ALL ABOARD! – One-Point Perspective, Space, Colour

Students create a one-point perspective drawing and use coloured pencil techniques to create the illusion of depth.

Supplies:

Before beginning your perspective drawing use the Coloured Pencil Techniques worksheets to explore ways to use the coloured pencils. (Downloads - ColouredPencilWorksheet.pdf)
You will use some of these techniques to colour your perspective drawing.

Choose a photocopy of one of the train track pictures.
Cut out a small section of your picture that includes a segment of the track.
Glue it to your paper.
Make sure you place it on the paper in a spot that matches its placement in the photograph,e.g.
- If you cut out a section that includes the horizon line, make sure you glue the section where the horizon line will be in your drawing.
- If you cut out a section that is in the foreground of the photocopy, make sure you glue your section in the foreground on your paper.

Find the horizon line on your drawing.
It is the horizontal line that passes through the vanishing point.
- sometimes called the eye-level line
- the line where the sky and earth seem to meet
- parallel to the bottom of the paper
Draw the horizon line across your whole paper.

Draw the objects that are parallel to the picture plane and closest to the viewer first, e.g.,
- the face of a building
- the track ties
- the trunk of a tree
Draw all vertical and horizontal lines parallel to the side or bottom of the paper.
Draw the railway ties closer and closer together as they recede into the distance.

Use your ruler to line up the top and bottom of the ends of objects so they converge with the vanishing point, e.g.,
- the sides of the house
- the roof line
- the top of the door
Draw the lines carefully to make sure the angles are correct.
Add lots of details to your drawing to make it interesting.
Erase any guide lines.

Use a variety of coloured pencil techniques to colour your drawing.
Remember that colour can help create the illusion of depth.
- colours of things closest to the viewer look bright
- colours in the distance look dull and pale
- details in the distance look fuzzy
- details in the foreground look sharp