Perspective Perfect

One of the high school art standards is to use one and two point perspective to draw. Linear and atmospheric perspective are based on visual perception and creating the illusion of three dimensional space on a two dimensional surface.  This doesn't make a lot of sense for people with no vision.  Luckily, some of my students have a little vision, and the others can memorize the rules.

For one point perspective projects, some students used boxes going back to a single vanishing point in the middle of the page, and others chose to have flat shapes turned prisms and cylinders by the tangents and corners going back to the point. Others created a imaginary cityscape using a single point from which to radiate lines for streets, sidewalks and the tops and bottoms of sky scrapers. The building sides that face the viewer were all rectangles and squares. Vertical lines always stayed vertical.

For two point perspective, students drew a horizon line (horizontal line) with points at either end (at the edge of the paper).  Then they drew vertical lines of various sizes.  The top of each vertical line was aligned with the right vanishing point (via ruler) with a line segment drawn to the right, and the bottom of the vertical line was aligned with the right vanishing point and a line segment drawn. Then a vertical line was drawn at the end of those segments. The same was done on the left side of the original vertical line.  Every box drawn above the horizon line showed the box bottom, and every box below the horizon line showed the box top.

Another two point perspective option was to draw a name or word going one point while the side of the letters goes to the other point, making each letter sculptural.  It is so important for students to have options on how to show they have mastered a concept. By making choices, the student shows ownership and is more committed to doing a good job.