How to Draw Modular Prisms

How to Draw Modular Prisms

Video by Vladimir London, a Life Drawing Academy tutor

In this video, you will find out what modular prisms are and how to draw them in one- and two-point perspectives.

Let's begin with a prism in one-point perspective. In this example, the horizon level is at the top, which means that we will look at the prism from above. There is only one vanishing point on that level. Vanishing lines are converging into this point. To draw a prism, we need a perfect cube in one-point perspective. Its vertical edges are extended upward. The frontal plane of the cube is divided by its axes of symmetry. One-half of this plane is the module. This dimension will be used to extend a cube and make a modular prism. A diagonal line goes through points "A" and "B". This line gives the point "C" on the extended vertical edge. This point gives us the top plane of the modular prism. You can see that the height of this prism is one-and-a-half times greater than the height of the cube. This is a modular prism. All that is left is to outline this prism in darker lines. Note that according to the aerial perspective, these lines have different boldness. The frontal lines are bolder than the back edges. The cube was extended to get a vertical modular prism.

Now, I will draw a reclining modular prism using the same horizon and vanishing point. Once again, I will start with a perfect cube in one-point perspective. Its bottom plane is divided by the axes of symmetry. The same points "A" and "B" are used to plot the point "C". This point gives us the back side of a modular prism. I will outline this prism using the aerial perspective. Its depth is one-and-a-half times greater than the height of the original cube.

Let's make one more drawing of a reclining modular prism in one-point perspective. As previously, I start with a cube. Its edges are converging into the vanishing point. The module is the same; it measures one-half of the cube width. I will mark it as "M". This dimension can be divided in half. One-half of a module is extended on both sides of the cube. The width of this extended prism is one-and-a-half times greater than the width of the original cube. I outline this reclining modular prism in bolder lines following the rules of aerial perspective.

Now, it's time to advance to a two-point perspective. The horizon line is at the top and I will draw a cube in the three-quarters view seen from above. How to draw a perfect cube in perspective is explained in depth in the Life Drawing Academy Correspondence Course. A perfect circle can be inscribed into a square. Such a circle in perspective appears as an elliptical oval that can be used to construct a cube. Once again, points "A" and "B" are used to get the point "C", which gives us the modular extension. This is where the right side of the prism is. Like in previous cases, the half-width of a cube is the module and this prism is one-and-a-half times greater than the width of the cube. All that is left is to outline this modular prism following the aerial perspective rules.

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