Exercise 6 Drawing in Perspective Beginner Stage

INTRODUCTION You can literally get lost in perspective. I see so many drawing tutorials devoted to teaching perspective and yet in my own teaching I usually only teach basic perspective as a lesson on its own. This is because I want my students to be aware of perspective and what it is, but I feel that much perspective teaching is lost or simply not needed. The common approach is to teach one point then two point perspective. This is taught in Art and/or Design Technology. I appreciate its importance but really only comes into its own in advanced drawing and it is a difficult and quite advanced process that should be revealed to students on a need to know basis. (In my opinion) Perspective is best taught as part of a bigger, more holistic process such as drawing buildings or still life. I am not a fan of separate, perspective tutorials.

Learning Objective Use the rules of perspective to create the illusion of 3 Dimensions when drawing.

SIMPLE PERSPECTIVE As objects get further away from us they appear smaller. Sometimes they appear to vanish to a single point on the horizon. Meindart Hobbema 1689

SIMPLE RULES OF PERSPECTIVE Lines of depth disappear into the vanishing point

Horizon Line The rules of perspective: 1. Things get smaller and smaller AND closer and closer the further they are away from you.

Horizon Line The rules of perspective: 2. Vertical Lines must be vertical not leaning over!!

The rules of perspective: 3. Lines of depth disappear into the Vanishing point. Horizon Line Vanishing point

In this game you think you are driving down a road because of the optical illusion of perspective. Can you see the rules of perspective?

TASK: Can you copy the one point grid shown below onto a sheet of A4 paper? Then colour it in a chess board style pattern. If this is too hard maybe you would like to trace it into your books. Task 2: Place a piece of thin photocopy paper over the grid then use it to help you create a design for a computer game.

You should be gaining confidence if: You can remember the rules of perspective and use them in a one-point drawing or pattern. You will be developing skill if: You have completed a successful one-point perspective drawing, incorporating the rules of perspective confidently. You will be becoming an independent artist if: If you are able to invent and compose your own, original one –point perspective pictures or designs. Progress Indicators

Learning Summary You have learned how to create the ‘illusion’ of perspective and depth to pictures using perspective. This is a useful tool in drawing and this is the first step to understanding it. It has been used for centuries by artists and now Games designers, to create the effect of 3D. Can you think of any computer games, movies or situations where perspective is important?

Student Examples This fabulous one point perspective drawing was done by Hope in Year 7