2D Toolkit: Digital Perspective

When creating a perspective grid in photoshop I first used the CTRL+R shortcut to bring up rulers. These rulers could then be dragged out onto the area around the canvas, creating a horizontal horizon line and vertical lines which intersected with the horizon to create vanishing points. 

In addition to this, I created an area beyond the canvas. This area, which I coloured black in order differentiate it from the canvas region, would act to be the region beyond the viewable canvas in which the vanishing points would originate. It was important to make sure that these vanishing points were outside the canvas, as this would ensure that the drawn forms would not warp problematically. 

I then used the shape tool to create a grid, choosing the polygon tool and creating a 75-sided shape. In the polygon tool settings I could make it so that these points were not joined, instead flaring out from the centre of the shape. This created a star of many points that, when drawn across the canvas, could originate from vanishing points to form the lines on a perspective grid.

This technique allows for the simple creation of a perspective grid. It is simple to set up and allows for vanishing points - and the grid lines that come from them - to be easily added to the canvas. These lines can then be followed to create forms that follow the perspective of the scene. For example, after creating a simple three-point perspective grid, I drew a rough sketch showing an abstract cuboid form that I was then able to easily add secondary shapes onto. The vanishing points assisted me in the creation of this sketch, as I was able to use photoshop's straight line function (holding Shift) to draw lines directly towards them, creating accurate perspective forms.

I used layer groups to organise the perspective grid lines and the sketch I had drawn. This meant that I could easily lower the opacity of all perspective grids at once, as well as keeping the layers I was using organised.

Equidistant forms in perspective can also be drawn in photoshop. The traditional technique can be replicated for the same effect, allowing for equidistant forms to be accurately drawn whilst following the law of diminution.