Drawing Exterior of a House Using One-Point Perspective

Objective:
Students will be able to create an original pencil drawing of a house using one-point perspective. The drawing will show depth and proportion and include exterior architectural features. Students will demonstrate control of shading and blending techniques to enhance form and structure.

Warm Up:

1. Draw a horizon line and place one vanishing point in the center of your page.

2. Practice drawing several boxes in one-point perspective.

3. Draw a simple house front and side using perspective lines and add basic shading.
   
   

Key Vocabulary:
● Perspective: A technique used to represent three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.
● Horizon Line: A horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level.
● Vanishing Point: The point on the horizon line where parallel lines appear to meet.
● Blending: Smoothing pencil marks to create soft value changes.
● Exterior: The outer structure of a building, visible from the outside.

Assignment Overview:
Main Concept: Depth & One-Point Perspective/Exterior
Technique: Perspective Drawing/Blending
Medium: Pencil
Subject: House Exterior
Time Permitted: One Week
To complete this assignment, use the provided images and tutorials on our class site: www.artschoool.ca along with the student’s workbook: The Artist’s Compass: Heart, Mind, Eyes, & Hands

Historical Link:
Look at the architectural sketches of Leonardo da Vinci, who used perspective to design building exteriors with mathematical precision.
See Examples

Cultural Link:
Explore how Italian Renaissance villas were drawn and designed with accurate one-point perspective.
See Examples

Steps to Complete the Assignment:

1. Draw a horizontal horizon line across your paper and place a vanishing point in the center.

2. Sketch the front of the house using a square or rectangle positioned below the vanishing point.

3. From each corner of the front wall, draw light lines back to the vanishing point to create the sides of the house.

4. Add a roof by connecting the top edges with diagonal lines and closing the shape.

5. Draw doors, windows, and other architectural details using the same perspective rules.

6. Add background features like fences, pathways, or trees using perspective lines.

7. Shade the sides of the house and details to show form and depth.

8. Clean up extra lines and refine edges for neatness and clarity.
   
   

Questions:

1. How did you use one-point perspective to create depth in your drawing?

2. What was the most difficult part of keeping your lines accurate?

3. How did blending and shading help complete your image?

Writing Prompt:
Reflect on your experience drawing an exterior house using one-point perspective. What techniques helped you stay accurate? What did you learn about space and depth in drawing?

Assessment
● Composition, Design, & Layout: 35%
● Art Skills & Techniques: 35%
● Creativity & Originality: 20%
● Presentation, Neatness & Time Management: 10%

Standards Covered:
● California Art Standards: Students create works of art that communicate space, depth, and structure using learned techniques.
● California ELD Standards: Students participate in academic discussions using discipline-specific vocabulary to explain visual choices.