How to teach Drawing in Perspective

Teaching perspective drawing is one of my absolute favorite activities. When I first give students a street view of a city and ask them to draw it without any instruction, most struggle. However, after just a few lessons on perspective, they transform into incredible architects, visibly showcasing their artistic growth in no time. Perspective drawings may seem like they require years of practice, but that’s not the case! Even non-artists can quickly grasp it because there’s a formula and a method to the madness.

I love teaching perspective drawing to beginning art students now, but as a new teacher, I was incredibly nervous and unsure of my own understanding. If you feel the same way, let me simplify it for you just as I do for my students. Start by introducing the concept of perspective, and then practice it together.

What is Perspective?!

Perspective is a technique used to create the illusion of 3D space on a flat surface, making a drawing appear to have depth. To achieve this effect, four key principles are essential:

  1. Overlapping: Objects in the foreground overlap those in the background, making them appear closer.
  2. Size Progression: Objects become visually smaller as they recede into the distance.
  3. Placement: In a landscape, there are three distinct areas: the foreground, middleground, and background.
  4. Mathematical Precision: Accurate lines are crucial. Using a ruler, ensure lines are vertical, horizontal, parallel, and perpendicular to maintain proper perspective.
Perspective consists of Overlapping, Size Progression, Placement and Mathematical Precision

What should Students know?

In addition to understanding the basics of perspective, students should be familiar with vertical, parallel, horizontal, and perpendicular lines. It’s crucial for them to be able to draw a straight line accurately. Surprisingly, many students don’t know how to use a ruler properly. Therefore, it’s beneficial to spend time practicing drawing lines and aiming for perfect 90-degree angles before diving into perspective drawing. This practice ensures that when you instruct students to “draw a vertical line” or “draw a line that is perpendicular to the bottom edge of your paper,” they can follow along with confidence.

In perspective there are vertical, parallel, horizontal and perpendicular lines

Next, teaching students how to create depth in a landscape could be demonstrated by taking students outside and asking what they can see in the foreground vs the middleground vs the background. 

To achieve depth in a landscape drawing, it’s essential to understand the three main components:

  1. Foreground: This is the part of the scene closest to the viewer. Items in the foreground are the most detailed, brightest in color, appear larger, and overlap other elements in the scene.
  2. Middleground: This is the space between the foreground and the background. It serves as a transition area in landscape paintings, drawings, and photographs.
  3. Background: These are the parts of the image farthest from the viewer. Elements in the background are usually blurry, lighter in color, smaller, and positioned behind more prominent parts of the landscape.
In atmospheric perspective there is a foreground, middleground and background

In addition, it’s important for students to learn key vocabulary related to perspective:

Vanishing point: A point at which receding lines converge (meet).

In perspective there are vanishing point(s)

Orthogonal: diagonal Lines that meet at the Vanishing point. 

via GIPHY

Horizon line/ eye level: A line where water or land ends and the sky begins. It is usually the eye level of the viewer. 

via GIPHY

Practicing Perspective with Your Students

Before diving into a perspective project, it’s crucial to dedicate time to practice. A sketchbook is an excellent resource for students to practice, experiment, and take notes. Don’t assume students will grasp the rules of perspective immediately; consistent practice through teacher-led demonstrations is essential.

In the past, I demonstrated perspective on a whiteboard. Today, I use a document camera to project my drawings onto the board. I guide students through each step, starting with drawing boxes in one-point perspective. Once they master this, we move on to drawing a room or even a city in one-point perspective. We spend a few days on one-point perspective before transitioning to two-point perspective. Interestingly, some students find two-point perspective easier because all lines converge at the vanishing points

As an art teacher, I demonstrate how to draw in perspective
Photos of teacher demo. Students follow along in their sketchbooks. 
Student Sketchbooks are great for learning how to draw in perspective
Photos of perspective drawings in sketchbook. Reach more about sketchbooks → Here

Following the same steps, I guide students through drawing boxes in two-point perspective. We then take our practice outside, drawing the school and a city in two-point perspective. The key to mastering perspective is practice, which can take weeks. Once students become proficient, have them practice independently to see how well they apply what they’ve learned.

meeden pro series
Teaching a City in perspective
Photos of teacher demo. Students follow along in their sketchbooks. 

Perspective Projects

Our perspective unit takes about a month to complete. Once the students master the technique, there are so many possibilities for the final assessment, the project.

Here is what we do: 

For high school: Fantasyscape 

Fantasyscape, Art 1 High School Linear Perspective Project
Fantasyscape, Art 1 High School Linear Perspective Project Teaching perspective

Get the Fantasyscape Linear Perspective Unit → Here

See More on this Art 1 Curriculum→ Here

For 5th grade to middle School: Art Museums

how to teach art students perspective drawing
Art Museums in one point perspective project

Get the Art Museums Lesson → Here

Mastering perspective opens up a world of creative possibilities for your students. With practice and patience, they can transform their drawings from flat images into dynamic, three-dimensional works of art, gaining confidence in their artistic abilities. Encourage them to keep experimenting and applying these techniques in their future projects. Remember, perspective is not just a skill but a new way of seeing and interpreting the world around them. 

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