Getting a Perspective

As promised I've been meaning to do some sort of lesson over the past week. I've found it amazing how time gets away from me when my daughter's teething. So, I've finally found the time to create a short lesson. It's not much of an activity (hopefully I will have one by the end of the week) but at least it will help you in your future art endeavors. I have found there are a few basic lessons that are always needed before you can really explore art and this will be one of the last ones... you guessed it! Perspective.

"Highway Leading up to Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island", 1965, Roloff Beny

A general definition of perspective is the use pf size to create spatial relations on a flat surface or how I usually say it "closer things are bigger and farther away things are smaller!" :) The above picture by Roloff Beny is a great example of perspective. You can see the road going further and further away, it starts as a road and ends as a line.

My supplies: Marker, Pencil and Paper

Sectioning off the paper!

I decided to create a few little picture explanations of perspective and things that I find are funny:

First off lets talk about Vanishing Points. These are spots that you would put onto the horizon line (which we talked about here) that help you ensure things are getting smaller equally.

They can be used for a single road (as above) or to help you with the road, and the fence and the telephone wires.

But my favorite part of perspective is the silliness that results from small things. When I'm teaching children they always want to make birds in the sky. To make a bird we usually do a SMALL "v" shape. Why did I emphsise on the small?? Well the next 2 images can explain....

Small "v" birds on the left are GOOD... BIG "V" birds on the right are BAD!!

Unless we are drawing a monster movie scene there is a BIG problem with creating GIANT "V" birds on the right... especially with the reference to the little house.

Little Birds close up vs GIANT BIRDS!

If we kept the GIANT "V" birds in our picture and they decided to fly to the little house the above image is something that may happen. Notice how the Tiny "v" birds turn into our regular size birds where as the GIANT "V" birds could fly away with the house and eat it for dinner.

Well, hopefully we will get a chance to use our knowledge of perspective to create something magnificent really soon!

Keep Creating!
Angie :)