One-Point Perspective Drawing

I’ve tried the perspective city street lesson before, but the students seemed to spend more time measuring lines than anything else. This lesson still teaches about one-point perspective, but is much less fussy.

1. Give each student a 9" square paper, ruler, pencil and 2" square cardboard template. Ask them to trace 4 or 5 squares somewhat in a ring around the outside edge of the paper. Corners may go off the paper, but the center needs to be left open.
2. The students make a vanishing point dot somewhere in the middle of the paper. They draw straight lines (lightly!) connecting it to every square corner that they can reach. If a connecting line would go into the square, it means it would be behind and wouldn’t show.
3. To create the cubes, lines need to be drawn as shown in the diagram, always parallel to the square.
4. All the lines that are not part of any cube need to be erased.
5. An organic shape is added to their picture in the shape of a rope. They are to draw holes in their cubes, and make one rope look like it is going in and out of each cube in a continuous fashion. When the drawing is complete, the lines are traced with a thin black marker. The cubes are colored in with colored pencils, using varying pressure to get different shades of color. Lastly the background is colored. White circle could be left to look like stars, if desired.

CA Visual Art Standard: Creative Expression, Grade Five
2.1 Use one-point perspective to create the illusion of space.