SUNY Cobleskill Homepage

Introduction

Markmaking

Line

Components of Art

Composition

Shape

Figure/Ground

Texture

Value

Value - Gamut

Space

Perspective

More Perspective

Still More

The end of Perspective

Color ~ Hues

Color ~ CMYK

Color ~ HVS

Atmospheric Perspective

Color Schemes

Color Interaction

Repetition

Typography

 

Gestalt

Space

Early methods of indicating space or depth on a flat surface:

 

Perspective

The Horizon Line

The horizon line is the apparent line that separates earth from sky.

The horizon line is the same as the landscape's horizon; however, most of the time hills, trees, buildings and other objects obscure the horizon.
horizon horizon horizon

 

Usually the horizon is not visible indoors, but there is still a theoretical horizon line.
interior interior

 

 

The horizon represents the eye level of the observer.
Your horizon line is always at your eye level no matter where you're looking. If you are looking down, your horizon is still at the height of your eyes, not down where you are looking.

 

The horizon, when your eyes are at 5' , is about 2 3/4 miles away from the you.

If you were 100' above the ground, the horizon would be about 12 miles away.

 

Linear perspective

Linear perspective refers to the illusion that objects appear to become smaller as they get further away...
and that  parallel lines are represented as converging toward a "vanishing point" ...so as to give the illusion of depth and distance.

Vanishing points are points that are frequently located on the horizon line where parallel lines seem to converge.
The vanishing point (v.p.) is on the horizon line when an object has parallel lines that are on the ground or are parallel to the ground.

tracks tracks

 

When the object's planes are inclined, the vanishing points can be above or below the horizon line.

up down

 

The ancient Greeks and Romans used partial linear perspective, as shown in their murals and pottery.
Greek     Greek Pottery

Roman

Roman Fresco

Roman

Roman Fresco

Filippo Brunelleschi, Ca 1425, (re)discovered and refined linear perspective and used it in his archtectural drawings.

The first written information about linear perspective was formulated in 1435 by the Renaissance polymath, Leon Battista Alberti.

 
 
 

One Point Linear Perspective

There are three kinds of lines used in one-point/single-point linear perspective:

  1. Vertical lines are shown as vertical lines.
  2. Horizontal lines (perpendicular to the line of sight and parallel to the ground... "right to left lines") are shown as horizontal lines.
  3. Lines that recede (and are parallel to the line of sight and each other) are drawn as lines that converge at the vanishing point located on the horizon line. Convergence Lines (also called orthogonals) are lines that converge at the vanishing point.
1 point 1 point

 

1 point

 1 point Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers
   

Squares in Single Point Linear Perspective
A square, flat on the ground, as seen from an angle. p
A square, flat on the ground, as seen from directly above (His view) p
A square, flat on the ground, as seen from one "end" of the square (What she sees) p

 

There are a mathematical/geometric methods of accurately drawing a one-point square on the ground. But, here is a simple way to approximate a square in perspective…

 

To draw "her view"... a Single Point Perspective Square on the ground

  
1. Draw a horizon line p

2. Pick a vanishing point near the center of the horizon line
3. Draw two lines from the vp toward the bottom of the page
4. Draw the near edge of the square as a horizontal line p
5. Eyeball the distant edge of the square and draw a line there p

Most people can fairly accurately determine when a shape is a square.

 

Boxes in Single-point Linear Perspective
 
  1. Draw a horizon line.
  2. Select a point near the center of the horizon line… this will be the vanishing point.
  3. Draw a rectangle, below the horizon line to the left of the vanishing point.
  4. Connect three corners of the rectangle to the vanishing point. (Do not use the corner that would result in a line going through the rectangle.
  5. Draw a horizontal line, starting on one of the top orthogonal lines, across until it hits the other top orthogonal line.
  6. Draw a vertical down to the bottom orthogonal line.
1 point

 

 

1 point

daVinci, The Last Supper

1 point

Charles Sheeler

1 point

Jans Vermeer, Street in Delft

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assignments

Assume your eyes are 5' above the ground for all assignments and tests in this course, unless otherwise specified.

 

Also, LIGHTLY draw all lines in pencil, then ink the horizon and objects... leave the guidelines in pencil.

 

Cut a sheet of 9 x 12 bristol board into quarters... each 4 1/2 x 6.
  1. On one of the 1/4 pieces of bristol board, draw a Single Point Perspective Square on the ground
  1. On one of the 1/4 pieces of Bristol board , draw a one point box located below the horizon line
  2. On one of the 1/4 pieces of Bristol board , a one point box overlapping the horizon to the right or left of the vanishing point
  3. On one of the 1/4 pieces of Bristol board , a one point box hovering above the horizon.

 
Photograph, printout and mount in sketchbook, examples of 1--point perspective (at least 4). You may set up your own "scene" and/or shoot existing examples.