Vanishing Point Studio

Hook 5 min

1. Show the Railroad picture. "The rails are parallel in real life. Do they look parallel here?"
2. "Artists use one trick to make a flat page look deep. Today you learn it."

Model 12 min

1. Drag along one rail, then the other. The lines meet at one point: the vanishing point.
2. Press Show the horizon. "The vanishing point sits on the horizon line, the artist's eye level."
3. Switch to Draw and choose Box. Drag one box below the horizon, one above and one to the side. "Which box shows its top? Which shows its bottom?"
4. Drag the red vanishing point and watch every box turn. Move it low ("a worm's-eye view") and high ("a bird's-eye view").
5. Add a Road and a Row of posts. "What happens to the spaces between the posts as they go back?"

Make 18 min

1. Students draw a street scene with at least three boxes (buildings), a road and a row of posts, on screen or on paper with a ruler.
2. On paper: draw the horizon line first, then the vanishing point, then the front faces, then lines back to the point.
3. On screen: students turn off Guides to see the finished drawing, then turn on Shading for lighter tops and fronts and darker sides.
4. Paper drawers add value with their pencils the same way: light tops, darker sides.
5. Students who want a model can load Example street and study it first.

Share 6 min

1. Partners swap drawings and find the vanishing point in each other's work by tracing two edges back.
2. Two or three students show their drawing. "Where is the eye level? How can you tell?"
3. On-screen drawings can be saved with Save picture.

Exit check 4 min

On a card, draw a horizon line, a vanishing point and one box above the horizon. Shade one side darker. Boxes that show their top above the horizon show who needs the model again.