2 Point Perspective - Why?

[Ryan Small]

Warning:could be a dumb question

 

Why is 2 point perspective a common format for architectural renderings (no vertical perspective) since this isn't what you would see in real-life?

 

-Ryan

[Ernest Burden III]

Why is 2 point perspective a common format for architectural renderings (no vertical perspective) since this isn't what you would see in real-life?

What you 'see' and what you experience can be two different things. Sight vs. vision. We percieve the verticality of surfaces, as well as whether something is level or not, completely independently to seeing it 100% perpendicularly. Most people see in stereo and the brain derives extra data from the differences seen by each eye. A photo/rendering is a 3D view but is experienced as a 2D object. Vertical convergence becomes an artifact of that, so we notice it in ways we do not when viewing through our eyes.

 

The other reason is that until fairly recently all renderings were mechanically set up with pins, triangles and long straight-edges. Calculating a three-point perspective is a lot more involved than a two-pointer. I consider a working knowledge of mechanical perspective critical to the skills of a digital architectural renderer--but I'm getting too old to be relevent much longer, so if you are under 30 feel free to ignore that. Of course, I switched to digital modeling just as soon as it way possible, and never went back. I would bet that I have been doing computer layout of renderings longer than anyone on this forum. 99% of my renderings are two-point.

 

So in the end you have two answers: We see more than just what a camera records...and draftsman lazyness. Take your pick.