Lesson in Perspective

Sometimes, we can overcomplicate things. And in all my years of teaching, I have never seen a topic that causes more unnecessary fear and confusion than does the act of drawing in perspective.
In this video, I cover some of the basic and most useful ideas, techniques, and methods that I have used in developing perspective drawing. I hope to demystify the topic and make it easier for all of you to create convincing drawings and paintings with a successful illusion of depth and dimensionality. The goal is not to make your work tighter or more technical and "accurate". The goal is to give you tools to help make your work easier, more enjoyable, and more expressive.
As always, I hope you find this video entertaining, and helpful.
Happy Painting and Drawing and Thanks for Watching!
Tom
+These demonstration paintings and sketches were done on Arches Watercolor Paper - Hot Press, Cold Press, and Rough Surface - 300gsm - at various sizes
+Pigments by Daniel Smith
+Brushes by Escoda and Neef
+Palette by House of Hoffman
+Sketch pencils by Blackwing and Faber-Castell
+Sketchbook by Stillman + Birn
Thomas W Schaller AWS NWS TWSA ASAI AIA
www.thomaswschaller.com
thomaswschaller
twschaller
thomaswschaller
www.terracotta.art
Thomas W Schaller - Artist, Architect, Author
New York City - 2025

[@paulw9684]

Hi Tom, so glad to have you back on line - you've been badly missed. A brilliant lesson in simplifying through illustration and words, the difficulties of perspective, which I am sure will aid us all going forward. In fact if this doesn't give us a better 'perspective' on our drawing and painting journey, nothing will. Thanks for your time and expertise.

[@TheKtpremi]

This is so cool, getting taught by a leading watercolour artist of our time, really so lucky. Please continue sir, number of kids around the world would benefit from these wonderful lessons.

[@suel4269]

It’s always a plus for us when it’s rainy , cold or snowing in NYC.

[@1TimothyFourTen]

I love lessons on perspective. Thank you!

[@davidzemens352]

Thank you for a very useful primer on perspective. Your way of instruction is so easy to follow and to understand. This video was VERY useful for me - a fledgling artist - who needs all the help he can get. Finishing the video with the drawing of the trees and tying together not only perspective, but color depth & value, was a neat way to end the lesson. Thanks!

[@thomaswschaller]

thanks david

[@gregforde6234]

Excellent! Thank you so much!

[@RenateWaas]

... even in Spain it´s actually really cold - so your video is so very very welcome and I will spend the evening drawing and painting. Thank you so much! Greetings Renate

[@SaltamontesbaldosaHas]

Has been a while i dont check u out, my architecture classes are becoming harder and this comes in handy, thanks!

[@louisepansieri3230]

So generous of you. Thanks so much for this great lesson.

[@1TimothyFourTen]

I second that!

[@louannestenger4910]

Thank you for being so patient and teaching. I was innately understanding perspective but unable to get my brain to translate into all of my drawings and paintings. You have explained it so maybe I have it on the useful side of my brain.

[@mariejacobs9721]

Thank you. 🌷

[@1TimothyFourTen]

Ok, "...better, in your way of thinking.. Not better objectively but better personally.." Hmmm, that's something I've never heard before. I'll keep watching. I always enjoy your videos. And your voice is so soothing. I need that this weekend. :)

[@thomaswschaller]

didn't mean to sound confusing - just that I think we all need to think of "rules" in art more as options - "tools" that can work for us, and can make our work more personal and expressive

[@1TimothyFourTen]

Not confusing at all. It's very helpful. ​@thomaswschaller

[@felicitycrowe6971]

QUESTION: if the horizon line is the eyeline, doesn’t that mean that it should intersect the receding boats at the same point - for example the same proportion of the sail above and the same proportion below?? So maybe two thirds of the sail above the horizon and one third below, to give a random proportion, b/c the eyeline of a person standing on each boat needs to be along the horizon … not sure I have explained myself well enough …

[@fabianamesaros937]

Thanks maestro!Thanks again for listen my request!

[@holly_kay5570]

Hello Thomas! Good to watch you draw. I'm terrible at drawing in spite of taking numerous classes. I hope you can help me remember the "rules" of perspective and maybe give me some simple techniques to use, if that's realistic at all.

[@thomaswschaller]

I think you'll find it much easier than you might think . Hope it helps

[@sharonjames690]

This is just what I was needing this evening. Thank you so much!

[@donnamoeller9078]

Great. Thanks.

[@lindascott3885]

Thank you for this much needed and appreciated lesson! I hope you will have time to do videos on the illusion of three dimension, depth & distance. To make that happen, do we need to wish for more nasty weather in NYC?😉

[@jcline147]

Hello Thomas.. snowing here near Seattle! Thanks for sharing this with us!

[@thomaswschaller]

Snowing here, too

[@sallyfinch540]

That was fantastic! I, too, thought about 3-d drawing of a giant sequoia, their diameter near the ground is 30 feet and their height is 300 feet. Dang! That would make a crazy great painting. Thanks Thomas.

[@jeanpierredeldyck9873]

Formidable cours ! Merci pour ce partage venu des EU Un peu d’art, de culture et de bienveillance

[@SVNopq]

This was really helpful. Thank you so much.

[@carolannefisher1516]

Thank you for this one. Thomas.

[@maryaltabev5275]

Amazing tutorial! Thanks again. I’m learning so much from you…

[@郭秀霞-j4n]

Good morning .very nice 😊Sir, thank you very much

[@thomaswschaller]

thanks

[@StephenMarkTurner]

Looking forward to watching this. I have the book by Metzger which is quite good, but always nice to get another... well you know 🙂

[@maryaltabev5275]

One question though. Where are the horizon lines in the last few 3 points perspective?

[@1DaTJo]

You’re a wonderful artist, Thomas. ❤ Your sound is not so good though - there’s a whistling sound on your “s” words that is very harsh on my ears. As a professional sound engineer I can tell you that if you turn the high frequencies down and the gain/volume too, the sound will be much better. Blessings.

[@thomaswschaller]

Just recorded on my phone. Not many adjustments I can make. I've listened back and hear so such thing - and no one else mentioned it. So not much I could do

[@judithbarr3939]

Thank you for this lesson. You are a great teacher as well as a wonderful artist. The sound is good too😍

[@jimjr4432]

The water in the hatchery looks really opaque, does not look good to me, or the fish.