Drawing techniques: freehand, oblique and perspective

Freehand sketches, crating, oblique and isometric drawing, one- and two-point perspective and shading. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Oblique and isometric

Isometric shows a corner at the front; oblique shows the front flat.

Use a 45° set square for oblique depth lines. In cabinet oblique you draw the depth at half length, so it does not look too deep.
Isometric dot paper helps you draw 30° lines neatly.
On squared paper: draw the front face along the grid lines in its true shape, then draw each depth line diagonally through the corners of the squares (that diagonal is 45°). Join the ends and darken the visible edges.
Need to show a cereal box quickly, without instruments? A freehand oblique or isometric sketch.

Perspective: the road disappears at one point.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Perspective and shading

Always work in this order, from light to dark.

The horizon line is at the viewer’s eye level. One-point: a straight road fading into the distance. Two-point: you look from a corner.
An architect shows a client the house from the street corner in two-point perspective; a factory gets a working drawing with dimensions.
Shading shows light so it looks solid. Light from the top left: the right side is darkest.

A box in one-point perspective, step by step:

Draw the horizon line and mark one vanishing point on it.
Draw the front face in its true shape (a square or rectangle).
Join each corner of the front face to the vanishing point with light construction lines.
Decide how deep the box is and draw the back edges parallel to the front edges: horizontal lines stay horizontal, upright lines stay upright.
Rub out the construction lines you don’t need, darken the outlines and add shading, texture and colour.

Meerkat tip

Keep the vanishing points far apart, or your box looks stretched and distorted.

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Remember this: your summary

A freehand sketch is quick, without a ruler; start with light construction lines.
Crating: draw a box first, then the shape inside it.
Oblique: front flat (a circle stays a true circle). Isometric: a corner at the front, edges at 30°.
Two-point perspective: two vanishing points far apart on the horizon line; upright edges stay upright.
Below the horizon line you see the top; above the horizon line the underside.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Low below the horizon? You look down on the top. High above? You look up at the underside.

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Important words

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Test yourself · Part 2

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