The Complexities of Two Point Perspective!

Therefore, the guide lines will meet up to these two points, and in return, give you the proper perspective on paper. However, that is only if it’s an ideal environment. There are a few unique behaviors that I have come across in my learning of two point perspective.

What are these behaviors?

I will explain in a bit. But first, let’s start with doing some two point perspective! I want you to fire up your graphics art program, with the tools that we have talked about, and start simulating my examples!

1. The basics

Start a new layer.

I want you to take your digital art tools and draw a horizon. From there, do two vertical lines that intersect the horizon at both ends. It’ll look like two Cartesian planes stuck together.

With this setup, draw various guide lines originating from the two intersecting points. Draw as many as you feel comfortable but make sure there are a few diagonal guide lines that intersect one another.

These will be your guide lines in which your digital painting will utilize. Plus, it will tie into the concept of eye level very well.

As you can probably expect, if you draw the object above the horizon, it is considered above eye level while the opposite holds true when you draw it below the horizon.

Now, on those lines that you have drawn, place the perspective cube in one of the three possible eye levels. I will show you a unique behavior.

2. Maximum angles

A square’s angle is 90 degrees on all four corners. A cube takes six squares to make but it still has the 90 degree variable in all its intersecting points. You need to keep this in mind.

You also need to keep in mind that the square and the cube are the measurement of all other shapes created. Whether it’s a cylinder, cone, or sphere, it will depend on the cube as a source of measurement.

Due to this nature, any intersecting lines between the two vanishing points can not be smaller than 90 degrees! There is a different behavior to the whole perspective point if it does.

Just to illustrate, draw the perspective cube in any area that you want. I would prefer them to be drawn near the top or bottom edge of the canvas. Within those cubes, look for those that have a 90 degree intersection.

Look at the intersecting angles closely in the diagram that you have drawn. If any of them are greater than 90 degrees, then the cube can exist in that two point perspective area.

If any of those cubes have an intersection less than 90 degrees, then it can be said that they are no longer cubes. You have already distorted the shape of the cube into a 3d parallelogram!

So, how can we solve this issue?

3. Shifting the horizon

Then, slowly move it down until tissue box is above eye level. You should see the top of the tissue box. While you’re doing this, keep in mind the imaginary two point perspective lines meet on either side of your field of vision.

What you will notice, obviously, that the tissue box will retain its 90 degree corners. But what happens to the perspective points that were suppose to meet at the two vanishing points?

To keep the cube constant without distorting it, something has to give. In this case, you will notice that the entire horizon shifts up!

It will continue to shift up until you start to see a zero perspective version of tissue box, which in this case, just a rectangle.

From this example, as stated again, the point that I trying to make is that you should always keep in mind that the cube is the unit of measurement for all shapes and that its angles can not be less than 90 degrees in two point perspectives.

Now that you know, what steps should be taken to ensure two point perspective can be done correctly?

4. Choosing the picture plane

The picture plane is can be determined quite easily. From your canvas, have guide lines that look like a regular right angle triangle. This will become the basic dimensions that you should work with.

Why a right angle triangle? It’s because this shape ties in really well with the cube when it comes to measuring.

You canvas can be any size. Of course, when the triangle is larger, you will have a better two point perspective. The follow diagram shows some of the infinite possibilities of determining picture planes, or canvas sizes, which will work well with two point perspective.

Notice that they fit within the confines of the right angled triangle?

Of course, the points on the triangle are the two vanishing points associated with two point perspective. Again, the intersection of these two points is the maximum perspective point the cube can exist without distorting the shape.

And if you have noticed, the vertical line that crosses the tips of the triangle will be your guide to scaling the object. Sounds familiar? Just as a reminder, this was discussed in the one point perspective article.

Now is a good time to go back to any previous learning opportunities as newer concepts will build upon the ideas I have discussed so far. Keep motivated to continue learning and it’ll be easy to learn 2d digital art!

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