Three-Point Perspective

Linear perspective may include many vanishing points. When you add more vanishing points to a scene, you also add drama and complexity to your composition. If you take a vanishing point and move it high above or far below the horizon, you will create three-point perspective.

Three-Point Perspective, Looking Down

This drawing of tall buildings employs three vanishing points and a high horizon. The resulting perspective is extremely dramatic.

Three-Point Perspective, Looking Up

Reversing the placement of the vanishing points and horizon line gives the viewer the impression of looking up at the buildings. Once again, every line is directed to one of the three vanishing points.

Hide and Seek

Even when the horizon or vanishing points in a scene are hidden, they still affect your drawing. You can easily find your horizon line and vanishing points. If you draw lines from all the parallel elements in this room, they will converge at the vanishing point. Now that you have discovered the vanishing point, you know the horizon line goes through that point in the scene.

Beyond the Horizon

Though the subject is not bound to a horizon, this scene still uses the principles of linear perspective.