The Elements of Seeing Picture Plane Ground Plane Horizon Line
© Taylor & Francis Group
SIMPLIFYING PERSPECTIVE What Seeing Looks Like (Part 1)
© Taylor & Francis Group
Overview Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Perspective is about both how we see and what we’re looking at. • Once you fully understand the following terms and ideas, working with perspective will make a lot more sense and become a lot easier.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Viewer Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• We draw what the viewer sees. If the viewer moves, our picture changes. • In one and two-point perspective, the viewer will always be looking straight ahead. In three-point perspective, we decide on the viewer’s angle of sight. Either way, we’re controlling the viewer’s angle or direction of view.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Ground Plane Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• The ground plane is our starting point when measuring height. Think of it as the ground itself. • To measure height, we go up from the ground plane to the viewer’s eyes, no matter where they happen to be. That means if our viewer is standing on a ladder, we measure from the ground plane up to the height of his eyes.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Picture Plane Center of Vision
Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Think of the picture plane as an imaginary, neverending piece of glass. • The viewer always looks through the picture plane at a 90 degree angle. • We collect all of the information for our drawing at the picture plane.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Elements of Seeing Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level)
Line of Sight Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Seeing starts at the viewer’s eye (the station point), travels towards the picture plane (as the line of sight) and meets the picture plane at the center of vision. • We use the station point, line of sight and center of vision to measure distance to the picture plane.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Horizon Line Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Even though the horizon seems as though it’s where the earth and sky meet, it really represents the viewer’s eye level. It’s just what eye level looks like in the distance, as far as the eye can see. • Since the horizon line alway’s represents the viewer’s eye level, we use the distance from the ground plane to the horizon line to measure height.
© Taylor & Francis Group
For more information, visit: www.simplifyingperspective.com
© Robert Pastrana
SIMPLIFYING PERSPECTIVE What Seeing Looks Like (Part 1)
© Taylor & Francis Group
Overview Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Perspective is about both how we see and what we’re looking at. • Once you fully understand the following terms and ideas, working with perspective will make a lot more sense and become a lot easier.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Viewer Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• We draw what the viewer sees. If the viewer moves, our picture changes. • In one and two-point perspective, the viewer will always be looking straight ahead. In three-point perspective, we decide on the viewer’s angle of sight. Either way, we’re controlling the viewer’s angle or direction of view.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Ground Plane Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• The ground plane is our starting point when measuring height. Think of it as the ground itself. • To measure height, we go up from the ground plane to the viewer’s eyes, no matter where they happen to be. That means if our viewer is standing on a ladder, we measure from the ground plane up to the height of his eyes.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Picture Plane Center of Vision
Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Think of the picture plane as an imaginary, neverending piece of glass. • The viewer always looks through the picture plane at a 90 degree angle. • We collect all of the information for our drawing at the picture plane.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Elements of Seeing Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level)
Line of Sight Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Seeing starts at the viewer’s eye (the station point), travels towards the picture plane (as the line of sight) and meets the picture plane at the center of vision. • We use the station point, line of sight and center of vision to measure distance to the picture plane.
© Taylor & Francis Group
The Horizon Line Center of Vision Picture Plane
Your Drawing
Horizon Line (Eye Level) Line Of Sight (Distance Line)
Station Point
Viewer
Ground Plane
• Even though the horizon seems as though it’s where the earth and sky meet, it really represents the viewer’s eye level. It’s just what eye level looks like in the distance, as far as the eye can see. • Since the horizon line alway’s represents the viewer’s eye level, we use the distance from the ground plane to the horizon line to measure height.
© Taylor & Francis Group
For more information, visit: www.simplifyingperspective.com
© Robert Pastrana
