Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
View my library
0
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 8

Technical drawing techniques to communicate ideas

I can produce a drawing that creates the illusion of depth and space in architectural design.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 8

Technical drawing techniques to communicate ideas

I can produce a drawing that creates the illusion of depth and space in architectural design.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

View new resources

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Perspective is important in technical drawings to show how a building will look from a specific viewpoint.
  2. There are two key parts of a perspective drawing, the horizon line and vanishing point.
  3. The key rule is to ensure all parallel lines converge at the correct vanishing point(s) on the horizon line.
  4. The lines artists use in perspective drawings aren't always tight and precise.

Keywords

  • Perspective drawing - a technique used to show depth and space by making objects appear smaller as they get further away

  • Vanishing point - the spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet in a perspective drawing

  • Horizon line - a horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level in a drawing

Common misconception

Students often place the vanishing point too low or high, or forget to use it consistently, which causes the drawing to look distorted or unrealistic.

Remember: the vanishing point sits on the horizon line, which is your eye level. All diagonal lines must meet at the vanishing point—even if it’s off the paper!


To help you plan your year 8 art and design lesson on: Technical drawing techniques to communicate ideas, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage freehand sketching before using rulers to build spatial awareness. Think about buildings in your local area, in particular block shaped buildings.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Paper, pencils, rulers, eraser, fineliners, paint, coloured pencils, collage papers, scissors and glue.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is a purpose of technical drawing in design?

to create decorative artwork
Correct answer: to communicate design ideas clearly and accurately
to write stories about architecture
to advertise construction companies

Q2.
Match the terms to the best definition.

Correct Answer:perspective drawing,technique to show depth and space by making objects appear smaller

technique to show depth and space by making objects appear smaller

Correct Answer:vanishing point,spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet

spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet

Correct Answer:horizon line,a horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level in a drawing

a horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level in a drawing

Q3.
What are ways artists and architects show space and depth in their drawings?

Correct answer: using perspective lines that lead to a vanishing point
filling the entire page with one solid colour
Correct answer: overlapping objects to show which ones are in front or behind
drawing everything the same size

Q4.
What are reasons perspective is important in architectural drawings?

Correct answer: It shows how a building will look in real life from a particular viewpoint.
It decorates the page with fancy lines.
Correct answer: It helps clients understand and visualise the architects ideas.
Correct answer: It helps to communicate depth, space and scale of the building clearly.

Q5.
Match the terms to the best definition.

Correct Answer:one-point perspective,uses a single vanishing point

uses a single vanishing point

Correct Answer:two-point perspective,uses two vanishing points

uses two vanishing points

Correct Answer:three-point perspective,uses three vanishing points

uses three vanishing points

Q6.
Select ways in which architects use perspective drawings.

Correct answer: Explore space, mood, and structure.
Correct answer: Add texture, colour or collage to bring their ideas to life.
Measure exact structural loads and stresses.
Calculate the cost of building materials.

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Match the words and definitions.

Correct Answer:perspective drawing,making objects appear smaller as they get further away

making objects appear smaller as they get further away

Correct Answer:vanishing point,the spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet

the spot on the horizon line where all diagonal lines appear to meet

Correct Answer:horizon line,a horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level in a drawing

a horizontal line that represents the viewer’s eye level in a drawing

Q2.
In two-point perspective, all vertical lines go to a vanishing point.

True
Correct answer: False

Q3.
Architecture firms often use creative drawing techniques to ...

make accurate, to scale plans.
Correct answer: help clients visualise and connect with their design ideas.
help clients feel impressed and in awe of their designs.

Q4.
Which of these best describes an expressive architectural drawing?

a neat, perfectly ruled technical drawing
a quick sketch with scribbles and no meaning
Correct answer: a drawing that shows ideas using bold lines, tone or collage

Additional material

Download additional material