Perspective by Alysa McLachlan

Perspective is a graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on a two dimensional surface. Many people feel "comfortable with perspective drawings and paintings because it represents the reality of form in three dimensions as we naturally perceive it." To create depth on a flat surface is to create an illusion. When perspective was first created during the Renaissance period, artists were able to give visual reality to their artworks. Before the Renaissance, pictures were flat. The idea was to create more life like characteristics of animals and people. Perspective was and is used as a means of expression but also geometric discipline. Many famous artists such as da Vinci and Raphael used techniques for the construction of perspective. Today, many other kinds of artists use perspective. Video game and computer game designers use perspective to provide three-dimensional effects. Graphic artists design logos for television or print based materials using various perspective techniques. The two most common types of perspective are Linear and Atmospheric Perspective.

Linear Perspective is one way of using lines to show distance and depth. In one-point perspective parallel lines seem to move farther away and closer together toward the horizon line. The horizon line corresponds to the eye level of the viewer. This is where the sky appears to meet the ground. The picture on the right at an apartment complex represents one-point perspective. The walls in this hallway eventually come together and meet at one point in the distance. This is the vanishing point of sight. The vanishing point is located near the center of the horizon line. There is a line on the walls that represents the eye level or horizon line. When the viewer looks down the hallway, the lines appear to move closer together. Other lines in this picture are also parallel and move towards the vanishing point. The lines where the floor meets the wall and the ceiling meets the wall also extend to the vanishing point. As the hallway gets narrower, the objects in the picture reduce in size. Some of the objects in the picture that get smaller include the lights on the ceiling, the archways down the hall, and the shadows that appear from the light through the archways.
	This next picture was taken at the new Rocket's arena - The Toyota Center. This is another example of linear perspective. The parallel lines of the seats and railing converge in a point below. The black lines on the edge of each stair get narrower along with the railing and stairs. The vanishing point is located at the top of the picture extending beyond the last step. The vanishing point can also be constructed with a ruler. If the lines were extended until they intersect; their point of intersection would be the vanishing point.
This picture was taken on the overpass of Highway 59. The archways over the bridges actually appear as if they are diminishing in size along the horizon line towards the vanishing point. The actual road and cars also diminish into the vanishing point. It is possible to see the color of the cars and the lanes the vehicles are traveling the closer they are to the viewer. It also possible to see that there is white writing on the first sign but we cannot see the text on the second sign. In one point perspective, objects are faced head on.
	Not all objects appear directly in one-point perspective. Some objects are turned to the side. In two point perspective, there are two vanishing points on the horizon line. Every line except vertical ones will converge onto one of the two vanishing points. Even though we cannot see the entire store, it is implied that the lines will eventually converge into the vanishing points. The vertical line is the front corner of the store.
This is another example of two-point perspective. The side of the building is seen in a diagonal position. The vertical line is the corner of the building. If a line is constructed from the top of the vertical line and the bottom of the vertical line, one vanishing point would extend past the right of the picture. The other vanishing point is located on the left side of the vertical line. Because this picture was taken from the top of a parking garage, the horizon line appears to be the middle section of the building.
	Objects in Atmospheric Perspective (also called Arial Perspective) get blurry and hazy in the distance. This is caused by dust and moisture particles in the environment. The observation of blurry and clear objects lets us judge distance. Notice the picture on the left taken from a window in a parking garage. Because of atmospheric haze there is a distinct difference in the sharpness of objects. The plants on the outside of the garage appear crisp and colorful. It is possible to see the shape of individual leaves. However, the top of the trees located right behind the bushes appear to be out of focus and not as sharp. Also, the increase in brightness of the buildings in the background causes the buildings to be seen and photographed as lighter in color than they would be at a closer distance. The far building on the left is just a shape. It appears to have a light gray color. The yellow buildings show color. You can actually see the windows as part of the house.
Here is another example of atmospheric perspective. This picture was taken from Memorial Drive at Studemont Street. In this example it is possible to see the loss of contrast, detail and sharp focus. The buildings in the background appear to be less distinct and smaller. There is also a lack of clarity and color. All the buildings appear to be blue gray. Other examples in this picture that show a reduction of detail and color intensity include the grass, the trees, the 2 cars, and the lines on the road.

Examples of Perspective in online museum:

1. Name of piece of art: View on Lake George
Artist: John William Casilear
Museum: National Gallery of Art
URL: http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pinfo?Object=56306+0+none
This is an example of atmospheric perspective. I chose this as an example because it reminded me of the phrase 'purple mountain majesties'. Mountains are not really purple; however, when using atmospheric perspective mountains appear hazy in the distance. Each hill becomes a little less sharp with the last one being hardly visible. Casilear was part of the Hudson River School. This was a group of American landscape painters of the mid-nineteenth century, who took a Romantic approach to depicting the Hudson River Valley, and other lands further west.

2. Name of piece of art: The Wall Painting The School of Athens
Artist: Raphael / Bramante
Museum: Vatican Museums Online
URL: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/x-Schede/SDRs/SDRs_03_02_020.html
I chose this painting because this is a great example of linear perspective. The artist uses the principles of perspective to show philosophy and history of thought. In this picture there are groups of people representing each subject that must be mastered in order to hold a true philosophic debate - astronomy, geometry, and arithmetic. The figures are distributed throughout the front, middle, and back of the hall. The groups of people open up to the main focal point of the painting which is the two main philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. The figures are represented on the same perspective scale as the interior. The people become smaller as the ceiling and walls diminish in size. The archways also reduce in size, but the underside can be viewed because the horizon line is low.

Bibliography

Amendola, S. & Tartaglione, J. (Eds.). (1983). Perspective for the Artist. New York: Taplinger.
D. Smith, personal interview, September 5, 2003.
Ragan, R. (1994).ArtTalk (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Musuem of Science, Exploring Linear Perspective. Retrieved September 6. 2003, from
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/ExploringLinearPerspective.html.

University of Evansville. Art Studio Chalkboard. Retrieved September 6, 2003, from
http://www2.evansville.edu/studiochalkboard/draw.html

Wakeham, D. (1982). Mendelowitz's Guide to Drawing (Rev. ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart
and Winston.