To create my painting "Megastructures Krasnikov Tube", I decided to limit myself to using 2d perspective grids rather than creating a full 3d image. This tutorial goes into all the details of how to use grids to paint in 1 point, 2 point and 3 point perspective, and using Photoshop's transform - Deform tool to put flat objects into proper perspective. The first half of the video shows all the theory, and the second half shows a portion of my actual process creating the final painting at double speed with narration. Achieving proper perspective is an important fundamental skill and this video will give you some tips and tricks how to add more accurate perspective to your own imagery.

Go here to download a free 4096 pixel perspective grid.

• A cube in 0 point perspective is a square
• Import a 1 point perspective grid
• Vanishing Point: is a point on the image plane of a perspective rendering where the two-dimensional perspective projections of parallel lines in three-dimensional space appear to converge.
• Horizon Line: The horizon line is a horizontal line depicting the viewers eye line.
• place vanishing point in the middle to the LEFT
• Draw 1 point perspective cube
• copy 1 point perspective grid, give it a different color
• place vanishing point in the middle to the RIGHT
• Draw 2 point perspective cube
• copy 1 point perspective grid, give it a different color
• place vanishing point in the middle towards the TOP
• Draw 3 point perspective cube
• Can draw a cylinder using a cube
• 3d scene and drawing in perspective is identical, it’s just in 3d placing your camera handles the perspective for you automatically.
• Wide Angle Lens = Vanishing Points Closer Together, Telephoto Lens = Vanishing Points Further Apart
• Everything above Horizon line is sad face, everything below horizon is happy face

Exercise

If you really want to drive the point home, here's a little exercise you can try...

1. Download the 1 point perspective grid above
2. Import it into your favorite painting app, it's a png so you can bring it into almost anything such as Photoshop or Procreate.
3. Draw a 0 point, 1 point, 2 point and 3 point perspctive cube just like in this video.