If you want to create artwork that obeys the laws of perspective and you have a computer, I can think of no better tool than Google’s Sketchup to help you do it. I find it invaluable for illustration.
It’s a 3D modeling program which is extremely intuitive. It’s based on the idea of actually making things by drawing lines, so people who are comfortable with pencil and paper won’t find a sharp learning curve. Like any good graphics program, although it is easy to use, there is also a great deal of depth. You can do extremely complex things with Sketchup.
You can quickly and easily build something straight out of your imagination but you can also create 3D buildings or objects from 2D photos.
Once you’ve built your model you can use it for anything you like. Take a shot of it from any angle, change the field of view, etc. You can add textures and colours as well as pre-made elements like windows or trees.
You can print it out and use the squaring up method to transfer it to a drawing surface and incorporate it into your drawing or painting. Or make a loose sketch from the image on the screen. For digital work, of course you can export images and import them into Photoshop. You can even create your own perspective grids.
The thing that’s really great about Sketchup is that it’s FREE. Yes, free. There’s a professional version which does come with a price tag but it is astounding what you can do with the free version. It’s made by Google and I think they have some sort of internet search engine as well.
Here are some images of buildings I’ve constructed in Sketchup for upcoming projects:
