Tools of the Perspective Trade: From Essential to Aspirational

Your definitive guide to transforming the flat page into vivid, three-dimensional masterpieces. The tools that will elevate your drawings from good to great, with precision and a dash of creativity.

When bringing depth, dimension, and dynamism to your artwork through perspective, the tools you choose can empower or retard your efforts. Not having the fundamental tools can make your work impossible. When you get traction, having optimal tools will make your process much faster and more fluid. Then, once you hit expert levels, there are some it'd-sure-be-nice tools you might consider. Whether sketching a bustling cityscape or meticulously designing an exotic spaceship for distant worlds, having the right equipment at your disposal is crucial and puts you in control of your artistic vision. 

This article identifies essential tools for perspective drawing, from the basics like a ruler and 45-degree triangle to more specialized gear like the exotic Equal Spacing Divider. Your drawings' precision and creative flow will depend on having the right ones.

Fundamental Tools:

1. Mechanical Pencils: For their consistency in line weight and precision, these pencils are essential for detailing and the fine lines crucial in perspective drawing. The fact they have a long steel tip makes getting the line right against the ruler and triangle much more repeatable and reliable. Choose the tip size that you're comfortable with. I like 0.9mm because I'm a gorilla and always break leads. But if you can manage it, getting sharp, clean lines with a 0.5mm lead is much easier. Speaking of lead, harder ones like HB or H are preferable to 2B, which gets messy as your rulers slide back and forth over the paper. Don't go too hard; I find 2H-4H gouges my paper.

2. Graph Ruler: This is a translucent ruler with grids of lines on the surface. This series of parallel lines allows you to align one set of lines to the next, maintaining parallel in your drawing. Seamstresses use these tools. Get one long enough for your paper; an 18" is a good balance of length and convenience. Parallel lines are a non-negotiable requirement for perspective drawing. Essential for creating straight, parallel lines effortlessly, the ruler's visible parallel lines are critical for ensuring accuracy in your work. Some artists and designers use a Rolling Ruler, but I always bumped it out of parallel, so I stopped using the Rolling ones.

3. T-Square: This is especially critical when working on larger pieces or when absolute horizontal precision is needed for the picture plane or horizon lines. If you can slide the "T" against a square edge, getting parallel lines is much easier. If you cannot, stick with the Graph Ruler. If you want to go full tilt, you can buy little work tables with parallel rules that slide up and down. But this is only if perfect perspective has become essential to your life.

4. 45-Degree Triangle: Vital for drawing accurate angles, foundational in establishing correct perspective, especially in architectural or mechanical drawings. The short leg will optimally reach most of the way up the height of your paper. For example, if I'm working on an 11x17 piece of paper, I really want my triangle's short edge to be 11 inches.

5. Architectural Scale: I use this triangular ruler for its handy increments at each scale. I rotate it until I find an easy increment to subdivide the space between my top and bottom converging lines to create equal intervals between them. The equal spacing divider is much easier, but you can snag the triangular architectural scale for $5.

Intermediate Tools:

1. Equal Spacing Divider: Important for maintaining accurate proportions and distances between lines, ensuring they diminish correctly as they recede in space. This one is an exotic tool that costs much more than the triangular architectural scale. Is it worth it? Only if you're drawing in perspective frequently. The equal spacing divider is $50 for one that leatherworkers use and $100 on eBay for the exotic Irwin one from days before digital workflows.

2. French Curves: Beneficial for adding organic shapes or smooth curves within a perspective framework, where freehand drawing might lack precision.

3. Drawing Board and Parallel Rule (Optional): I mentioned this above in the T-Square listing. The parallel rule offers a reliable, repeatable, and fast way of getting parallel horizontal lines onto your paper. While highly useful, modern alternatives and personal space may drive your decision. In tight urban spaces, having a dedicated work surface may be a luxury you don't have.

4. Digital Tools: Software solutions can simulate perspective grids and offer undo capabilities, providing a flexible and forgiving environment for experimentation. While powerful, they are considered optional based on the artist's preferred medium and access to technology.

It'd-sure-be-nice Tools

• Ellipse Templates: When you get to the stage where circles in perspective are a big deal, you'll need a set of ellipses templates. The single temple with 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60° with different sizes is a good start. If you're an industrial designer, a full set in 5° increments becomes critical, but they're wicked expensive tools for advanced perspective. Don't splurge before you have to.

• Protractor: A protractor can be invaluable for precise angle measurements beyond the standard 45 degrees, especially in complex scenes with varied viewpoints. I don't use one regularly, but there are situations where it might be handy.

• French Curves and Ship Curves: When your perspective drawing includes organic shapes or smooth curves, French Curves and Ship Curves are incredibly helpful. They're hard to use well, and honestly, I never mastered using them. But if you're an aspiring car designer, these might be in your future. Art Center, College of Design, used to require first-year car designers to make their own ship curves in shop class. Students gained experience with the power tools and got invaluable drawing tools they'll keep for life... what's not to love. Lasers can work, too, but if you use solvent to clean these, they'll crack like a thin winter's ice on a pond.

• Digital Tools: Software like Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, or SketchUp can simulate perspective grids and offer flexible, undoable lines—perfect for experimenting with complex scenes.

Finding Your Creative Rhythm

Equipping yourself with the right tools for perspective drawing enhances the accuracy of your work and expands your creative possibilities. By combining fundamental tools like the 45-degree triangle and the Graph Ruler with optional aids like an equal spacing divider, drawing board, or digital software, you can confidently tackle any perspective challenge. 

Remember, mastering these tools takes practice, but each stroke of improvement brings you closer to precision and dimensionality in your artwork. Whether you're a novice just starting out or someone with time under their belt looking to refine your technique, investing in quality drawing tools is a step toward elevating your art to new levels.

Charles Merritt Houghton

5 April 2024