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ART LESSONS
ART APPRECIATION
DESIGN LESSONS
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PERSPECTIVE DRAWING
(swipe the image back and forward to view)
PERSPECTIVE DRAWING is a technique used to represent
three-dimensional images on a two-dimensional picture
plane. In our series of lessons on perspective drawing we
explain the various methods of constructing an image with
perspective and show how these are used by artists and
illustrators.
"Perspective is to painting what the bridle is to the horse,
the rudder to a ship……………..There are three aspects to
perspective. The first has to do with how the size of objects
seems to diminish according to distance: the second, the
manner in which colors change the farther away they are
from the eye; the third defines how objects ought to be
finished less carefully the farther away they are." (Leonardo
da Vinci)
Perspective was developed in the 15th century by the
architects, Leon Baptista Alberti (1404-72) and Filippo
Brunelleschi (1377-1446). For 500 years, perspective
drawing remained one of the basic principles of Western
art until it was challenged by the ideas of the Cubists at the
start of the 20th century. Whether you are working with
conventional materials such as pencils and paints or
contemporary digital media, a knowledge and
understanding of perspective drawing remains an essential
tool to help you enhance your drawing technique.
There are two main elements in perspective drawing:
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE which deals with the organization
of shapes in space.
AERIAL PERSPECTIVE (also called ATMOSPHERIC
PERSPECTIVE) which deals with the atmospheric effects
on tones and colours. See our separate painting lesson
on Aerial Perspective.
You can see how both of these elements work in our
illustration above of some ancient ruins. The black and
white image displays an example of Linear Perspective. It
shows some of the lines of construction used to arrange the
blocks and columns to create an illusion of depth and
distance.
If you swipe across the black and white image it will reveal
a colored and textured rendering of the scene. This
displays the atmospheric effects of Aerial Perspective. You
can see how the tones weaken and the colours pale as they
recede from your view. Both linear and aerial perspectives
combine to create this convincing illusion of three
dimensions on a two dimensional plane.
Next: Perspective Drawing - The Picture Plane and the
Ground Plane
Perspective Drawing Menu
Linear / Aerial Perspective
The Picture / Ground Plane
Horizon / Eye Level
One Point Perspective
Two Point Perspective
Three Point Perspective
Perspective of a Circle
Perspective of a Cylinder
A Central Eye-Level
A High Eye-Level
A Low Eye-Level
Geometry in Art
Aerial Perspective Lesson
Page Banner Image
'The Ideal City' (1470) by Piero della Francesca.
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