Perspective/proportion

Hi,Hoping someone can help because I am getting a bit desperate !! When I go to draw out a scene from a watercolour book before painting, I never seem to be able to get the same perspective as the original.When finished the viewer seems to end up way up in the air !! For example I have just tried to copy a river scene with river going away from me under a bridge viewed from the right side bank with shading seen under arch to left.But when finished I would like the viewer to be on the river bank(or near enough) but instead is way up above it, hovering in a helicopter !!! The scene looks grand if I wanted that view but I don't and can't seem to be able to control what comes out I do understand the basic theory behind perspective and vanishing point and can draw out houses and roads ok, but my trouble seems to be about getting the viewer down on the ground. I just can't seem to find out how to find the same vanishing point as the original artist.I have looked and looked at it for an age, trying to imagine where the vanishing point is, what it should look like if I was on the river bank but can't figure it. Is there a trick to this that I am missing?I know of course that copying is far from ideal but have just started drawing/painting and I reckon if I can't sort this out I won't be able to control how and what I draw and paint.Hoping someone can turn the light on for me ! Thanks.Larry