My Perspective on Vanishing Points

Adding Some Perspective

Following on from my last post about scene types, today's is all about drawing in perspective using vanishing points. My last comic showed a factory scene in one of the frames which I used perspective to show depth and give an idea of space.

A vanishing point is a point in the image where a set of parallel lines intersect in the distance. Think about railway lines converging at the horizon and you'd have a single vanishing point perspective.

Single Point Perspective.
(from Wikipedia)

It's quite easy to see that the vanishing point here is right in the middle just below the trees.

Using Double Point Perspective

My cartoon was set in a factory and centred around the idea of a robot taking revenge for what was being said by a TV anchorman. I'm going to use two point perspective to enable me to draw a machine that fits in with what I'd already drawn for the background. The idea is that the machine is going to be making these bins and the robot will be stacking them up.

Starting Point - X marks the spot.

I'd already made a stack of bin or garbage cans in the picture, and these had been overlapped and reduced in size so that they give the impression of perspective. The box with the X is where I want to draw the machine.

The shape of the bins follows two sets of vanishing points

I'm showing the lines that run off to the two vanishing points on this diagram. Both points should be on the horizon line which I've chosen as roughly mid point. And the blue point is well over to the right, off the page.

Add vanishing point lines for the machine

Now I've added vanishing points for the machine (making sure they are on the same horizon line). My tip would be to not add too many at this point or it'll get confusing, but try and mark out lines to help build the basic shape. These guide lines will form the basic of all horizontal lines in the box I'm about to draw.

The completed machine with shading

Add additional guide lines as you go where you need to add details. You'll find the angles often look a little odd, but stick with it, it'll look fine once it's done. My machine here is simple box with a conveyor spur, a control box and a fan unit. The writing on the sign is done in a similar way, add red guide lines and then scale the individual letters to fit.

Finally, I filled with colour shades of grey , then added a few extra details like switches and hatches. The additional of a bin on the conveyor ties it all together.

The completed frame ready for dialogue

Once the backdrop has been completed you can add your cartoon characters, and here I've used the white outline trick to give them a bit of separation. I've also kept the background free of colour to stop it from grabbing too much attention.

I have also added a little bit of detail that can't been seen on the published cartoon, but if you look at the completed frame you might find my slight obsession drawn within.

Strictly speaking I should have used the same trick when drawing the robot, it's close, but as long as the vanishing points converge on the same horizon line it should look OK.

See original cartoon here -- http://area5-1.webcomic.ws/comics/62/