Drawing Demonstration: A Barn in Two-Point Perspective.
In this exercise, we are going to draw a building in two-point perspective. There is a barn located
near us, which we will use for this exercise. Find a building in your own vicinity, so you can follow
the same steps to create your own drawing.We will begin this drawing in a careful,
methodical fashion, making sure that
the initial “construction” lines (or guide-
lines) that you use to place your build-
ing in two-point perspective are precise.
You will be happy that you took the
time to do the preparatory work, espe-
cially when you begin to render your
subject in light and shadow, as you will
be able to concentrate on the rendering
of the drawing, knowing that everything
is in its right place. This can potentially
save you a lot of time in the long run, as
you will not have to redraw portions of
your drawing that are incorrect.
Because the initial drawing of the barn,
or building you choose, in two-point
perspective is quite technical, it is a
good idea to draw the building on a
very lightly toned paper so that the guidelines remain visible.
After this stage, we can do a more elaborate line drawing, keeping the lines very light. We will proceed to render the light and
shadow by erasing the light areas with the kneaded eraser and by adding graphite (gradually) with the pencil. We will then
smooth it out with a paper towel and tortillon. Follow these steps along with us, as you draw your own building.
Begin by establishing the vantage point (where the viewer is standing) and the eye level, which determines the horizon line
and vanishing points. Then, very lightly draw the large forms of your building, as we have done with our barn (see photo on
the next page).
The Barn Under Construction
TIP
Employing the measuring methods used in the section
“Measure Your Object” in Chapter 4 can help you to achieve
the correct proportions between the trees and the barn, as
well as each individual element of the subject.