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From ancient times the artist has tried to imitate the natural world. Trying to draw objects to make them look realistic has always a challenge. Perhaps an even greater challenge was how to create the illusion of distance between things. Creating the appearance of objects in depth as perceived by normal binocular vision is called perspective. Linear Perspective is a form of perspective in drawing and painting in which parallel lines are represented as converging so as to give the illusion of distance.
“Peaches and Glass Jar” Roman Fresco, Pompeii, Italy
Roman “Second Style Painting” Pompeii, Italy
Simone Martini “Christ Carrying the Cross”
Giotto “Vision of the Palace and Armor”
Cathedral Gothic Period
Filippo Brunelleshi 1377-1446 was one of the great architects of the early Renaissance. He discovered linear perspective about 1413.
Brunelleshi did a painting on a mirror on top of the reflection of the Baptistry. It matched what he saw.
He then drilled a hole in the mirror and looked through the back of it at the baptistry. He then held a second mirror in front of the first facing back to the painting. By moving the second mirror, he could check to see the accuracy of the original painting.
Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) took Brunellesshi’s findings and published them in a book called On Painting in 1435. The principles of perspective presented in this book influenced generations of artists.
Horizon Line The Horizon Line designates the Eye Level of the viewer. Anything above the line appears above the viewer. Anything below the line appears below the viewer
In order to understand linear perspective one must understand some basic concepts. 1. Parallel Lines Parallel describes a relationship between two or more lines in which the lines are an equal distance apart and never intersect. We see this relationship between lines throughout our daily lives as we experience man made structures. Therefore it is essential that we understand this relationship As parallel lines go back in space they appear to move closer together in such a way as they could intersect at a single point
Vanishing Point The imaginary point, usually located on the horizon line, at which receding parallel lines appear to converge. There may be one or more vanishing points in a composition.
There are different types on linear perspective based upon the number of vanishing points used. We will focus on two. One Point Perspective Linear perspective drawing in which the front face of the subject is facing or parallel to the viewer and all the receding parallel lines converge on one vanishing point.
Two Point Perspective Linear perspective drawing in which subject is drawn from the closest corner and the receding parallel lines appear to converge on vanishing points to the left and right of the corner.
Edward Hopper “Night Hawks” 1942 (The Vanishing Points are located outside of the picture space)
One Point Perspective Horizon Line - Eye Level V.P. 1. Draw the Front Face of the object as if you are looking squarely at it directly in front of you. 2. Line up the edge of the ruler and the vanishing point with every Angled Bend or Outermost Edge of the front face of the object. 3. Draw the receding parallel lines from those bends or outermost edges to the vanishing point Unless or Until it crosses the front face of itself or another object. 4. The Back Edge of the object is Always Exactly Parallel to the Front edge of the face of the object.
Two Point Perspective 1. Always start drawing from the closest verticalcorner of the object. 2. Verticals must be vertical; not “kind of sort of.” 3. Verticals are always vertical. 4. Every line that is not vertical must be lined up with a V.P. 5. Draw a line from the top and bottom of each vertical to each V.P. 6. Draw the vertical back corners to the left and right of the front vertical 7. Line up the bottoms of the back corner verticals and draw to the vanishing points.
