The Horizon Line & Vanishing Points EXPLAINED - In Depth Beginner Guide

welcome everyone to this video where i'm going to explain what the horizon line and vanishing points are this will be all you need to understand them so that you can then confidently move forward and learn more about perspective i see countless questions that involve both the horizon line and vanishing points and these are two basic principles that always apply to perspective so it's important that you know about them here in this video i will explain the horizon line first and then move on to vanishing points the horizon line is your eye level everything gets smaller as it gets closer to it because it's getting further away from you the purpose of drawing in perspective is to represent what we see in reality in the three-dimensional world on a piece of paper a flat two-dimensional surface it took people a long time to work out how to do this but thankfully they did and now we can take advantage of it so here is a person let's have them placed on the ground like that okay now if the horizon line is our eye level that must mean that this guy's eye level is here here is a person who is stood on a platform above and their eye level will be higher up now there is also another person even higher on another platform again their eye level is higher it is always a continuous horizontal line that remains at eye level now let's view these guys on a side view they are all looking directly forward at the moment but let's say that there is this floating cube in front of them now it's directly in front of number two but number one and three will tilt their head to look towards it does this change their eye level no it only changes their line of sight their eye level still remains the same because they are at the same level so now i'm going to replicate what these guys would see as they look at the cube in some modeling software number one is looking up at the cube their eye level is below which means the horizon line is below number two had a direct front view of the cube their eye level is across the center which means the horizon line is across the center number three is looking down on the cube their eye level is above and so the horizon line is above each of their eye levels are at different levels and so it affects how they see the object and it would also affect how they draw the object so when you create a drawing you have the ability to freely choose where to place your eye level which of course is represented by the level of the horizon line and this can be placed wherever you want on the paper but before you do that and before you start drawing you firstly need to decide on how you want the object you are drawing to appear do you want to be looking up at it looking down on it or be on the same level as it these factors need to be considered before you establish the horizon line now i also want to explain something else that might help you understand this more clearly as artists we are creating an image of something representing it as it is seen by the eye that's why this horizon line is often referred to as the eye level however a camera also does the same it captures what is seen in reality and displays it on a two-dimensional surface being the photograph in this modeling software i am controlling the camera here i can move it all around and capture this cube on any angle and so this horizon line here it could also be referred to as the camera level but to avoid confusion i'll keep on referring to it as the eye level and the horizon line but personally i much prefer this way of thinking when i draw i imagine that i am directing a camera and what you draw is what is seen through that camera also it's useful to get into this mode of thinking because it will make more sense if you start to get into more complex aspects surrounding perspective such as lenses where you can change the field of view all of that is much more advanced but yeah perspective is technical there are fixed rules that apply and the camera is always going to do its job correctly so now let's take a look at some photographs and see if we can find the horizon line i'm starting with this one because whenever you read a book on perspective they'll likely have an image like this you've probably guessed already the horizon line is here it's an interesting example but i feel like it can sometimes be confusing because there are no obstructions there is nothing in this desert and you're probably not going to be drawing endless planes like this you know most of the time you will be drawing objects which do obstruct this line take this image for example here is a busy city street there are buildings and objects but the horizon line still exists one continuous line so i'm going to show you some more photos later on in this video but before i do that i want to move on to vanishing points vanishing points are points of convergence that exist on the horizon line in most cases a common example that is used to explain this to a beginner is a picture of a train track like this notice how these rails continue to head into the distance until they reach the horizon line where they are then lost from say this point where they disappear is the vanishing point lines that are parallel will converge to the same vanishing point in perspective like these train tracks here you can find the vanishing points by extending some converging lines until they meet i can also find the horizon line this way because the vanishing points will be on there now it's important to understand that only the lines that are parallel to each other will converge to the same vanishing point let's go take another look at the cube that our three characters are looking at we know that the sides of the cube are parallel so these will converge to a vanishing point in perspective number one is looking up at the cube the horizon line is below now if i extend the converging lines of the cube you'll find that they meet at one point on the horizon line these horizontal lines are parallel but remain horizontal number two is looking directly at the cube it appears as a flat square but again i can extend these converging lines and they meet at one point number three is looking down on the cube and the same applies these converging lines are extended and meet at one point on the horizon line each of these images are in one point perspective as there is only one vanishing point due to the angle of the cube being viewed and the position of our characters as they view it now you've likely heard the terms one two and three points perspective you've probably guessed already that one points perspective is a drawing with one vanishing point two points perspective is a drawing with two vanishing points and three points perspective is a drawing with three vanishing points before we move on to two points perspective let's take a look at some photographs that are in one point perspective here is a photo of a long corridor in one point's perspective i know that both sides of this corridor are parallel as is the ceiling and the floor if i extend these converging lines they will meet at one point the vanishing point and i can then find the horizon line as well and then you can also extend some more converging lines to that vanishing point this next image is an interior view we know right away that the horizon line is above the bed seeing as we can see the top of it if i extend some of these converging lines like on the sides of the carpet they'll meet at the vanishing point on the horizon line so now let's talk about drawing with two vanishing points when and why do we need another vanishing point well you're not always going to be looking at objects head on you know most of the time the objects you are looking at will be on an angle or you will be viewing the object on an angle let's take these characters for instance they were all looking at the cube which was directly in front of them but what if they walked around it and started to see it from other angles or alternatively what if the cube started to rotate itself perhaps it's best to show this in the modeling software here we have that cube again now i can bring myself around and start to see the other side of it or like i said i can rotate the cube itself and start to see the other side of it like that so this is what these characters would see if that cube rotated around number one would see it from below number two from the center and number three from above and nothing much has changed the horizon line is still the same all that has changed is the angle of the cube it has rotated around and now it is in two points perspective how do i know this well we can see that we have two sets of lines converging now which means there'll be two vanishing points if i extend these lines until they meet i can find those vanishing points on the horizon line i'll do this with each of these cubes here to give you an idea notice that the vertical lines still remain vertical in two points perspective now when we are drawing we do this in reverse we start with the horizon line and place some vanishing points which we then use to draw if i rotate this cube around you can see how the vanishing points move with it when the cube is facing us like previously it's in one point perspective so where you place your vanishing points depends on how you want whatever you are drawing to appear it's common to place a vanishing point at either side of the page when drawing in two points perspective you don't want them to be too close together because the drawing will become distorted you'll also find that vanishing points can be off the page in this case you are tasked with estimating the direction of your converging lines trying to aim them towards that vanishing point or you can use grids and some more technical methods again let's take a look at some photos in two points perspective here is an image of some buildings and right away you can see that both sides are converging notice how the windows also do this and as they move further down the building they begin to level out remember that the horizon line is always horizontal so a useful way to find it is to observe where lines in the image are also horizontal you can then find some vanishing points this car is also in two points perspective observe what's in the image extend some converging lines until they meet and find the horizon line you'll find that most photos and artwork are in two points perspective so now let's take a look at freepoint's perspective and you might have guessed that here we will have three vanishing points and three sets of lines will be converging so let's continue to use our three characters and look at how they would see the two points perspective cube if it was in three points perspective number one would see it like this notice that the lines that once were vertical are now converging upwards number two would see no difference as they are looking at the cube directly in front of them number three would see the cube like this similar to how number one sees it except in reverse this time the vertical lines are converging downwards all of these lines for this cube are now converging to a vanishing point this might at first be confusing but let me explain if i extend these newly converging vertical lines they would eventually meet and create the third vanishing point now if it's above the object it's often referred to as the zenith and if it's below the object it's referred to as the nadir this fed vanishing point is an exception to the rule as it doesn't exist on the horizon line it always exists above or below it and the vertical lines of the object you are drawing will converge to it in most cases this vanishing point will be well off the page meaning there's only some slight convergence let's take a look at some photos in three points perspective here's another photo of some buildings this time it's in three points perspective through observing the image and using what we know already we can find the horizon line and two vanishing points either side now the third one will be above and i can also find this by also extending the converging lines until they meet this time we have some buildings from above and you'll often see scenes like this drawn in three points perspective i extend some converging lines find the vanishing points and the horizon line and then i can find that third vanishing point that would be below so that's a few examples i think they do well to show how the resulting image changes by changing the level of the horizon line and the position of the vanishing points so now let's take a look at all of these cubes on screen here and observe the differences you'll notice that one point perspective only includes one vanishing point and one set of lines are converging two points perspective has two vanishing points and two sets of lines are converging three points perspective has three vanishing points and three sets of lines are converging i recommend doing what i just did with any photographs that you find you know find the horizon line place the vanishing points and observe the resulting image also do this with artwork find some professional artists work break it down and see how they use perspective you'll really benefit from this you'll find that under all of the detail in every artwork there is perspective in play here this artist jim lee has drawn both batman and superman in front of a background drawn in three points perspective you can take this image and break it down see how perspective is used to create an interesting image in this one mobius a great artist has drawn a vehicle and right away you can see that the horizon line must be below this wing here because we can see underneath it by extending some converging lines on this vehicle until they meet i can find the vanishing points and then the horizon line and sometimes you'll find that these lines aren't completely accurate in the way that they converge perhaps the artist had estimated a lot of the construction and drawn an image freehand this image by kim jong ki is a nice example although here you'll notice that many of his lines are carved as a result of him drawing in a cave linear perspective or fisheye lens as it's commonly referred to even still i can break down this image and underneath all of that detail you can see how he considers the perspective every time he draws so go ahead and start breaking down some artists work and do this with photographs that you find as well even when you are walking around in person pay attention to how lines of buildings converge or notice how our eye level changes how we see everything like when we are sat down or stood up our eyes are the lens of a camera and we are simply recreating the image that we see or visualize on paper now by this point you should have an idea of what the horizon line and vanishing points are i've shown many examples throughout this video but i want to conclude this by talking a bit about how to approach your drawing so when you have that blank piece of paper in front of you you want to try and consider how you want the image you are going to be drawing to appear try and visualize it in your head and think about where you are going to place the horizon line and vanishing points of course this is something that becomes more natural when you have a better understanding of the subject now what comes first is the horizon line remember that this is your eye level or like i said earlier imagine it to be the level of the camera that you are holding do you want it high up from the ground or low to the ground it all depends on what view you think would work best for your drawing if you are going to draw below the horizon line you will see the top of the objects if you draw above you will see the bottom once your horizon line is drawn in you need to decide on where to place the vanishing points now this is why i said it's helpful to visualize what you want to draw or even use a reference image because then you can choose a suitable position for your vanishing points and also decide on whether you are going to be drawing in one two or three points perspective there's no set position for where you should place your vanishing points it all depends on the subject being drawn here are some drawings that i have done in the past throughout my earlier tutorials i would try and keep my vanishing points on the page so that you can see how my construction lines converge towards them but most of the time you'll find yourself having to estimate the convergence as the vanishing points are off the page there is a common process to drawing which starts with placing the horizon line then adding some vanishing points and then constructing a drawing using these as you become more experienced you will rely less on visible construction lines and be able to draw directly on the paper instinctively considering the perspective as you work similar to kim jong-il a beginner would see how he draws and think that it's magic but underneath all of this he is considering and visualizing the underlying construction it's just not unsure now i will be doing a follow-up q a on this subject where i answer many of your questions i know that some of you have submitted some already but if you do have any more than feel free to comment on this video down below and i'll get to them i also have a perspective drawing series on youtube and i'm very proud of this series you can work through it in a linear fashion if you are a beginner you can start with the first episode and then progress into some more advanced techniques i also have a patreon page where i create some exclusive content including some perspective tutorials so if that is something you might be interested in then do consider having a look at that i'll leave a link in the description if you enjoyed this video and found it helpful then please leave a like and do consider subscribing if you want to stay up to date with all of the content that i put out in the future but with all that being said thank you for watching i'll see you in the next one [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Dan Beardshaw

Views: 166,571

Keywords: perspective drawing, perspective, tutorial, the horizon line, vanishing points, beginner guide, in-depth explanation

Id: 4H-DYdKYkqk

Length: 19min 27sec (1167 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 27 2020