Perspective drawing is a complex abstract concept. You are intentionally morphing shapes, to force illusions of space and depth, on a flat surface.
For example, we know that a building has rectangular sides, yet when we draw a cuboid form on paper with the intension of showing the illusion of space, the sides need to change into a trapezoid shapes.
We know that a road has 2 parallel sides. We've learnt in math that parallel lines don't ever meet and yet when we draw a road going off into the distance, the road edges seem to meet at a point. So what is really going on here?
These visual representations clash with our knowledge of reality, and confuse our students who are slowly making sense of the world. When your 5th graders are staring at the page like one-point perspective is a secret code, they are not the problem. What's likely is that we didn't scaffold their conceptual understandings, first.
Perspective drawing is not the beginning, it's the end of an intentional and carefully scaffolded learning journey.
THE HISTORY OF PERSPECTIVE IN ART
Artists throughout history, spent centuries trying to show depth on a flat surface in a variety of ways. Ancient Greek and Roman artists were very good at making images look like they had depth by using visual tricks to show the illusion of space, like overlapping objects or value shading. But they didn’t have a clear, step-by-step system, like the perspective rules we teach today. Rules that are based in math and geometry.
During the medieval period in Europe, the use of these visual tricks faded. Artists focused more on storytelling than realism, showing importance, rather than depth. They did this by making significant people larger than others, and making symbolic choices to organise space.
It wasn't until the Renaissance period, when artists began to experiment with these ideas again and finally developed a useful system for perspective drawing, that we can apply today.
The big breakthrough came in Florence around 1420, when architect Filippo Brunelleschi demonstrated that a convincing illusion of three-dimensional space could be created on a flat surface. His famous Florence Baptistery experiment (linear perspective) demonstrated a way to include perspective in a 2D artwork.
In 1435, Leon Battista Alberti wrote the De Pictura for artists, in which he explains Brunelleschi’s idea and turns it into a teachable method.
Perspective gradually grew into a major artistic technique used by artists like Masaccio in Holy Trinity(1425–1427) a groundbreaking Early Renaissance fresco, known as one of the first paintings to systematically use linear perspective and creating a profound illusion of three-dimensional space.
Artist and mathematician, Piero della Francesca wrote one of the earliest treatises devoted entirely to perspective, and Albrecht Dürer helped spread the ideas north of Italy.
In 1715, English mathematician Brook Taylor gave a formal, and rigorous definition of vanishing points in his work, Linear Perspective.
Once we realise just how long this idea took to develop across centuries, cultivated by both artists and mathematicians, we can understand why children will struggle with grasping these abstract concepts without prior scaffolding.
First, we need to unpack the element of space.
TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR SPACE
Before students can understand perspective, they need to understand the visual clues artists use to show that something is near or far away. These clues are simpler, more concrete, and easier for elementary students to grasp.
The 6 clues that I like to teach, are: size, vertical elevation, overlapping, detail, horizon and the vanishing point.
Size: Things look bigger when they are closer to you, while far away things look smaller. Go outside the classroom if you can to establish this concrete understanding. In any composition where students would repeat an object, e.g. trees, explore this clue.
Have students draw the same tree 2-3 times, but in different sizes, to show that one is closer and the others are further away.
Elevation: Things placed higher on the page (or closer to the horizon line) often feel farther away. Using the same tree composition, elevate the base of the smaller trees on the page, to further enhance the illusion of depth.
Overlapping: This is one of the trickier clues for young artists to incorporate, but very effective when creating depth illusions. Children like to draw objects in their entirety and it takes a little effort to convince them to 'tuck' objects behind each other. If one shape covers part of another shape, the one in front looks closer, regardless of it's size or elevation.
Show students lots of practical examples and practice still life drawing of simple objects that they arrange. Tuck objects behind others, e.g a handful of leaves picked up in the playground. Draw a leaf shape, very lightly. Then lay a second leaf across it and draw the new front leaf across part of the back one. Now darken in and detail the front leaf first. Finish by darkening and detailing the 'visible' part of the back leaf. Add a drop shadow for even greater impact. Students are learning that something is still there, even if we cannot see it.
Detail & Value: Distant things often look lighter, softer, or blurry. Mountains in the distance do not look as clear and detailed as the tree right in front of you and colours blend into their average values. Near objects have more texture and the details are clearer. With objects in the distance, all the tiny details are simply too far away to see and objects can be simplified into their basic shapes.
Horizon: The horizon line is where the horizontal and vertical planes meet. In land and sea scapes, the horizon can be an infinite distance away, while inside a room, it is more tangible. Once students understand the concept of horizon, the vanishing point starts to make more sense because, in a one-point perspective drawing, parallel lines converge toward a single vanishing point, on the horizon line.
For more teaching resources that support the element of space, take a look at these by clicking the images:
SHIFTS I MADE WHEN TEACHING PERSPECTIVES:
Instead of starting with “draw a vanishing point.”
Begin with “how do artists make things look near and far?”
That one small change lowers the cognitive stress immediately and a simple scaffolded sequence could look something like this:
Provide photographs/ images that clearly show the near and far clues of space, for students to analyse. Students can use a T-chart strategy, to list their noticings and wonderings.
Have a go at drawing these noticings, visually and practically examining how to implement the clues, without a high risk outcome or expectation. Maybe students only explore size and overlapping, at first. Then they adjust the vertical elevation, then add detail to closer objects and increase contrast while blurring value in distant objects. Finally include the horizon line.
Now start a new drawing using these same objects, but starting with the structure of orthogonal lines to create the vanishing point and adding the objects guided by this structure.
By the time you introduce one-point perspective, students are no longer working with a mystery. They are applying a system that uses clear techniques they already understand, visually. Brunelleschi and Alberti did the hard work many centuries ago. Our job is to make the concepts concrete and relatable for children before making it geometric and abstract.
And that is the secret sauce.
Perspective is not really a drawing trick. It is a way of training the eye, one small clue at a time. Once children can notice the changes in size, elevation, overlapping, value, detail, and horizon, one-point perspective stops being an abstract concept and starts to make sense.
Moving on, how can we extend our capable students that can easily master perspective ideas?
FLIPPING THE CONCEPT - REVERSE PERSPECTIVES
A more recent (and slightly mind-bending) idea is that of reverse perspective.
Once students understand the “rules” of traditional perspective, they can deliberately break them. Instead of lines moving inward toward a vanishing point, they spread outward toward the viewer. This makes the space feel like it is expanding or even reaching out of the picture.
Historically, reverse perspective was used in Byzantine and Russian icon paintings to create a spiritual or symbolic sense of space, rather than a realistic one. In more recent times, artists like M. C. Escher explored ideas of distorted perspective to challenge how we see depth, reminding us that perspective is not just about realism, but can be a creative choice as well.
One contemporary British artist, famously working with "pop out" reverse perspectives is Patrick Hughes (born 1939). He invented a technique he calls "Reverspective" (a portmanteau or word combination of the words reverse + perspective). He uses three-dimensional painted reliefs to create a mind-bending optical illusion.
Key Aspects of Patrick Hughes' Reverspectives:
The Technique:
Hughes starts a 3D artwork by constructing a pyramid, or wedge-shaped wooden blocks. Then he paints detailed scenes across it, like gallery interiors, cityscapes, or landscapes.
The Illusion:
The parts of the painting that are physically closest to the viewer (the peak of the protruding pyramid) are painted to appear as though they are the farthest away.
The "Pop Out" Effect:
As viewers walk past the artwork, the composition appears to move and "pop out," with the protruding elements seeming to move faster than the surrounding area, creating a dynamic, engaging experience.
The Effect on Viewers:
Even in 2D works, Hughes often depicts surreal scenes (e.g., Paradoxymoron at the British Library) to challenge the viewer's understanding of perspective, space, and reality.
"Sticking-out Room":
He created his first reverse perspective, titled Sticking-out Room, in 1964. Patrick Hughes lives and works in London, and his work is featured in major collections, including the Tate Gallery. His official website offers a wonderful collection of his works, to explore.
Looking for engaging insect focused art lessons that develop art skills and engage students to produce beautiful artwork?
Insects are one of the most child focused themes to explore in the art room. They connect naturally to science, seasons, and observation, while giving students endless opportunities to explore pattern, colour, texture, and composition. Children are inherently curious about, and fascinated by bugs.
In this post, I’m sharing three of my go-to insect art projects for elementary students, lessons I use in my own classroom that are structured for high engagement, skill-building, and individual creativity. They are intended to work across multiple lessons for deep learning and exploration.
🐛 WHY TEACH ABOUT INSECTS IN ART?
Insects are more than just a fun theme, they’re a powerful teaching tool. They are a great context for students to:
Explore pattern and symmetry
Build skills in close observation and small details
Experiment with texture and surface design
Make cross-curricular links to science and seasonal learning
Whether you're teaching a Spring unit on life cycles or a Fall unit on habitats, insect-themed art lessons will fit seamlessly into your curriculum.
🌸 SPRING INSECTS & FLOWERS (with paint + collage)
We only recently finished this lesson with my K-first graders but this lesson will appeal even more to older students as they are able to focus for more extended periods.
Students will create a vibrant composition in which they combine their previously drawn insects and painted flowers, using collage techniques to build layered, textured artwork.
🎨 Why use this lesson:
Combine multiple media skills (paint + collage)
Teach composition and layering
Encourage creative choice and personal interpretation
Produce bold, display-ready results
This lesson works particularly well when students are inquiring into themes like:
Pollination
Gardens habitats
Earth Day
Seasonal cycles - Spring
Symbiosis + Mutualism
👉 Use this to extend your inquiry learning is a visible way and create feature artwork for your classroom displays.
☀️ SUMMER DRAGONFLY (with paint + oil pastels) video support
This is lesson will easily bridge from your Spring to your end-of-term or Summer art curriculum.
Students create a vibrant dragonfly artwork using mixed media techniques, combining paint and oil pastel with sgraffito and collage techniques. Students also get to explore transparency and texture.
🎨 Why use this lesson:
Combine paint and oil pastels for a multi media experience
Teach sgraffito and collage for rich, layered results
Teach texture, pattern, and colour blending
Encourage creative exploration and personal design choices
👉 And it also includes bonus video guidance I recorded, for making it even easier to teach. Use this when you want a low-stress, high-impact Summer lesson that builds real, curriculum based art skills. Dragonflies are a great subject for Summer learning, linking naturally to:
Insect habitats
Water environments
Life cycles and nature studies
Seasonal cycles - Summer
✏️ Why teachers love this one: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"This is a great resource to go with a mixed media unit and especially for spring. I love the different versions with materials to use for the dragonfly for more creativity. The video tutorials are awesome as well to help with the steps of the lesson!"
Highly engaging for end-of-term energy levels
Works well as a standalone project or part of a unit
🍁 AUTUMN LEAVES & INSECTS (with oil pastels + pencils) video support
This is another clearly structured, multi-lesson project that creates high-impact results. Students combine insects with autumn leaves, using oil pastels to explore fall colour, schemes, texture, and contrast.
🎨 What students learn:
Oil pastel blending and layering
Texture through mark-making
Layered compositions using natural forms
Observation and detail
This lesson is a standout because of it's strong connection to seasonal learning themes. Your students will build confidence with using oil pastel techniquesand produce beautiful artwork.
And there is a fully comprehensive video guide to support your students, every step of the way.
Insect-themed art lessons are a simple way to bring engagement, creativity, and cross-curricular learning into your classroom. With these well structured lessons that support learners step-by-step, you get the best of both worlds:
Students working more independently and confidently
Artwork created to a higher standard due to focused skill development
When you’re planning your curriculum, these lessons will be beneficial inclusions. They provide:
A balanced mix of media
A progression of skills
Consistent, high-quality outcomes
Looking for something smaller, cuter and fun for end of term / end of year learning? Try my COZY INSECTS drawing lesson
If you need something flexible for messy end-of term schedules, this is the way to go. This insect drawing lesson is designed to work as:
An early finisher activity
A sub plan
A low-prep drawing lesson
A bit if fun between big projects
Students create “cozy” insects applying their learning about the art element of line to create pattern and detail. This lesson is largely self guided, making it highly engaging while using basic supplies.
✏️ Teachers love this one because it's:
Minimal prep
Easy to run independently
Consolidates pattern and drawing skills
Engaging for a wide range of abilities
👉 Perfect for those moments when you need a reliable, no-stress lesson that still has strong learning outcomes. Cozy Insect Drawings is also flexible across seasons, based on the leaf colours and any inclusions students wish to use or add.
When you need lessons that are classroom-tested, clearly structured and designed for real teaching conditions across a range of elementary levels, you can explore my full range of lessons guides, here:
These are the same lessons that I use to keep my own students engaged, build strong technical skills, creative confidence and yield strong results for our art show displays.
Make It Even Easier for Your Future Planning
If you want to stay in the loop, getting updates about comprehensive, ready-to-use art lessons that you can trust, you can subscribe to my FREE Substack newsletter, straight to your inbox.
As summer arrives and the weather starts to warm up, you want to feel energised about your art lessons… but the reality is often very different.
You’re tired. Your students are restless. And you still need something that:
looks great on display
builds real art skills (not just “busy work”)
and spans across several lessons, with minimal prep
This is exactly why I come back to collage and oil pastel projects at this time of year.
They’re engaging, flexible, and when structured well, they create vibrant, successful results for every student, whatever their work pace may be. And the bonus is that you can use up left over paper scraps from the year.
Let me show you one of my recent lessons that worked beautifully for us.
Why This Summer Art Lesson Works (Even When Energy Is Low)
When short on time, with increased interruption to schedules, this lesson easily adapted to meet our needs. This summer picnic collage art lesson supports and extends:
Oil pastel skills (blending, value application, texture)
Creative choice (students can personalise their picnic scene)
And more importantly, it has enough structure that even your less confident students feel successful, as they get excited about the up-coming summer holidays.
The Problem This Solves in Real Classrooms
If you’ve ever taught a “fun seasonal activity” and it didn’t quite land, you’ll identify with this:
Students rush and make mistakes
They don’t like parts of their artwork and want to start again
Everyone’s work starts to look the same
You spend more time managing than teaching
Making the shift to structured, scaffolded lessons, like this one, that have choice built in at every step, can make all the difference.
What This Looks Like in the Classroom
This project is built around a simple but engaging idea:
👉 Students build their artwork in small, bite-sized sections that come together into a bright picnic scene, reducing overwhelm. If students miss lessons, it doesn’t matter, because they have the opportunity to make a range of things for their basket - they don’t need everything! All steps are on the included slides to inspire students with a visual example or to help students catch up anything that they missed.
Student Process:
Start the lesson at any point.
When all students are present, that is a good day to create the basket together. Students design their unique basket and a background with a focus on colour, texture and value
Make each item for their basket across a couple of lessons, as individual collage elements (blankets, food, drink)
Use oil pastels, then enhance and define details with coloured pencils. Use paint sticks or liquid water colours to fill the backgrounds quickly
Extend with collage grass and flowers for your focused fast finishers
This will result in a high level of engagement due to genuine student-driven outcomes, and yield colourful pieces you’ll actually be proud to display.
Skills Students Are Actually Learning
This project isn’t just fun, it’s also skill-building with purpose. Students develop:
Composition skills – arranging elements in a balanced way
Colour theory understanding – bright, seasonal palettes
Fine motor control – cutting and detailed pastel work
Art elements – texture, shape, line, value and form
Observational drawing - for the basket and contents
So yes, it’s engaging and seasonal. But it’s also meaningful and structured. This lesson works especially well for students aged 7–9 (middle to upper primary), those classes that need clear structure and guidance andteachers wanting a low-prep but high-impact lesson.
Let’s be honest, we don’t have time to reinvent lessons every week. This is the exact type of lesson I use when I need something that needs minimal prep and keeps students focused on individual outcomes with purpose, producing strong results, without thestress.
It’s the kind of lesson you can walk into class with and feel prepared, even in a busy week.
Save Time and Get Strong Results
I have written up my process and added step-by-step photos so that you can also teach this Summer Picnics art project, perfect for your art lessons over the next few weeks.
If you need something reliable for the spring / summer term, this is it.
Make It Even Easier for Your Future Planning
If you want to stay in the loop, getting updates about comprehensive, ready-to-use art lessons that you can trust, you can subscribe to my FREE Substack newsletter.
