WORDS TO LEARN
point of view: the place or position from which an artist sees their subject.
vanishing point: a point in an image where all perspective lines join.
horizon line: a line across the page that represents the viewer’s eye level.
foreshortening: playing with the size in a drawing to show distance or proportion.
So far, we’ve drawn figures standing at the same level as us. But what happens when we look down from a higher position? What happens when we look up at a figure from below? These examples highlight point of view.
Imagine train tracks. The farther the tracks go into the distance, the closer together they seem to become. Eventually they seem to meet. That point in the distance is the vanishing point. It rests on the horizon line, a line that stretches across the page from left to right. Imagine you’re looking at the ocean. Where the water and sky meet is the horizon line, and raising or lowering it can change our viewpoint.
Try it out
1-Let’s put our figure in a box. Draw a horizon line and mark the vanishing point. Next, draw a tall rectangle to hold the head and shoulders. Closer to the vanishing point, draw a smaller rectangle for the feet.Connect the corners of the rectangles to the vanishing point.
2-Draw a stick figure in your box. The limbs are foreshortened and shorter than usual because they’re far away.Draw the outline of the figure in dashes. Try drawing what’s closest to you first.
3-Now build on those dashes, adding major lines and some clothing.
4-Finish the clothing and add details. The head and shoulders will have the most details because they are closest, and the legs and feet will have fewer because they’re farther away. Complete the figure’s portrait and outfit.
5-Finish the figure by erasing the sketch lines.
