The basics
P
erspective is one of
the most common
issues new artists
have with drawing
and painting. Get it wrong and
it can easily ruin a great start,
get it right and it can instantly
improve your work.
If you’re like most painters you
are probably trying to create
a sense of depth in your work;
leading the viewer’s eye deep
into the scene giving the illusion
of reality.
But sometimes it just doesn’t
look right. The distant object
doesn’t look so distant, your
figures look out of proportion, a
building looks like it is sliding off
the page. And your still life just
looks... odd. You are not alone!
Here’s how to improve your
results...Overlap
This is the easiest way to add
perspective. All you need to do
is place one object in front of
the other which helps your
viewer to judge the relative size
of an object.
In landscape painting
this can especially be
hard to judge as aview could stretch back in the
distance for miles but without
the use of overlap it can be hard
to judge, just how far.
It doesn’t always have to be
as obvious as a tree in front of
a fence, overlap can happen
everywhere, especially in nature.
Simply overlapping branches on
a tree will give help to give the
illusion of depth.Scale
This simple trick of changing the
size and space variations can
help immensely.
If you were drawing a fence,
each gap between a row of fence
posts will be a different scale, a
different shape, become smaller,
shorter and closer together into
the distance.
A quick measurement with a
pencil is an easy way to check
your drawing.
You need measurements
to notice:OHow far apart objects are
OWhere their edges lie.
ORelationships between the size
of an object.
OCentre line of an object.
The simplest thing to use
is your thumb and a pencil.How to measure subjects
in a landscape with a pencil
OLock your arm and hold your
pencil out in front of you so your
arm is horizontal.
OClose one eye
OLine up the top of the subject
you are trying to measure with
the top of the pencil.
OMove your thumb up the pencil
to the bottom of the object you
are measuring. This gives you
your first measurement. You now
have to keep your thumb in this
position so you can compare the
length to another area of your
subject.
OThis can be on the vertical
or horizontal, it is just to get
a relative size.
OThen if one section is the same
length you can check this against
your own drawing.
OWhat matters is the proportion,
not the actual measurement.How to draw perspective
You‘re not alone if your early attempts look... odd! By Will Kemp
To help you to see
objects in isolation, roll
up a sheet of A4 paper
into a tube and use it
as a viewfinder.
You can tell the distance of an
object by the length of the cast
shadow it creates. Simple
positioning of objects can make
a great deal of difference in
creating the illusion
of depth in your paintingsREMEMBER!(^1) Lock your arm, this will
keep the pencil at the same
distance from the object.
(^2) Try to keep your head still
and view the subject from
one position.
(^3) Use a long pencil, with
a flat top edge so you have
room for manoeuvre when
measuring a variety of
objects.
Will Kemp is an award-winning professional artist
and teacher. He studied in Italy, ran his own art
gallery, taught in museums and schools, and now
runs his own online art school, where he shares his
professional secrets with aspiring artists.
Learn more at http://www.willkempartschool.com.