The Drawing Board Workshop Number 11 - PERSPECTIVE!

[Outlander00]

Hey everyone! Welcome to another installment of the revamped Workshops, where those who want to learn to be an artist can and those who are artists can get better. This will be an ongoing series of various topics put out 1 – 3 times per month where various issues in art can be covered. Critiques and comments are welcomed and encouraged around here… It is part of the process of how artists get better.

However, there is a certain amount of expectation when it comes to critiques. When making comments like “cool” and “awesome” by themselves are great and all, but doesn’t forward the critique process that much nor helps the artist. We are looking for comments that’ll help the artists progress, like “That's great, but I think you should re-do his leg” or “Nice pencils, but your proportions are a bit weird”… Stuff like that.

Not only do we want to see critiques, we'd like to see answers and tips too in here. Having problems with a pose that you can get just right? Drop a line and someone will get back to you. This place is yours to get feedback, tips, and info to help you become that much better in your art!

Enough of the small talk… Lets get to the Workshop, shall we?

This installment is on Perspective!

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/trompe.jpg
Copyright 2003 - Euroweb

Since the early 14th century, perspective has played a key role in the evolution of the visual arts, from drawing and painting, to sculpture and architecture. Despite the recent arguments of art history scholars of how perspective was discovered (Camera Obscura vs. various scientific studies of the great minds of the time), you cannot be considered a serious artist in the commercial field unless you have knowledge of the concept and able to apply it in one form or another.

There is too much material to cover about perspective in one workshop (and may continue on in another Workshop in the future), this primer may help clarify the concept a little more for you.



Basic (1 Point) Perspective:

Without going into the mathematical or scientific explanations, lets begin with the basics.

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective11.jpg

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective12.jpg

Basic (or 1 point) perspective works on the premise that dimensionality, in as artistic form, comes from eye level [horizon line] with lines converging (or diffusing, depending on what school of thought you have learned) to a central point at that level [Vanishing Point]. These converging lines act as a grid from which shapes, objects, people, masses, etc, are placed and scaled at the correct perspective on the horizon line. From there, you can create various shapes using the grid by using various lines

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective12a.jpg

One point perspective can be applied in a drastic fashion by moving the horizon line up or down on the page as well, but the grid alters significantly so be careful when doing apply the concept in this nature.

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective13.jpg



Basic (1 Point) Perspective - Interior:

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective1i1.jpg

When dealing with interiors with one perspective, the fundamental grid stays the same while its mechanics change to suit the situation. You use the same grid type, however, where you place your interior far wall on the grid determines the depth of the room.

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective1i2.jpg
Copyright 2003 - Amanda Wong/Nightflower



2 Point Perspective:

Perspective from two Vanishing points on the same horizon line (or two point perspective), has more to offer in terms of different view points you can do with an object/person/etc, but is a little more difficult than one point. The reasoning is that the grid lines [or Convergence lines] and vanishing points can vary; depending on the type of perspective you want for the image.

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective21.jpg

You still have the same fundamental set up with a horizon line, a vanishing point, and grid lines. However, you have multiple sets of points and lines now that you have to deal with, spanning towards each other from the their respected points.

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective22.jpg
Copyright 2003 - Amanda Wong/Nightflower



2 Point Perspective - Interior:

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective2i1.jpg

Interiors are a little easier when it comes to using 2 point perspective, because of how the grids from either vanishing point diffuse into each other. The way the grid lays out, it is easier to pick the depth and size of a room, but you have to remember to pick two vanishing points that will accomplish what you are trying to accomplish.

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective2i2.jpg
Copyright 2003 - Amanda Wong/Nightflower



3 Point Perspective:

http://drawingboard.toonzone.net/images/pagemaster/perspective3.jpg
Copyright 2003 - Amanda Wong/Nightflower

3 point perspective is even more trickier, and used mainly for either architectural or dramatic type of images. You deal with a third set of grids and vanishing point along with the standard 2 point. The trick to make this successful is to remember you are working on an X/Y axis for this one, much like graphing, and to make sure your vanishing points are plotted evenly and based on what types of perspectives you want. In fact, the multiple point perspectives work very similar to graphing on an X/Y axis in that you plot points on that grid to make a shape.



Well, that is it for now... For more info on perspective, check out Evensville College tutorial website (http://www2.evansville.edu/studiochalkboard/draw.html). Also, check out the Color Applications & Techniques workshop (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=81932) on how to use color on dimensioned shapes. If anyone wants to practice with what was learned or draw from observation, please by all means post them!

Any questions?

[TimTwoFace]

Disclaimer: Argh! I tried to post this last night, but TZ shut down on me, somehow. Argh...oh well, it's been retyped and ready for your viewing enjoyment...or discomfort. :p

Heh - it's funny you should have perspective be the subject of your newest workshop, Outie - I've been fiddling with perspective a lot lately, myself.

I love to draw, but I grow weary of seeing pictures being drawn from the same boxy perspective - you know what I mean, two people standing in a room, both turned to the side slightly so we get a little bit of a profile included. It's the easiest thing to start with I suppose, and it serves a purpose, but I grow weary seeing it - and drawing that way, too. But the more you do it, the more you get bored with it - artists such as myself (and I bet a lot of you guys, too) get bored if you don't keep challenging yourself to do things differently. Expand your horizons. Inspire yourself. Hey, with me, my cheeky puns and expansive colouring jobs (which I take pride in) only get so far - what they need now are different perspectives.

Different perspectives can make anything a lot more interesting. Fresher. More unique. Instead of looking at two people head on, look at them (or any object) from different angles - from above, from below, at an awkward, skewed angle, from a long distance away, possibly twisted about (as in a fun house mirror), and so on.

It's tougher to draw this way - sometimes the toughest idea is deciding which perspective would best suit your subject. Looking from below can indicate a sense of power and opression. Looking from above can indicate meekness and weakness. And looking from a funky angle where everything is off-kilter - it unsettles the viewer and lets them know that something isn't quite right.

Geometric objects are easy to start with. Draw boxes from different perspectives - tall, short, long lengthwise, etc, etc. What I find difficult, personally, is drawing people from different perspectives, especially chins. I don't know why, but chins always get to me - I either draw them so weird looking it looks like the subject has two mouthes, or it looks like they've no chin at all, and their neck has consumed their face.

I was trying something like this with a pic of Superman I did - it was part of a group shot, "Fight in Flight", that I posted probably a month back - and despite how I was more or less pleased with the artwork, that chin never sat right with me. Does anyone have any ideas with how to fix such a problem and make it look better?

HELP! -----> http://www33.brinkster.com/timtwoface/flight.html

I was also working on a simple perspective pic this evening. It kind of cheats in a way, though, so I dunno if I should use it as an example as to what I think perspective should be all about. Maybe it'd be a good starter example. I dunno. When I get it finished tomorrow I'll post it here and see how it's taken.

-Tim

[TimTwoFace]

OK, here's one of my examples of perspective. It's an older pic I did, and I bet that there are a number of things technically wrong with it, but I still like it. If you have any suggestions on how I could improve it, please feel free to make them.

Fall (http://www33.brinkster.com/timtwoface/cal-fall.html)

-Tim

[Outlander00]

The latter one has pretty good perspective, Tim... so nothing to worry about.

The first one, though, is a little more complicated...

http://pratt.edu/~jstone/assign/tim1.jpg

I know what you were trying to do here, but the execution just didnt come off as well as you wanted... and, thats okay because this type of perspective is hard. With this your trying to do 2 point but on a Y axis (the higher point being secondary to the center one) with those axis tilted slightly, giving it a very dramatic feel.

As I did with your pic, I layed out lines based on what I felt you were trying to accomplished to give you an accurate account as to how the characters should line up on within the grid. Just make sure you use the center vanishing point as your main point.

Hope that helps!

[TimTwoFace]

Eeep...can't believe it's been this long and I didn't respond. :o

Thanks for the help, Outlander. Yeah, I knew this would be a tough one to do - I just wanted to do a fun collage initially, but then I pushed myself to try something different...and it still left something to be desired. I'll take your suggestions into account for the next time I attempt a picture with these properties. Hopefully I'll be more successful the next time around.

:)

-Tim