Perspective - creating depth and 3D
We work on a flat surface, to create the illusion of space and distance in a painting we need to consider perspective.
There are two kinds of perspective that we need to understand.
The first is 'Aerial Perspective' also known as atmospheric or colour perspective. It refers to the way we perceive things at a distance. The second is 'Linear Perspective' concentrating on convincingly portraying solid objects in our work.
This photograph was snapped from the walls of Conwy Castle in Wales. I'm afraid it is not the best of quality but I am not trained in photography, more of a happy snapper. But it does help to illustrate aerial perspective.
Let us begin by looking at the hills in the distance.
We can see plenty of trees and grass, colours we are all familiar with. Compare them with the foliage just outside your window. Those on the shoreline are much brighter than those on the hill immediately behind but not as bright as those you can see from your window. In the very distant hill they are duller than ever.
The tones vary too. In the shoreline trees we can see at least four different shades of green. On the hillside these reduce to maybe three, the hill behind they are barely two and the very distant hill just one.
What we are seeing is due to the atmosphere, dust particles, refraction of light etc. It is not necessary to learn the scientific details of this. To convey this in a painting we simply need to take care to keep details to an absolute minimum. To dull the colour, usually with the blue or grey of the sky. And to keep the tonal variation at a minimum. Increasing all of these as we progress nearer to the foreground of our work.
Were we painting this scene, by the time we reached the castle walls our colours would be much stronger and brighter and greater detail would be necessary.
Although not shown in this illustration the sky too is affected by aerial perspective. The top of the sky is much bluer and cooler, by the horizon the blue fades to a warmer colour, even on a clear blue day. Start watching the sky at different times of the day and you will begin to see this for yourself.
And onto linear perspective. Objects close to us appear larger than those further away, even though we know that in truth they are of similar proportions. Think of a long straight road, the distance between the kerbs will diminish into the distance until, they ultimately become one and disappear. This is called the 'Vanishing Point'.
Although this simple image is clearly drawn on a computer, and that I am not a digital artist. See how I have also created some aerial perspective, the sky looses it's intensity towards the horizon with just a touch of red warming the blue at the same time. The landscape also lost it's intensity towards the horizon this time adding a little blue as I progressed.
As a representational artist you need only study one and two point perspective. The road demonstrates one point perspective having just one vanishing point.
With a few construction lines to guide, we can add a row of houses to the picture.
Because the building is to be parallel to the road it will share the same vanishing point.
Using the construction lines as a guide the building can be sketched in. Notice that not only do things get smaller but the space between them also diminishes with distance. I will show you how this is portrayed accurately a little later.
We can now erase the construction lines.
And add to our picture.
Although the lines of the building have been drawn accurately I have deliberately not used aerial perspective in it's colouring, consequently the far end of the building is just as dark and colourful as the near. The far end of the building is trying to pull itself forward in the picture.
In the above image all the construction lines still have the same vanishing point, the houses on either side of the road are parallel to each other. The houses on the left are running downhill. Though they share the same vanishing point each house needs it's own construction lines to ascertain walls windows etc.
This time the faces of the buildings are not parallel. The buildings follow the curve of the road. Although there are several vanishing points there is only one for each individual building.
Single point perspective can also be used to place multiple same size objects throughout a picture for example people.
Begin by placing the first object. Draw a vertical line at one side of your paper and a box around the object. Establish the vanishing point.
To get the correct proportions of objects further away draw a vertical line through the lines that run to the vanishing point. Run horizontal lines through the meeting points giving you the base and height lines for the second two boats.
The process can be repeated for as many objects as required.
Paving stones also require careful drawing if they are not to disturb the viewer.
Begin by sketching the first row of slabs and establishing the vanishing point.
Draw a diagonal line through the corners of the first slab, shown here in green. Where the line passes through the lines of perspective reveals the placement for the subsequent slabs.
This is all one point perspective but buildings are far more interesting when viewed obliquely. For this we need to engage in two point perspective.
The blue line represents the horizon line. Add the black line to mark the corner of your house and establish the vanishing points by the angle of the eaves and foundations, these construction lines are drawn in red. The left hand vanishing point will allow you to add other lines as required for all items on the parallel plane of the left side of the house and like wise for the right side with the right hand vanishing point. From these you can construct windows and doors.
We will add a gable end roof to this building. Firstly we will need to imagine that it is made of glass and include the walls we cannot really see.
First mark the ends of the building.
Assuming the building is not crooked and has a regular rectangle as a base, the front and back walls will be parallel as will the two ends. So the same vanishing points can be used to create the walls we cannot really see.
Where the two sets of red construction lines cross we establish the far corner of the building.
Without some erasing as we go all these construction lines can become confusing, however do not erase the vanishing points.
We now need to know the centre of the buildings gable ends, but this is not just a case of measuring half way. Draw construction lines from one corner to it's opposite on each of the gable ends.
Where the lines cross establishes the centre. From this draw a vertical line up wards.
We can now position the apex of the roof. Establish the height and angle from your reference material.
The top of the roof is parallel to the front of the house so use the right hand vanishing point again.
Where the construction line passes through the red vertical line at the far end of the house marks the end of the roof and we can place the final roof line of the far gable.
Get the eraser out again and remove all the unwanted lines.
Poorly drawn objects can stand out a mile in otherwise beautifully painted scenes.
Another common element you may wish to convey are rows of posts. Fence posts, lamp posts even perhaps columns of stone from ancient Greece. Although identical in size and spacing they too appear to diminish into the distance and the space between them will also appear to shorten.
Begin by drawing the first post and establishing the vanishing point.
Now add the second post.
Mark both posts at half way.
And add a construction line vertically upwards from the vanishing point.
Now add a construction line from the bottom of the first post through the centre of the second and extend it until it passes through the vertical line from the vanishing point.
From where this last line intersected the vertical line now add a line running through the centre of the second post.
Where the lines cross again marks the position and height of the third post. continue this process until all posts are completed.
Whenever I need to use construction lines to get perspective correct I do all the work on ordinary sketching paper, once completed I transfer the drawing to my watercolour paper. Too much erasing on watercolour paper risks damaging the surface.
Finally let us bring several of these concepts together and add one last one in a drawing of a viaduct.
To begin with consider the via duct as one solid mass and establish the vanishing point.
Add the verticals of the first arch way and two more perspective lines to mark the top and bottom of the archway.
To simplify matter we will assume that the pillars supporting the viaduct and the archways between are of the same width. Using the same method as drawing the posts, mark the pillars and archways along the viaduct.
Note that this time I have not marked the verticals at halfway, but have used the lines drawn ready for the arches. In fact any point will serve the purpose provided that the same point is used each time.
As we did with the gable end of a house we need to establish the centre of the arch.
You will find that the nearer half is slightly larger than the further half and that you will need to sketch carefully to match up both sides correctly.
Continue in this fashion drawing in all of the archways. I'm afraid that I work much better with a pencil than a mouse.
Now that you understand how to compose picture and have learnt to draw with confidence it is time to learn the techniques of painting. At last I hear you sigh.
Copyright Jane Grainger 2004
