Basic 102 Class 1 - Intermediate Perspective

[Robin Neudorfer]

Picture Perfect Perspective Produced Painlessly


Perspective
What do you think about when you hear this word? Have you ever thought about giving a word you don’t like a different name?
In this lesson we are going to take what you have learned, in past lessons, and bump it up a notch.

Perspective is the art of drawing and painting so that objects appear to have depth and distance. In linear perspective, it is a technique for suggesting depth in a picture by making parallel lines meet. Parallel lines don’t actually meet, of course, but they appear to, and in appearing to meet they plant in our minds the idea of distance.

We are surrounded everyday by examples of linear perspective. If parallel lines in real life seem to meet, it makes sense to have parallel lines, in our pictures meet. To draw a convincing picture using linear perspective, it is only necessary to understand a few simple definitions and rules. Once you have learned the rules, only then can you break them. If you never understand the rules, you will only look like an amateur.

Here is a quick review, of those definitions and rules.
VP = Vanishing Point - the point at which parallel horizontal lines seem to meet in the distance.
HL = Horizon Line – is where the Vanishing Points for parallel horizontal lines all fall.
EL = Eye Level – we use this term because you can’t always see the HL because things like buildings and mountains obstruct your view. Think of EL as a horizontal plane passing through the eye of the observer parallel to the earth. There can only be one eye level, in a realistic picture.
EL = HL = Linear Perspective
Everything is made relative to that eye level. Every time you change eye level (standing, sitting, on stairs, in a tree), you change what you are seeing.
Receding lines that are above eye level, slant down to a VP on the EL. Receding lines below eye level, slant up to a VP.
One Point – Rectangular objects having one face parallel to the picture plane have a single VP.
Two Point – Rectangular objects with no face parallel to the picture plane have two VP’s.
Three Point – In addition to VP’s on the EL, there is a third VP above or below the eye level.
Each object, has its own VP on the EL.

[Robin Neudorfer]

See now wasn’t that harmless.
Anybody ready to run out the door at this point? Just a minute please.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. You have existed in this visual world with perspective guiding you, your whole life. Stairs, fences, arches, roads, you can understand where they lead. You can understand this well enough to now be able to draw the same on a two dimensional surface.

In this lesson, we are going to take one, two, and three point perspective and use them in a drawing. First you will do a clear working line drawing, showing complicated areas worked out to the VP’s.
You will then copy this line drawing to a better quality paper, and add details, shading, and personality to your finished piece.
I personally think 8.5 x 11 is too small for a drawing, so I suggest that you work on at least 11x14

Please be aware that you will most likely use quite a bit of tracing paper, so I would suggest that you pick up a pad, if you don't own any. At times the drawing can become so complicated with lines, that you need to redraw the actual image again, eliminating some of the construction lines. Not a lot of erasing goes into a construction drawing. You simply correct, and redraw.

Also, if you do not have a plastic triangle, and straight edge (T-square, or parallel rule), I would suggest investing in them. It really is important to have these to make precise drawings.
You may use any type of pencil you are comfortable with. Keep it sharp, so that your line drawing is clear.
We will not be adding color in this class. However, if when you are done with the three assignments we have planned, of course you can reuse your line drawing and do a color rendition and post this to the thread for everyone to see.

[Robin Neudorfer]

Week One we will develop a drawing using one point perspective.
Many of you have expressed a desire to do a particular type of drawing. This could be a building outdoors, an interior view such as your kitchen from one end to the other, or a favorite spot in your house. This could be a fantasy environment, or something from history. It could be as simple as a fence, or archway. You will be the illustrator of this scene. The only requirement is that it be in one point perspective.
Here is an example of one point perspective. This happens to be painted in gouache.



If your perspective skills are still a bit shaky, we can do a very simple view. I would suggest that you tape a piece of tracing paper to a window in your home that faces out. Draw what you see. Then when you are done, take the paper down, and clean up the lines, with the information that you know, using one point perspective.

I encourage you to challenge yourself. Set up a problem that you have and learn from this. This is not the place to show off what you can do. Really give this some thought. I know what it is like to post work that is not up to your standards, but in the end you are the loser, because you need to move out of your comfort zone to grow as an artist. I bet some of you will even set up situations that will challenge me. Go for it because, I can use the practice.

I would like you all to please take the time to consider composition. I realize that is not the main point of this class, but with any drawing at the intermediate level, it needs to be a consideration. I would suggest doing some thumbnail sketches and if you want to post those for suggestions on composition that would be fine before you start your line work. The perspective is the most important lesson right now, so the quicker we start drawing the sooner we all can learn from each others problems.

[Robin Neudorfer]

Field Trips:

Helpful websites:

http://studiochalkboard.evansville.edu/draw.html

http://www.olejarz.com/arted/perspective/index.html

This is a good site with some interesting perspective drawings. I am not promoting the site for sales reasons. I just came across it and was interested in the drawing.

http://www.oldprintshop.com/cgi-bin/...creator_id=121


Bad Perspective:

http://blog.miragestudio7.com/2005/1...e-human-scale/

[Robin Neudorfer]

Week Two - This will be a Two Point perspective drawing. Consider again, a scene you are interested in drawing. This could be a still life, a product design, a Roman ruin, a CA wild western street, or the exterior of your home. Again this is open to your interests. If you are reading a good book, maybe illustrate a scene in the book, or draw us a view in your home. As we go along with these drawings, we may need to discuss measurements in perspective. Rather than confuse you before hand, I would like to see where you are having difficulty. You may add ellipses into your drawing at any point. Just make sure there is evidence of two point perspective.

Week Three – We will do a third drawing using Three Point perspective. Once again, subject matter will be your personal choice. Some suggestions as viewed by, a pedestrian in the middle of the city with high rise buildings above, from a birds position on a telephone wire, from a mouse or ant hole, or from the top of a mast on a boat. Again a book or a movie, might inspire you to create a imaginary scene. Be creative.

You will post as you go, and when you are struggling, post and I will be able to guide you and give you the rules that apply to your particular situation.
I only ask that you not enlarge photographs. This would defeat the purpose of learning perspective. I don’t have a problem with taking the photograph and drawing what you see. Now understand the photo is a bit distorted. You should be able to train your eye, so that visually you will eventually be able to see where your work is not correctly drawn. I am hopeful that one day, you will be able to sketch without the use of any tools and be able to correctly draw in perspective. It is a gift to your self to learn perspective, and learn it well.

http://www.dannygregory.com/2005/09/perspective_on.php

[Robin Neudorfer]

Note: You might consider doing the same subject, using three different points of perspective. This might make for a really nice series of drawings. Your drawings could be the value studies for paintings later. Or a series of similar objects, or similar places. Themes always have a nice presence on a website.

The most important aspect of this, and one of the main reasons that I agreed to do this, is that I hope that you all have fun with this lesson. If there is a fear that prevents you from drawing subjects, I want you to have the support to get over that fear. It is quite a handicap to have such wonderful ideas in your head and not to be able to draw them because you are afraid of making lines on a paper.

Here are more links that I find express great perspective. I also would like to suggest that if you come across unusual perspective or “bad” perspective that you share your findings with the group. It helps us all learn.

http://www.shellhousegallery.co.uk/a..._brennand.html

http://www.kap.pdx.edu/trow/winter01/perspective/

[Robin Neudorfer]

My lesson is now posted.
If there are typo's I apologize. I took every effort to reread and correct.
Please enjoy the process.

[Robin Neudorfer]

Today's Quote:
And the day came when the risk it took to stay tight inside the bud was more painful than than the risk it took to blossom.

[*Deirdre*]

Morning Miss! I'd like to blossom! I shall get started as soon as I've walked the dog!

[Robin Neudorfer]

Yippee I like the early risers. No tardy marks for you.
Though I am going to bed with the cat in a little bit.

[Striver]

Hmm
Les

[Robin Neudorfer]

hopefully that was just a snore, Les

[mothsailor]

Thanks Robin...lots to think about there!

Would this be OK for a 1-point perspective drawing?

[Mary Woodul]

Robin, this is impressive!!! I will come back and read right after my house cleaning and will hope to start today. Thank you for your time and gernerosity, sharing this with us.

[Anita Murphy]

WOW Robin - Great lesson!!!! Need a cup of tea then am coming back to reread and inwardly digest!