Art Perspective

 The depth of a receding surface refers to the z-axis of an object, as opposed to the object’s x-axis or y-axis, ( its width and height).  There are two main ways to discover the depth of a recediing surface.  One way is to use diagonal lines with a scale that recedes.  The second way is through the use of a scale on the base-line or parallel to it.  The first method is often used to free-hand sketch things such as a foreshortened row of fence posts.

An intentional exaggeration of perspective often in a stage setting to permit a shallower than appears actual stage depth. 

Often employed in painting, aerial perspective is the way in which an illusion of space and depth is created through the use of atmospheric techniques.  These techniques include making forms in the background region with less contrast and softer edges than those in the forefront of the picture plane.  Often in atmospheric perspective there exists a change from warmer hues to cool hues.  In general, warmer colors come forward, and cooler colors recede (advancing and retreating color).  The atmospheric effect in a picture is due to the degree of moisture suspended in the air.  Chinese painters especially employ atmospheric perspective by using clouds or inserting mists in various value tones among the middle areas of the picture plane and introducing fainter tones in the far distance.  Aerial perspective is often used together with linear perspective to create a strong sense of spatial depth in the picture.  

Also known as a bird’s eye view.  This is the viewpoint seen at a high elevation.  It involves the vanishing point/s and horizon line being positioned on the upper portion of an image.  It is usually used in reference to a landscape or a cityscape.  (Aerial view is not the same thing as aerial perspective.)

A style of painting in which the entire surface of the piece is worked on in a more or less uniform way, and the normal way of treating composition (with the picture having a center, top or bottom) is not considered.  The term was originally used in response to Jackson Pollock's drip paintings.  Later the term was used to refer to other pieces that refrain from the usual compositional approaches.   In this way, the Impressionists "liberated" artists from a decided center of interest - and not necessarily to one of no composition - but rather to multiple or all-over points in the picture plane.

Angular perspective is a type of linear perspective.  All categories of linear perspective include a horizon line and a stationary point (the position of the observer).  In two-point perspective, there exist two points from which an object’s lines radiate from; the sides of the object vanish to one of two vanishing points on the horizon line. An object’s vertical lines do not relate to the perspective rules of the horizontal lines.  By changing the vanishing points of the object, one can make increase or decrease the size of the object. Angular perspective is the same as two-point perspective. 

An axis is a line that runs straight through something in order to show the direction and movement of something.  The line is purely conceptual – it is often used as a helpful tool for artists.

The point located on the horizon line that connects to the observation point.  Usually it is at this point where the horizon line and centerline intersect each other.  It is also at this point where lines parallel to the picture plane disappear.   

The cone of vision is the visual region displayed by a drawing that relates to a person’s normal vision without his/her peripheral vision.  In a nutshell, the cone of vision is the area of sight – or the angle of sight.  For example, if a person wanted to see the entire theatre stage, usually a cone of vision is 60 degrees is required, so a person would need to sit far enough back to achieve this degree of vision.  

Convergence in a drawing or painting refers to linear perspective.  In linear perspective, all lines that are parallel converge together as they run along to a point at a person’s eye level (also known as the horizon line) in the picture place.  This phenomena is known as “convergence.”

A perspective view in which straight lines appear to be curved.  Close-up and wide angle views commonly relate to the perspective. 

Diminution occurs in linear perspective; it involves objects becoming smaller and smaller as the space between the viewer and the object increases.

Eye level refers to the height a viewer’s eyes are positioned in relation to the ground.  There are various eye levels.  For example, lying down creates a very low eye level, and standing on a mountain creates a very high eye level for the viewer.  One’s eye level usually is the same thing as the horizon line.  In one and two point perspective, the vanishing points are located on the eye level. 

An illusion of the eye, creating the effect that objects become smaller the further away they are, and become larger the closer they are to the viewer.  Foreshortening is used in drawing in order to create a sense of depth and make objects appear to exist spatially to each other.  

Format relates to the size and shape of a painting.  If it is a rectangle, the orientation can be longer in the vertical dimension (portrait) - or longer in the horizontal (landscape).  Format decisions  by the artist on both size and shape of the art surface will impact the composition strategy and the effects. 

The horizon line is a line drawn across a picture.  It is essential for a picture to have a horizon line if a person wishes to communicate from what perspective a person is observing the picture (from above an object, below an object…etc).   It is not necessary to include the horizon line in the picture.  However, it is important to include a ‘virtual’ horizon line in order to make a picture follow correct perspective.  The horizon line is always one’s eye level.  If one draws a line perpendicular to the ground outwardly from one’s eye level, this is what is considered the horizon line.

Linear Perspective relates to the mathematical system of creating objects that are created three-dimensionally on a two-dimensional surface.  It is called “linear” perspective because objects and figures and space are re-created in a realistic manner through the use of intersecting lines drawn horizontally and vertically. There are three types of linear perspective.  They include one point perspective, two-point perspective, and three-point perspective.  All of the perspectives include a horizon line and a stationary point (the position of the observer).  In one point perspective, there is one point that all lines radiate from.  In two-point perspective, there exist two points from which an object’s lines radiate from; the sides of the object vanish to one of two vanishing points on the horizon line. An object’s vertical lines do not relate to the perspective rules of the horizontal lines.  By changing the vanishing points of the object, one can make increase or decrease the size of the object.  In three-point perspective there are also two vanishing points somewhere on the horizon; however, unlike two-point perspective, there also exists a vanishing point above or below the horizon line that the vertical lines disappear to.

Oblique perspective is a type of linear perspective.  All categories of linear perspective include a horizon line and a stationary point (the position of the observer). In oblique perspective there are also two vanishing points somewhere on the horizon; however, unlike two-point perspective, there also exists a vanishing point above or below the horizon line that the vertical lines disappear to.   Oblique perspective is the same as three-point perspective. 

 

One-point perspective is a type of linear perspective.  All categories of linear perspective include a horizon line and a stationary point (the position of the observer).  In one-point perspective, only one vanishing point exists; lines radiate outwardly from this point, and perpendicular lines meet at this point.  One-point perspective is the same as parallel perspective. 

Perspective lines that point to the vanishing point; orthogonal lines are perpendicular to one another.  

Parallel Lines are lines that run in the same direction; they never touch each other because the distance running between them is always the same.  In perspective drawing, lines that are parallel converge in the distance at  a vanishing point.    

Parallel perspective is a type of linear perspective.  All categories of linear perspective include a horizon line and a stationary point (the position of the observer).  In one-point perspective, only one vanishing point exists; lines radiate outwardly from this point, and perpendicular lines meet at this point.  Parallel perspective is the same as one-point perspective. 

A picture plane is the two-dimensional surface upon which a painting/drawing is created.  A window can be understood as a picture plane as one looks out to the scene beyond it.  

A point of view in drawing is simply what position an observer is in relation to the objects in a picture.  The point of view is determined by where a viewer is stationed in relation to everything else he sees.  For example, if one has a birds-eye view, one will see objects beneath him.  If one has a normal view, objects will appear how he normally sees them.  If one has a worms-eye view, objects will appear much larger than normal.

Receding parallel lines are lines parallel to each other that gradually move away from the viewer.  There are a number of rules that receding parallel lines follow in nature.  First, all lines in nature that are parallel to each other appear to converge at the same point as they recede from the viewer.  Second, all level lines that recede in nature appear to converge on the horizon.  Thirdly, inclining parallel lines in nature that recede appear to converge at a point immediately over the point they would have converged IF they had been level lines.  Fourthly, parallel lines in nature that recede when inclined downward appear to meet at a point immediately beneath the point they would have converged had they been level lines. 

Relative scale is a method used to create and determine the spatial position of a figure or object in 3D picture plane; objects or figures that are more distant are drawn smaller in size than those objects or figures that are closer to the viewer.  And the objects or figure that are closer are drawn bigger. In this way, the relative size of an object/figure creates the illusion of space on a flat 2D picture plane.

Scale in drawing refers to the proportion or ratio that defines the size relationships.  Models, architectural plans, maps and paintings/drawings all use scale to create the illusion of correct size relationships between objects and figures. 

Shallow space refers to a 2D flat space that may have width and density, but contains only a limited amount of depth.  For example, a picket fence is an example of an object that demonstrates shallow space because of its lack of depth.  

In Italian this means "from below upwards."   Used in reference to a ceiling painting wherein the people, figures, and scenes are depicted foreshortened so that they appear to be suspended in space - and not contained within the flat structure of the picture plane. 

A station point is used in linear perspective as a stationary point from which a viewer is related to the object/figure being rendered.  It can be thought of as the point of reference from which all things in the artwork can be related to.  The station point may be very high or very low. High = bird's-eye-view.  Low = worm's eye view.   It is important to determine the correct station point when starting a piece of work, because the station point has a key role in determining how the viewer understands one’s composition and relates to the subject matter.  It may also be referred to as "vantage point". 

Three-point perspective is a type of linear perspective.  All categories of linear perspectives include a horizon line and a stationary point (the position of the observer). In three-point perspective there are also two vanishing points somewhere on the horizon; however, unlike two-point perspective, there also exists a vanishing point above or below the horizon line that the vertical lines disappear to.   Three-point perspective is the same as oblique perspective. 

 

Two-point perspective is a type of linear perspective.  All categories of linear perspective include a horizon line and a stationary point (the position of the observer).  In two-point perspective, there exist two points from which an object’s lines radiate from; the sides of the object vanish to one of two vanishing points on the horizon line. An object’s vertical lines do not relate to the perspective rules of the horizontal lines.  By changing the vanishing points of the object, one can make increase or decrease the size of the object. Two-point perspective is the same as angular perspective. 

Artists' term for scaling of a composition's lightness with degrees of gray between endpoints of black and white.  Colors can also be assessed in the same way for value.  Darker relates to "lower" in values.  In science, value is "lightness". 

A point that receding parallel lines appear to converge to.  It is used in linear perspective in relation to a stationary point (the placement of the observer).  Objects seem to disappear at the vanishing point. 

A vantage point is used in linear perspective as a stationary point from which a viewer is related to the object/figure being rendered.  It can be thought of as the point of reference from which all things in the artwork can be related to.  The vantage point may be very high or very low. High = bird's-eye-view.  Low = worm's eye view.   It is important to determine the correct station point when starting a piece of work, because the vantage point has a key role in determining how the viewer understands one’s composition and relates to the subject matter.  It may also be referred to as "station point". 

A drawing or painting scene that is seen as though the observer is looking up from a position below it.  Properly used it relies on the oblique perspective.  All vertical lines will converge upward and be parallel to the picture plane. 

The area of a picture's surface are  apportioned to a foreground, a middle distance, and a background when constructing spatial depth.  Variations and hazing of these respective zones influence degree of reduction and severity of contrast in the linear perspective.