The Basic Principles Of Linear Perspective
FREE LESSON
No membership required! An easy lesson that anyone can handle, it emphasizes basic watercolor painting techniques. Basic Watercolor Painting Techniques are essential skills for the watercolor artist. They are easy to learn with lessons like this.
Many people get very nervous when the word ‘perspective’ is mentioned. It seems difficult and mysterious, but it is actually very simple.
Perspective is based on a very simple idea: objects that are farther from you appear to be smaller.
The objective – or “real” – world exists in three-dimensions: height, width and depth. Our drawings and painting exist only in two dimensions: height and width.
Perspective, or linear perspective, is a system for representing the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface.
Although it may seem scary, the principles are easy to learn and, really, essential to understand if the goal is to accurately represent objects in a painting or drawing.
Basic Linear Perspective For Watercolor Painting
The word ‘perspective’ tends to make painters very nervous. The concepts seem mysterious and unattainable for most of us. The truth is that the concept and system is very simple and the technical drawing part is not difficult at all. Once you have learned a few basics, it will be easy to understand and apply in your work. This series of lessons introduces you to the basic ideas behind one, two and three point perspective. You will encounter scenes and subjects that require application of two-point perspective most of the time. One point perspective applies in many situations as well. The need to apply three-point perspective in a painting is relatively rare.
All linear perspective systems are based on the simple idea that objects that are farther from you appear to be smaller.
The objective – or “real” – world exists in three-dimensions: height, width and depth. Our drawings and painting exist only in two dimensions: height and width.
Perspective, or linear perspective, is a system for representing the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface.
Lessons About Basic Linear Perspective
Follow this set of eight lessons to get the basics and practical ways to make it work in your paintings.
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Other Subject Lessons
The links below take you to other subjects and lesson groups for special skill and concepts.
SEASCAPES FLORAL AND STILL LIFE
How To Draw One-Point Perspective
How To Draw Simple Two-Point Perspective
How To Draw Simple Three-Point Perspective
This lesson shows how to draw a simple three-point perspective layout.
You’ll use three-point perspective layouts only for subjects with unusal viewpoints. For the most part, three-point perspective works best when you are trying to show great height or great depth.
Practical Perspective – Part 1
Practical Perspective – Part 1 The One Simple Linear Perspective Idea To Remember Keeping this one idea in mind when drawing your painting layout will help make everything look right. This short lesson highlights the idea and how it affects buildings and other elements in your painting.
Practical Perspective – Part 2
A practical way to use linear perspective in your watercolor paintings.
This shows how two-point linear perspective is applied to a drawing layout. The most important result of using linear perspective in your paintings is that is supports the illusion of space and distance.
Drawing Buildings So They Look Right – Drawing Lesson
Drawing buildings so they look right.
There are a number of common drawing errors that cause buildings to “not look quite right”.
This lesson focuses on the few important details to help you create believable buildings in your work.
Draw A Two-Point Perspective Grid
Learn how to draw a two-point perspective grid using the Brewer method.
This video lesson shows how to draw a two point perspective grid with vanishing points that are off the page. It is a great skill to have and will build your knowledge of perspective.
Using A Perspective Grid For Space and Distance
Linear perspective can dramatically improve your drawing and drawing layouts for your paintings while supporting the illusion of three-dimensions.
Perspective Grids are linear perspective drawings with perspective lines plotted both above and below the horizon line and to each vanishing point. These are great learning tools and great practical tools as well.