Alex Heizer

The other day I was browsing through some graphic novels and manga at the bookstore and noticed a lot of laziness in the artwork in many of them. One of the things which aggravates me in comics when it’s done badly is perspective. Mostly because it follows so few basic rules that if you do it badly it’s because you were too lazy to learn it in the first place. Hopefully I can help fix this for those who need it.

Perspective is the illusion that objects will appear to get smaller and closer together as they recede into the distance. When it’s done right it helps the reader feel like they are transported to the world the artist was trying to create. When it’s done wrong it can throw the reader right out of the made-up world “faster than a speeding bullet,” as they say. There are three basic types of perspective artists can use to create their own illusion in their works: 1-point, 2-point and 3-point. They are used at different times for different results and are based on the number of vanishing points, or VPs, that are used in the drawing. VPs are the imaginary spots on the horizon all objects in your scene will converge on if they recede completely into the distance.

Here’s what each is, and when to use it.

1-point perspective means there is only a single VP. This is useful for a very straightforward scene, with not a lot of dynamicism, such as a long shot of a tree-lined street.
 

Generally speaking, beginners will want to place the VP at the center of the horizon line (which should be placed at the viewer’s eye level), since all objects will line up along your convergence lines to meet “in the distance” in the center of your viewer’s field of vision. Once you practice the basics, experiment with moving around the VP for variety, drama and visual effect.

2-point perspective, naturally enough, means you have two sets of convergence lines which terminate at the horizon line. This is used for a fairly dramatic scene where the viewer is supposed to be standing on the ground of the scene.
 

Where you place the VPs depends on a lot of variables —how close your objects are, what shape your objects are, where your viewer is in relation to the objects, etc. For example, a rectangular building’s VPs would be positioned differently than, say, the acutely-angled corner of New York’s Flatiron building for the same scene with the same viewer position.

Beginners should practice on rectangular structures, but then experiment. In general, the closer the VPs, the more dramatic the effect, even to the point of becoming surreal. It’s also important to note that a scene may have multiple sets of 2-point perspectives. For example, two buildings which are at angles to each other or are non-rectangular (again, NYC’s Flatiron building).

However, even in this case, the overall placement and orientation of all of your objects will align with the master set of VPs which govern the scene.

3-point perspective takes 2-point perspective one step (or giant leap) forward. It allows the artist the ability to take the viewer above or below the horizon. Using 3-point perspective, you calculate The left and right VPs as you would with 2-point perspective, but add another VP above or below the viewer, depending on the view you are after.
 

Regardless of which type of perspective you use for any given panel, all objects should use a single set of VPs, with the exception I mentioned above. The biggest problem I’ve seen is when an artist strays from the master set of VPs out of laziness or misplacement of their ruler. Even if 95% of a scene lines up correctly, the 5% being out of whack will ruin it. By properly utilizing perspective, you can easily lead the viewer around your drawing to where you want them to go. Their eyes will follow your convergence lines forward to the foreground and back to the horizon. Use this to your advantage when drawing, to create movement and drama. Just make sure to learn the basic principles and practice so your artwork looks correct. This will instantly put your work above many artists who are currently being published today.