#6, CandP Drawing Class...The Far Horizon...Angles and basic units

I start out with this concept (courtesy of the amiable Mr. William Powell in his excellent little book.."Perspective) , the HORIZON LINE, because of all the ideas in linear perspective, this was the hardest for me to get.  Not only do we experience the horizon line in real life (i.e, the place where the Puget Sound meets the often grey and dripping sky), but as artists, WE ESTABLISH OUR HORIZON LINES IN OUR DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS.
  In other words,n the horizon line in the Mona Lisa is NOT the horizon line of the very short or very tall tourist snapping pictures of the painting on their cell phone.  The HORIZON LINE of the Mona Lisa painting is the one established by DaVinci in his arrangement of the landscape behind that mysterious smile.  You, as the artist, are the one to decide where to put your horizon line in your painting.  And then, unless you want to cleverly mess up our perceptions (like the  visual conundrums of Escher), you place your horizon line and keep it there.

 You can have many vanishing points,but in a traditional linear perspective set up, you can only have one horizon line.  Now, take a look at these following illustrations and a photo, and see if you can estimate where the horizon line is.....

#6 Drawing on the Right side of the Brain

1 Sighting...unlocks space.    Ratio...relationship....something has to be  number 1.( The BASIC  UNIT).. Show  on propotional scale, ie, 1 to 2 is the same ratio as 2 to 4, or 6 to 12....the difference is only how much(size) , but not the ratio (format). 
Paradox....ie, width of table...how many basic units across.?  page140 and 141

2.  Go through the measuring of a table...page 141.

3.  Perspective...changes our prejudgement...different cultures...i.e., Egyptian (flat, profile), Chinese, (stacked)
Pg. 143  Durer’s device.  Like your hand.. Discuss briefly.

4. Formal perspective....a little dry....not taught in this class....I could do a workshop in it if anyone is interested.

5. Get right in front of door. Outline your viewfinder shape on paper.  Do crosshairs.  With viewfinder , arm locked and  with magic marker, mark top of door width AT THE LINTEL.  This is your basic unit.  Mark the same on your paper.  Now, with your pencil (cause the viewfinder gives tendonitus!) measure how many “basic units” are in the length of the door.

Now,  draw the same format on the paper, but make it larger.  Do cross hairs.  Make the same PROPORTION of BASIC UNIT for the width of door.  Then do the same amount of Basic Units for the length..  This is called “scaling up”, which I do for murals (show how each square can be scaled up from 2”= 1 foot square.)
Show ballerina. 11-6 at back of the book.
(You can do the opposite and “scale down”)

7. Trace another format.  Open door.  Now look at BASIC UNIT.....where does the door cross the lintel?  Check the angle of the top...about 45 to 50 degrees off the horizontal?  Think of shape more than degrees. Show angle examples.  Accept the paradox and measure everything by amount of basic units and angles.  Draw the door.

8. Copy Hopper Drawing.,,,...What kind of FORMAT?. Chose something small for your BASIC UNIT  Using your newfound skills, take 20 minutes to draw the painting.  (Don’t shade) 

Assignment :  Read chapter 9 and draw a corner of your kitchen. (no shading...just use your pencil to set up the Basic Unit and measure the angles.)  BRING A PAINTING or Photo EXAMPLE  to the next class WHERE YOU CAN ESTIMATE THE POSITION OF THE HORIZON LINE.

Comments

[Lynne Rutter]

most excellent and informative post, thanks jennifer!

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