Perspective

Perspective is the view or how you see depth (or space).

Vocabulary-

1. 1 point perspective (1 per)

A way to show depth and space on paper utilizing the horizon line and one vanishing point.

2. 2 point perspective (2 per)

Same as 1 point but with 2 vanishing points. One point for the left side of the image, one for the right side.

3. Point perspective

Same as two point but with a third point (I will call the gravitational point) or the point from the center of the earth.

4. Horizon line

This is an imaginary line which is invisible unless you were somewhere where you could actually see the horizon. This is the line where the curve of the earth is seen, or as it appears from your eyes to be the end of the visable space (beyond any obstacles that are in the way from viewing the end).

5. Vanishing point

This is an imaginary point that gets assigned to be on the horizon line. All perspective lines are pulled exactly to the point. Like the rays of the sun or the spokes of a wheel, these helpful lines are a template for your perspective drawing to be created.

6. Grandfather cube

A useful tool for beginner artist to help visualize a 3-D space on a 2-D piece of paper.

Exercises-

Understanding the space of our page. "The Grandfather Cube"

- Draw a box close to the outside edge of your picture.

- Draw another box inside a bit but not more than half the page in.

- Now connect the 4 corners of the inside box to the 4 corners of the outside box.

Now you have created "The Grandfather Cube"

- Now attack your gesture drawing and keep this space in your mind as you draw.

- Complete the drawing session in these cubes which you create first before your drawing begins.

Note:

As budding artists we are always learning, experimenting, and trying new things. We want to look and see differently and put down marks differently to fully explore the range of possibilities of the way our drawings may be created. So we like to call these attempts "thumbnails", or small sketches. To work these thumbnails is like having a best friend that you always want around. You work these thumbnails tirelessly. You have fun with them, you experiment with them, and most of all, you never are afraid of making mistakes with them. We could waist days and loads of paper on these thumbnails, all to be thrown away just to have your artistic journey further along on the path to self discovery and self mastery. Through diligent work with thumbnails you get the warmup you need to loosen up, let ideas and marks flow, and to be free from worry about making a masterpiece.

Extra secret:

When we work with thumbnails we make a box to create our picture in. No matter how small or how big we always create our boarders of our picture making space. I used to think that this was just to help us with our picture making to include these edges as foundations for where our graphics and marks would end for the viewer, and to always contemplate these edges in your work of picture making. Now this box takes on another meaning. It is "The Grandfather Cube", but simplified in only one box, you imagine the rest of the cube. So there it is. The box is useful and you will see many artist utilizing this tool in their drawings.

Other interesting variations of the cube:

Angle of view, the origin of where your viewpoint starts.

 

Overlap- Things on top appear closer because the top overlaps the bottom.

Principles of how to create background and foreground.

Background-

Less contrast

Muted, no detail

Far away

Lighter

Foreground-

Maximum contrast

Strong, detail visable

Close up

Darker 

Master Drawings to copy and learn from

Exercise 1- Line, Thumbnails, Gestures

1. Inside a drawn box, with just line only (can be many lines like marks), create a quick sketch ( or gesture drawing) of your still life or model. Time- 30 seconds.

2. Repeat 1. Time- 30 seconds for 4 rounds. Make sure to express different ideas.

3. Repeat 1. Time- 1 minute for 4 rounds. Make sure to keep the thumbnails not bigger than 6 inches not smaller than 3 inches when you get started, move the boxes larger and loosen up when your ready to really explore and make a lot of pictures.

4. Repeat 1. Time- 2 minutes for 4 rounds. Make sure to experiment, make mistakes!

Line or Marks

Lines or Marks can deliver tremendous results, even alone. Lines can express more than just an outline. It can show feeling, direction, attitude, strength, weakness and many things. Line can also emulate shape and tone making for fantastic picture making and well thought out art with just lines.

Line, Shape and Tone

Picture making is simple, there are only three things that ever make it up: Line, Shape, and Tone (being grayscale or color). Getting these elements perfected in the right balance and harmony is a key to great art. There are endless variations and combinations of these to call your tools to have your toolbox filled to grasp any of these elements to execute art that is truly masterful.

Antonio Lopez

Thumbnails- Putting your ideas into a defined space (a box)

Getting thoughts into a piece of paper can be made easier when your first executions are in the form of thumbnails (or small sketches). Here we draw a box which clearly defines our edges for us and gives a reference for our graphics and picture making. Then our attitudes and feelings of how we want to draw our picture gets its full expression and intention. Never be shy or afraid of making mistakes, for the more marks we make, the more we learn what we like and what we don't, so go ahead and express fully in those small sketches. These are not masterpieces. These are only for experimentation and learning and most of the process of letting go of what you ever thought you should draw like and assume the attitude of  seeing the uniqueness and conveying that something special that only you and your fullest artist can create to share your rare vision.

There is a flip side to the idea of the thumbnail, which as described is to facilitate fabulous picture making with the multiple approaches and attitudes and explore the multitude of options. Putting down ideas quickly to avoid wasting time trying to create a masterpiece when the warm up hasn't even begun. The thumbnails are the warm up. Another interesting point our teacher Dave Passalaqua used to explain was that the thumbnail is only the first imaginary template or boarder to the whole of picture making which could be endless. He said if the art is good and the approach and attitude was good it could easily go beyond the boarders of the thumbnail to a bigger boarder and off the page onto multiple pages and off those pages on to an entire wall and onwards. The lines, the authority and way the marks are put down can all go beyond the boarders when it's good stuff being put down, it can just keep expanding. The thought is still the same if its the size of a stamp or a building. When someone asked Dave if they should copy the thumbnail to make the final and he replied, No, try to emulate the emotion of the thumbnail, the attitude, the approach, the thinking of the thumbnail.