, with grid lines illustrating depth and vanishing points.
The viewer is hight and right. This shows little of the ceiling, much of the floor, much of the left wall and little of the right wall.
Use photography
Three photos of a classroom from different angles, each with red lines showing perspective lines converging toward a vanishing point. The classroom has tables, chairs, and art on the walls.
Construct perspective
A small red dot is positioned inside a large, centered square, which is itself inside a slightly offset rectangle with a drop shadow on a white background.
Draw a square and place a vanishing point anywhere on the field.
A white rectangle with a centered square inside. Red lines connect the bottom left and top left corners to the bottom right and top right corners, all meeting at one point inside the square.
Extend receding lines from the corners.
A geometric drawing of a square within a square, connected by diagonal and straight lines, converging at a red dot near the bottom left of the center. The image is on a white background with a slight drop shadow.
Construct the back wall and consider the effect the vanishing point placement has on the proportions in the picture.

task

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3.1 Determining vanishing point
Create six One-Point Perspective boxes. In each one, put the Vanishing Point in a different place. Draw receding lines and construct a back wall.
3.2 Use photography
Create six One-Point Perspective boxes. In each one, put the Vanishing Point in a different place. Draw receding lines and construct a back wall.
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Skill 3. Proportions of a format

Most student drawings are done within the format of an 'A' series sheet of paper. However, this format will probably not suit the majority of scenes. Illustrators consider and measure up the proportions of a room they are drawing. When they are drawing from observation (looking at the real space) they use their hand and pencil to make a rough calculation of the proportions of the space they are in. We don't need to know dimensions, just a ratio of width to height. Once this has been assessed, construct a rectangle on you paper, consider the view-point to establish the Horizon Line and the Vanishing Point then make the drawing.

Consider the two images below. They show two differently proportioned spaces.

Proportions alone
Step-by-step guide to drawing perspective: photo of hallway, measuring proportions with pencil (2.5 units tall, 1 unit wide), drawing a rectangle with horizon and vanishing point, and sketching within set proportions.
Drawing a tall and narrow space.
Step-by-step guide showing how to draw one-point perspective: choose a space, measure proportions, then create a rectangular grid with a horizon line and vanishing point for accurate drawing.
Drawing a wide and low space.
Proportions alone
A kitchen and living room with large windows; a rectangle marks the back wall, labeled 8000 mm wide and 4300 mm tall. To the right, scaled rectangles and a perspective drawing process are shown with measurements and instructions.
Follow this process to construct your drawing from known dimensions.

task

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4.1 proportions in One-Point Perspective
Select (or photograph) two spaces of very different proportions. Try a corridor, a classroom or your school gym. Assess the proportions of the space either by holding a pencil up to your eye or by measuring it. Draw a One-Point Perspective view of each of the spaces, demonstrating that you can form up a differently proportioned drawing within a sheet of paper.
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Skill 4. Measuring in perspective

As the reader can see from the image at right, the front of an object in One-Point Perspective sits parallel to the Picture Plane and at 90 degrees to the Line of Sight. All horizontal or vertical lines on the object remain parallel to the Picture Plane and are not distorted. This means that these lines can be measured with true measurements to calculate the view in One-Point Perspective.
Diagram showing a top view of an object, a picture plane, and a line of sight passing perpendicularly from the observer through the picture plane to the object, with a set square indicating the angle.
Note that for a One-Point Perspective drawing, both the object and the Picture Plane are at right angles to the Line of Sight.
Side-by-side architectural drawings of a small room with a bed, sink, and stove. Left side shows plan and elevation views at scale; right side shows the same with precise dimensions labeled.
Use this Plan and Elevation to construct a One-Point Perspective view from the View Point. The dimensions you need are shown in the drawing on the right side.
Manual One-Point Perspective
In the video at right, I show how to set up a One-Point Perspective manually. I demonstrate how to measure on the horizontal and vertical axis and then project dimensions back into space on a back wall. This video also details how to calculate depth proportionately
Learn how to draw a One-point Perspective interior of a house using a manual method.
Digital One-Point Perspective
A drawing shows two metal rulers forming a right angle at the top right, measuring a rectangle below. VP (vanishing point) and HORIZON LINE are labeled, with the rulers aligned to the vanishing point on the horizon.
Construct a rectangle using the dimensions in the drawing above. Then measure up for the Horizon Line and in for the Vanishing Point also as shown in the drawing above.
A diagram showing one-point perspective: a black rectangle, a blue vanishing point at its center, blue lines extending from the point to the corners, a blue inner rectangle, and a horizontal gray line through the point.
Then plot your receding lines and 'guestimate' a good size for your back wall. Follow my drawing for suggested proportions.
A ruler sits below a set of rectangles drawn in perspective, with blue lines extending from the vanishing point to the ruler, marking intervals at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 centimeters.
Now, measure up all the vertical lines from the Elevation using the dimensions in the drawing. Then project these points to the Vanishing Point.
A one-point perspective drawing shows a rectangle within a rectangle, with lines converging at a single vanishing point on the horizon to illustrate depth and perspective.
Draw the vertical lines on the back wall where the receding lines cross the base of the wall.
A drawing of a rectangular box in two-point perspective, overlaid with blue perspective lines converging at a vanishing point, with two metal rulers positioned vertically and horizontally along the edges of the box.
Next, measure the heights and widths of the other features. The kitchen bench is on the left and the bed is on the right. Draw them as rectangles at the front of the drawing, then project each corner to the vanishing point.
A geometric perspective drawing showing a box in one-point perspective, with a vanishing point on the horizon line, and additional blue and red lines illustrating depth, angles, and perspective grid.
Next, we are going to calculate the depths of the bench and bed. If you look carefully at the drawing, I made the kitchen bench 600 mm deep and the room 2400 mm. This means the bench is a quarter of the depth of the room. I use diagonal lines to divide up the floor. First, divide it in half, then divide that again to find a quarter. This line is shown in red.
A one-point perspective drawing shows cubes inside a large rectangle, with construction lines converging at a single vanishing point on the horizon line in the center background. Some cubes are highlighted with blue outlines.
Using the line on the floor as a guide, project vertical lines upward to calculate the depth of the kitchen bench. I estimated the depth of the bed.
A one-point perspective drawing shows a rectangular room with three boxes inside, all aligning to a single vanishing point on the horizon line in the center of the back wall. Blue lines guide perspective toward the vanishing point.
Plan out the other details. The drawing shows a small wall next to the bed and the windows frames should be three-dimensional too.
A simple line drawing of a room in one-point perspective with a bed, desk, and wardrobe, all aligned along the back wall; a single vanishing point is marked on the center of the back wall.
Remove all the unwanted lines to finish your drawing.

task

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5.1 using dimensions in One-Point Perspective
Make an accurate copy of the One-Point Perspective interior as shown in the Plans and Elevations and the images above.
5.2 drawing your own space
Draw up or use your own Plans and Elevations from another task to inform the dimensions of a One-Point Perspective interior. Finish the drawing using the images of my drawing as a guide to help you draw your own space.
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Drawing a One-Point Perspective object

Unlike the set up for an interior view in One-Point Perspective, when drawing an object, the Vanishing Point is located outside it. This section will outline how to draw objects using this method.

Setting up a One-point object

In this example, we are going to learn how to draw an object in One-Point Perspective. This example will have the Vanishing Point outside and up and to the right of the object. We will use the skills in measuring learnt in the examples above.
A 3D model of a red geometric object featuring a large cube with a circular hole on top, a cylinder protruding from one side, and a smaller rectangular base, displayed on a grid workspace.
Here is a quick Isometric view of the block I have drawn in the 3rd Angle Orthogonal and the One-Point Perspective below.
A diagram explains art perspective terms, showing a figure facing a wall with labeled parts: horizon line/eye level, vanishing point, picture plane, line of sight, and spectator point, each with brief descriptions.
In this exercise in a One-Point Perspective drawing, we are going to draw an object placed to the left of the picture plane.
3rd angle orthogonal block drawing showing top, front, and right side views with dimensions in millimetres. Contains a labeled center hole and rectangular features, with scale 1:1 on A3 sheet.
Use this 3rd Angle Orthogonal drawing to construct a One-Point Perspective view of the block from the View Point. The dimensions you need are shown in the drawing on the right side.

Digital One-Point Perspective block

The images below show how I constructed a drawing of the block in the 3rd Angle Orthogonal above. This drawing contains all the elements you need to learn; a vanishing point, finding forms with crating and ellipses in perspective. You could make your drawing at a scale of 1:1 or 1:2 if you want it a bit bigger.
Four metal rulers are arranged around a white square, with one labeled HORIZON LINE and VP. Lines extend from the square to the rulers, illustrating perspective drawing alignment.
Construct a rectangle using the dimensions in the drawing above. Then measure up for the Horizon Line and in for the Vanishing Point also as shown in the drawing above.
A rectangle with its top edge aligned to a horizontal line. Three blue lines connect the top right corner of the rectangle to its other three corners, forming triangles.
Then plot your receding lines to the Vanishing Point.
A geometric diagram with a large black square, a smaller blue square above it, and several intersecting lines extending from a point to the right of both squares.
'Guestimate' a good size for your back wall. Follow my drawing for suggested proportions. This completes the crate for your block.
A diagram of a cube in one-point perspective, with a ruler placed in front of the cube, demonstrating vanishing lines converging at a single point on the horizon.
First, we cut into the crate vertically to allow for the cylinder on the right side.
A clear ruler aligned vertically at the left edge of a one-point perspective drawing, showing blue lines converging toward a vanishing point on the horizon and creating a series of cubes.
Next, cut into the crate horizontally to make the upper box.
A geometric perspective drawing shows cubes aligned in space, converging to a single vanishing point on the horizon, with blue lines demonstrating depth and angles toward the vanishing point.
Next, to calculate the size of the lower box, we need to divide the bottom plane into quarters (16 squares). Do this with diagonal lines, each time finding the centre.
A geometric drawing of a cube and grid lines extending from the cube to a single vanishing point on a horizontal line, illustrating one-point perspective.
We need the grid to extend completely around the block so project lines up from the bottom and calculate the grid on the top face.
A geometric drawing showing rectangles and grids in perspective converging toward a single vanishing point on a horizontal line. Blue lines illustrate the projected forms within the perspective framework.
With the grid in place, it's time to calculate the vertical lines for the lower inset box, and the right side of the block.
A geometric drawing showing a cube in perspective with a vanishing point on the horizon line; blue lines highlight the perspective guidelines converging at the vanishing point.
Next, find the centre of the plane on the right side in preparation for drawing ellipses.
A geometric drawing shows a cube in perspective with grid lines receding to a single vanishing point on the horizon. Blue lines highlight squares on the upper and side faces of the cube.
Then use the full diagonal lines method to set up the three differently proportioned ellipses. Remember, each ellipse is different in perspective.
A geometric drawing of a 3D rectangular structure in perspective, with a grid, ellipses, and lines converging to a single vanishing point on the horizon line. Blue outlines highlight certain shapes on the right side.
Add the ellipses to your grids.
A simple black and white line drawing of a rectangular object with a circular lens and a small circular hole on top, positioned below a horizontal line with a dot on it.
Remove all the unwanted lines to finish your drawing.

task

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6.1 Object in One-Point Perspective
Make an accurate copy of the One-Point Perspective object as shown in the 3rd Angle Orthogonal and the images above.
6.2 Objects in One-Point Perspective - level 2

Use Tinkercad or Lego to build a small model block (as I did for the task shown above). Take a screen shot or photograph it. Draw a sketch 3rd Angle Orthogonal of the block including its dimensions. Use the images above to inform a drawing of the block.

This task can also be done in pairs by swapping blocks with a partner.

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