Understanding Architecture Through Drawing

(lily) #1

two-point perspective (unlike single-point) and hence the
artist has to concentrate a little harder on the drawing. A
drawing with a landscape layout (i.e. horizontal) normally
lends itself to two-point perspective, and a portrait layout
(i.e. vertical) to single-point.
With complex towns or groups of buildings, several
vanishing points have to be constructed, at least in one’s
mind’s eye, because the differently angled buildings will
all require their own vanishing point. Since constructing
the vanishing points is time consuming, it is better to
visualise where they are and check the angles in the field
by using your pen or pencil as a guide. By holding the pen


at the angle of the wall or roof and bringing it down to the
paper via an arc rotated about your elbow, you should be
able to check the logic of lines in perspective against how
they appear in reality.
Although perspective deals primarily in angled lines, it
is useful to remember that the weight of line, darkness of
shadow and strength of colour also convey the
appearance of distance. As a rule, objects in the fore-
ground should have the thickest lines, the darkest
shadow and the brightest colour, while those in the
distance should have the reverse – that is, faint lines, soft
shadows and subdued colour. Attention to such detail not

4.8
The sense of perspective in this
sketch has been enhanced by
exaggerating the texture of the
foreground steps. The telegraph
lines also help with handling the
sense of distance and chang
of direction at the top of the
steps. The drawing is of
Andraixt in Majorca.

42 Understanding architecture through drawing

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