This is Part Three of my series of instructional articles about linear perspective.
Three-Point perspective is used to depict objects and structures that are significantly high or low in the picture plane. Mechanically, it seems more complex to construct than two-point perspective. If you understand the essentials, its complexity does not make it difficult. The angle of our line of sight and the picture plane play a huge role in three-point perspective. The picture plane is relative to our angle of vision (line of sight). When we look straight ahead and our line of sight is parallel to the ground plane, the picture plane is perpendicular to both the ground plane and to our line of sight. When we tilt our head to look up or down, the picture plane is angled in relation to the ground plane but remains perpendicular to our line of sight. Eye level, where the horizon sits, does not change. But it will appear higher or lower in the picture plane depending on the angle of our line of sight.
Types of Linear Perspective
In one-point and two-point perspective, all sets of parallel lines that are not parallel to the picture plane appear to converge at common vanishing points on eye level. All vertical lines are parallel to the vertical edges of the picture plane and are truly vertical (plumb).One-point perspective has a single vanishing point. One set of parallel lines (planes) that remain parallel to the picture plane. All vertical lines are parallel to the vertical edges of the picture plane and are truly vertical.
One-point perspective is useful in drawing interiors, street scenes and still-life arrangements. It is the simplest of the three types of perspective, but the results can be visual dull and uninteresting.
In two-point perspective, we obviously have two vanishing points for each object in the image, all on eye level. As in one-point perspective, all vertical lines are parallel to the vertical edges of the picture plane and are truly vertical.
Two-point perspective communicates more information about objects and spaces, and creates more natural, dynamic drawings that are more interesting than one-point perspective views.
Three-point perspective has 3 vanishing points and all parallel planes are oblique or angled in relationship to the picture plane.
We use three-point perspective to communicate extreme height or depth — objects and structures are far above or below eye level. It can result in highly-dynamic images.

Three-Point Perspective Explained
When objects are high or low enough in our field of vision, not only do the planes perpendicular to the ground plane diminish as they recede, but the vertical angles also appear to diminish — they’re no longer appearing vertical. But those vertical diminishing lines don’t meet on eye level. They meet at a vanishing point above or below eye level. This vanishing point is the vertical vanishing point (VVP).
