Facade, straight on
Standing across the street, facing the front of the building. Floors and windows stay level; the street recedes.
mode 1 · horizon 60 · spacing 24 · vps 50,60
Open this gridPerspective Grid for Drawing Buildings
Guide lines for architecture and urban sketching. Start from a facade, a street corner, a tower seen from below or a city seen from above, or match the grid to a photo of a real building.
- Facade, corner, tower and aerial setups
- Match the grid to a building photo
- Print on A4 or Letter
Runs locally · No signup required
Drag the round handles to move vanishing points, drag the horizon line, and scroll to zoom. PNG exports have a transparent background, ready for a layer in Procreate, Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint.
How to set up a grid for a building
- Pick the view of the buildingFacade straight on (1-point), street corner (2-point), or looking up or down (3-point). The setups below cover the common cases.
- Set the eye levelPut the horizon where a person would stand: about a third of the way up a ground-floor door. Everything above eye level is seen from below.
- Align with a photo if you have oneUpload a photo of the building and press "Match grid to photo" to place the vanishing points on rooflines and window rows.
- Export and drawExport a transparent PNG or SVG to draw over, or print a PDF and work on paper or a light box.
Building views, ready to use
Each setup loads its exact parameters into the tool above.
Street corner
Both sides of a corner building visible. The everyday view for urban sketching.
mode 2 · horizon 55 · spacing 24 · vps -15,55;115,55
Open this gridRow of houses down a street
Looking along a street with buildings on both sides receding to one point.
mode 1 · horizon 55 · spacing 20 · vps 38,55
Open this gridSkyscraper from the pavement
Looking up at a tower. The verticals converge toward a point high above.
mode 3 · horizon 88 · spacing 24 · aspect 3/4 · vps -5,88;105,88;50,-35
Open this gridCity block from above
A bird's-eye view of rooftops and streets, as from a drone.
mode 3 · horizon 12 · spacing 24 · vps 0,12;100,12;50,135
Open this gridLobby or hall interior
Large interior seen into a corner, with a wide view and a low ceiling line.
mode 2 · horizon 40 · spacing 20 · fov 90 · vps 5,40;120,40
Open this gridChecklist for believable architecture
- Every horizontal edge on the same face of a building goes to the same vanishing point.
- Window rows above eye level slope down toward the horizon; rows below it slope up.
- Keep vanishing points far apart. Close points make corners look sharper than 90°.
- In 2-point views, keep verticals truly vertical. If they lean, you are in 3-point perspective and should place a third point.
- Space repeating windows with diagonals, not with equal gaps: equal gaps on paper are not equal in depth.
FAQ
Which perspective is best for drawing buildings?
2-point perspective for most street views, because you usually see a corner. 1-point for facades seen straight on and streets that run away from you. 3-point when you look up at a tall building or down from above.
Where should the horizon be when drawing a building?
At the viewer's eye level, about 1.6 m above the ground for a standing person. On a two-storey house that is roughly the middle of the ground-floor windows.
Is this an architectural measuring tool?
No. It gives you correct perspective guides for drawing, not measured plans or elevations. For exact dimensions, use CAD software and use this grid for sketches and illustrations.
Can I use it for urban sketching on paper?
Yes. Export a PDF on A4 or Letter and place it under a sheet on a light box, or print it faintly and draw on top.