One Point Perspective in Drawing | Overview, Rules & Examples

This approach has long been used by renowned painters in their works. In the 15th century, it was developed by Filippo Brunelleschi, a Renaissance artist, architect, and the first modern engineer. Brunelleschi's work inspired many, including the legendary Italian painter Leonardo Da Vinci.

The Adoration of the Magi (1481) Leonardo da Vinci

Early in his career, Leonardo da Vinci painted the Adoration of the Magi. Da Vinci, like many other painters, drew before painting. The drawing demonstrates that Da Vinci outlined the perspective with grids. After that, all of the perspective lines converged at the vanishing point, demonstrating his use of one point perspective. The concept for The Adoration Of The Magi made excellent use of one point perspective to create an expansive scene. The splendor of Da Vinci's work reveals his mastery of perspective.

The Adoration of the Magi

Bedroom in Arles (1888) Vincent van Gogh

This painting depicts van Gogh's bedroom at the Yellow House in Arles, France. Initially painted in 1888, Van Gogh went on to draw and paint this piece multiple times. He considered it to be one of his best compositions. Indeed, he used a strong one-point perspective, which contributed to the piece's memorable nature. Van Gogh placed the vanishing point in the bottom right window pane. Viewers can imagine the perspective lines radiating from this point. The lines of the bed, paintings on the wall, and floorboards line up to this perspective. This is what gives the painting a strong sense of depth even though it is lacking shadows.

Bedroom in Arles

The School of Athens (1511) Raphael

This fresco from the High Renaissance in Rome employed a one-point perspective. The horizon line was positioned in the lower two-thirds of the composition. The vanishing point is then positioned at the horizon's center. This produced a dramatic perspective, with the focal point in the middle of the painting. People on the article's edges appear larger, creating a sense of grandeur. Indeed the room feels very big and seems to expand infinitely into the distance. Raphael also incorporated horizontal lines to great effect. He added three arches to add depth, creating the expansive feeling of the room.

The School of Athens

Before applying this technique to artwork, artists are encouraged to practice it. An excellent exercise is drawing cubes. Start by drawing the horizon line. Draw a vanishing point along the horizon line. Draw a square to represent the face of the cube. Draw four perspective lines from each corner of the square to the vanishing point. Notice how they converge at one point. Next, draw a smaller square closer to the vanishing point. Every corner of the square must be placed on a perspective line. Finally, erase the perspective lines to reveal the cube.

Cubes drawn in one point perspective

Artists employ perspective to add realism and depth to their artwork. Using rules and points of reference, linear perspective gives a convincing illusion of depth. One point perspective is derived from the usage of a single vanishing point where all perspective lines converge. The vanishing point is positioned on the horizon line, which reflects the eye level of the artist and viewer. When an artist adopts a one-point perspective, the surfaces of objects facing him or her look undistorted.

By applying the notions of one point perspective, a two-dimensional work of art can be made to look three-dimensional. Treasured artists have long employed this technique in their artworks. When creating The Adoration of the Magi, Leonardo da Vinci employed a one-point perspective. Vincent Van Gogh also employed this perspective in his many paintings and drawings of the Bedroom in Arles.