Old Jug & Jar: Spacial Perception

This week we have two Prismacolor Pencil interpretations of a nice old stone-ware jug (actually a bottle) and a small glass jar.  The three dimensional forms you see here are the result of careful observation and accurate renditions of shape, color, shade, shadow and reflection. In the first version on the right we see these three objects straight-on at eye level with no sense of form derived from linear perspective. If this were a line drawing it would essentially consist of flat shapes outlined. 

(Tho' not the essential point of this post, a hint of depth is seeing shapes overlapping.)    

In this second drawing we perceive form because of the same accurate representation as above but with the addition of linear perspective. We are looking from a slightly higher viewpoint so can see the oval shapes in the openings of the jar and in the shoulder and base lines of the bottle. While we can see the complete top edge of the jar, our eyes follow the jug's shoulder line as it disappears around the "corner" on the right side and we complete the oval in our mind as it passes behind and reappears running toward us on the left. We understand this as an indication of 3D form.

Our experience with this world says that light on one side of an object usually produces a shadow side, a curved object's shading progresses from light to dark and a highlight is the reflection of a light-source. Our hands confirm that perception of form when we reach out and hold an object. When the right marks are presented on a flat surface in an appropriate way, we believe!


"What we call art would seem to be specialist artifacts for enhancing human perception."  Marshal McLuhan

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."   Sir Francis Bacon

Perspective!

One of the great things about doing this blog through Google's Blogger are the up-to-date statistics provided that help me manage this effort. One bit of information I love shows my viewers' countries.  Nice to know! Another tells me what search words were used to access the blog posts so particular interests are obvious. Lately I've seen many hits around the subject of perspective and since I've not shown any pertinent pieces here in many months, here is one with some comments and explanations. I published the painting below more than a year ago when I wrote about color, light and reflections. I show it this time because it is a good example of a couple of basic perspective ideas.

The most basic idea in perspective is the concept of overlapping shapes. -  an object overlapping another is closer.  Picture two squares of cardboard, one overlapping the other.  Starting with the group of trees and bushes on the right edge of the painting below, you can see a series of overlapping planes, like stage scenery moving back toward the far sky. Trees, then bushes, next a house and another, a stand of dark trees, etc.  Simple, right?

Another important concept is aerial perspective, - the fact that atmosphere interferes with light transmission so that the further back in space, the less distinct are objects and their colors. You can see this most obviously on hazy or foggy days.  If you were making a painting or illustration, working in the studio rather than observing a scene, you'd plan stronger, brighter and/or warmer colors forward,  with cool hazy dull colors toward the rear.  Compare the far steeple and trees with colors closer in this view. 

When people speak of perspective they generally mean one or two-point linear perspective.  In this painting we can see that things like the retaining wall and the creek bed both recede in an orderly way, getting smaller as they move back from the picture plane (basically the painting's surface) toward a point on the horizon.  The basic rule says, lines parallel to each other and parallel to the ground run toward a common "vanishing point" on the horizon.

Think of the far horizon on the western plains or the ocean, not the place where sky meets a mountain.  In a picture like this that horizon is obscured by trees, houses and hills so think of the horizon as your eye level.  It is! The painter's eye level in this case would be a horizontal line across the picture just below the top rail of the bridge. In the painting you can see a white rectangular trash bin.  It sits parallel to the wall and creek. If you drew lines along the top and bottom of that box front, and the top and bottom of the wall and the sides of the creek -  and extended them back in space, all would run toward the same vanishing point.

BTW, the term "one-point perspective" refers to the common vanishing point for parallel lines, not that there is only one vanishing point in the picture!  Various objects  sitting at different angles would result in a variety of vanishing points.  We can address that topic another time when we talk about 2-point perspective.  In one-point perspective other parallel lines like those of the bridge and the walls of houses facing us are always drawn parallel to the picture plane.

So....  Colors fade with distance! The horizon line is your eye level!  Parallel lines run toward the same vanishing point!  Got it?


"Perspective should be learned - then forgotten!"   Nathan Goldstein

Two Blue Ladies

Yes, two on blue paper,  one in ink with added white hi-lights, the other, brown pencil with white, but that's not the end of the connections or problems.  At first the things that link these two for me are wild hair, strong facial features and hands.  The right hand of the young woman on the pillow is so-so, - just a hand, not very carefully drawn, but her left hand is quite personal and expressive. It looks as if it is in a position often taken, one very natural. In writing about this person, you would likely have more to say about that left hand than the other.  I'd be happier had I drawn both hands a bit larger but still with more emphasis on the left. 

This seated woman's right hand, resting lightly on the wooden chair arm pushes out toward us. Even tho' basically accurate, I think those fingers also could be a bit larger. BTW, take note of the light falling on those fingers, pointed up by the small dark shadows on her knuckles. See how this helps define the form.

In the end, it's perspective that unites these two drawings. Our point of view, high in the first, low in the second, is shown by perspective, - eye level high in one,  low in the other. In the seated figure that hand resting lightly on the chair-arm is just at our eye-level so the fingers and knuckles hide the rest of the hand. The nearest breast is higher than the other because they are above our eye level.  Likewise,  looking at the perspective in the body and legs of the reclining woman, - the feet look so small because of the (exaggerated?) distance.  I'd like to see the same "distortion" reversed in that near hand, larger because it is so much closer and more interesting.


I know, this is not the most exciting post in the world but linear perspective can be helpful, restricting or something to be pushed aside depending on your outlook and purpose.  Use it carefully, exaggerate it or ignore it entirely, it is part of your visual vocabulary.  As I often say, it's your work, your art, - just do it!

"What a delightful thing this perspective is!"   Paolo Uccello

"Perspective is a ghastly mistake which has taken four centuries to redress."   Georges Braque