Two-Point Perspective - Here's How It Works
tudents keep asking about two-point perspective, so let me show you how it actually works - and why I think there's a better way for real artwork. The technical rules are mathematically correct, but in practice you need something more practical than vanishing points three feet off your paper.
Students keep asking about two-point perspective, so let me show you how it actually works - and why I think there's a better way for real artwork.
Here's the traditional approach and why it falls apart in practice.
Standing in the City
Let's say you're looking down a street at buildings. Your eye level runs across like this - that's your horizon line, the invisible line at your eye height.
Want drawing lessons? Visit the Free Drawing Tutorials & Courses hub →
Watch video: hit play and learn 2-point perspective.
The Traditional Two-Point Setup
Let's say there is a building across the street, and the closest corner to you is right here. In formal two-point perspective, you'd pick a vanishing point on your eye level line - let's say over here on the left. Draw a line from the top of that corner to this point. Draw another from the bottom of the corner to the same point. Now you've got one side of the building.
But here's the problem: the other side of the building goes back to a SECOND vanishing point - and that point would be way off your paper, maybe three feet to the right. You'd literally need to tape extra paper to your drawing board to find it.
This is why I don't formally teach two-point perspective for actual painting. If you're working on an 11x15 watercolor, you simply don't have room for vanishing points that live off the page. The scale would have to be tiny, and it becomes impractical fast.
The Tracking Method Instead
But understanding how perspective works still matters. So here's what I teach: tracking lines.
Once you establish your eye level and rough angles, you can visualize where those perspective lines are heading without actually drawing to distant vanishing points. Things on the front of the building track back to one area, things on the side track to another.
Look at windows on a building facade. The top edge of all the windows tracks along the same perspective angle. The bottom edges do the same. You don't need to find the exact vanishing point - you just need to see that they're tracking together, getting progressively smaller as they move away from you.
The Real Truth About Perspective
Here's what matters: things get smaller as they move away from you. That's it. That's the core principle.
The window closest to you is bigger than the one farther back. The height difference from top to bottom is greater on near objects than far objects because everything's getting compressed as it recedes into space.
If I add another building - maybe taller, maybe with a pitched roof - the same principles apply. The roof sits on the side plane, so it would follow those side-tracking lines. The front facade details would track with the front perspective.
Making It Work in Real Life
When you're actually drawing or painting, you're not going to have vanishing points plotted three feet off your paper. So you train your eye to see the angles. Find your eye level. Establish the corner closest to you. Then trust what you see - the way edges angle back, how forms compress, where things line up.
The technical rules exist, and they're mathematically correct. But in practice, you're working on a finite piece of paper, looking at real buildings, and you need to capture what you see without turning it into an engineering exercise.
Once you understand that these tracking lines exist - that parallel edges stay parallel as they recede, that everything moves toward vanishing points even if you can't plot them - you can draw accurately by observation.
Your eye level is always parallel to the ground. Everything above eye level angles down toward it. Everything below eye level angles up toward it. Get that right, and your buildings will feel solid and believable.
Want More Foundation Training?
This tracking approach works for any subject where perspective matters. I use the same principles when teaching:
Car Drawing Foundations - Learn how to find angles and build believable vehicles using the same tracking method. Cars follow perspective rules just like buildings, but with curves added to the mix.
Building Drawing Series - A complete systematic approach to drawing architecture, from finding the closest corner to adding details that track correctly in space.
Once you understand how tracking lines work across different subjects, you can draw anything with confidence.
The Bottom Line
Two-point perspective is real. The vanishing points exist. But for actual artwork, you're better off understanding the principle and training your eye than trying to plot points off your drawing surface.
Find the angles. Watch how things track. Notice compression as forms move away. That's how you draw buildings that feel right - not by perfect technical setup, but by seeing what's actually there.
Continue Learning
If you enjoyed this hand drawing course, explore even more lessons on our Free Drawing Tutorials & Courses Hub — including the complete How to Draw – Beginner’s Course.
Want new tutorials delivered to your inbox? Subscribe here and get free lessons, tips, and inspiration sent directly to you.
