Agent View

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**Basic Perspective**

*Perspective* is how things seem to look from our Point of View (**POV**). The *Picture Plane* (**PP**) is the entire scene, and is usually equivalent to the "format" (i.e.: the outer edge of our paper or canvas). It is what the viewer sees. A good example is to imagine drawing on a window with a dry-erase marker what you see outside. The window frame would be the format and the glass itself would be the **PP**. *Parallax* means that any sort of movement will change our **POV**, so we have to stay still! To counteract it, we can use a *Fixed Eyehole*. A *Fixed Eyehole* is something unmoving that we look through to continuously keep the same **POV** while drawing from life. It could be a ring hanging from a string attached to the ceiling, or a hole punched into a card that is mounted on a stick placed firmly into the ground.

The *Ground Plane* (**GP**) is an imaginary surface that we are standing upon, no matter what our **POV** is. The *Station Point* (**SP**) is our location on the **GP**. On Earth, the "horizon" is where the ground and sky seem to meet. There is always a *Horizon Line* (**HL**), a horizontal line that seems to divide our **POV** into "top" and "bottom". This is because we are always standing on an imaginary **GP**, even if we aren't standing on Earth! If we do happen to be standing on the surface of the Earth, and are not looking straight up or down, then the **HL** is the same as the Earth's horizon.

*Eye Level* is our height above the **GP**. It usually coincides with the **HL**. Objects at *Eye Level* we face directly, objects below our *Eye Level* we look down at, and objects above our *Eye Level* we look up at. Our *Line of Sight* is the direction that we are looking. For example, we can look straight ahead so that our *Line of Sight* is parallel to the **GP**, or it could be tilted up or down.

A *Bird's-Eye View* is when we are far away from the **GP**, looking down on a scene from up high. A *Worm's-Eye View* is when we are close to the **GP**, looking up at a scene from down low. Usually, if the **HL** is high on the format, we are looking down (e.g.: more of the ground is visible), and if the **HL** is low on the format, we are looking up (e.g.: more of the sky is visible). Again, the **HL** almost always coincides with our *Eye Level*.

*Diminution* is when things seem to get smaller the farther they are away from us. *Overlap* is when things that are closer to us seem to cover up things that are farther away. This seems to separate everything in the environment into three "layers". From closest to farthest away, they are *Foreground*, *Midground*, and *Background*.

*Atmospheric Perspective* is when far away things seem fuzzy and have less detail. [Clarity diminishes with distance because light is travelling through an atmosphere that has a tendency to scatter it.]

Parallel lines that are moving away from us seem to meet (or "converge") at some point off in the distance. This is called *Convergence*. Because of *Diminution*, if things are far away enough, they will become so small that they seem to disappear! Therefore, the point where parallel lines seem to meet is called a *Vanishing Point* (**VP**). All lines that are parallel to one another share the same **VP**, and all lines that are not parallel with the **PP** will have a **VP**!

All lines that are level with the **GP** have a **VP** on the **HL**. Any lines that are tilted (i.e.: are NOT level with the **GP**) have a **VP** above or below where they would normally be on the **HL** if they were level. The line that connects all of these **VP**s together is called a *Vanishing Trace*. It is perpendicular (i.e.: 90-degrees) from the **HL**.

How much of a scene is within our focus at any given moment is determined by a *Cone of Vision*. We can think of the tip of the *Cone* as corresponding to an eye, and the base of the *Cone* as how much of the scene we see through that eye. A wider base means that the *Cone of Vision* encompasses more of a scene. This width is usually measured as an angle. [Why an angle? The side-view of a *Cone* is a triangle. If one side of a triangle became longer or shorter, the angle between the other two sides would also change.]

Notice that the human eye only takes in a limited amount. Things on the periphery of our vision are not as clear as those things within the center of our vision. This effect is simulated by a 60-degree *Cone of Vision*. Things seem to become distorted outside of this range. For example, a camera with a wide angle lens (or "*Fish-Eye*") can take in a larger angle, but things also seem to curve, bend, or warp in order to fit.

*Depth of Field* determines which aspects of the *Foreground*, *Midground*, or *Background* are in focus (e.g.: a background can be blurry while focusing in on something up close). When a thing is close to our eye, *Overlap* can make something that is relatively small seem quite large. Likewise, when a thing is pointed towards us, *Diminution* can make something relatively long seem very narrow. This effect is called *Foreshortening*.

The idea of "*1-Point Perspective*", "*2-Point Perspective*", and so on, has to do with how many *Vanishing Points* are used to draw a single object from a given **POV**. This is mostly based upon how many sets of parallel lines that an object seems to have within that **POV**. In actuality, a single object within a scene could have as many *Vanishing Points* as there are parallel lines going off at different angles. Therefore, the concepts of *1-Point*, *2-Point*, etc. are simplified examples that show us how to handle *Vanishing Points* in general.

Usually, *1-Point* is used for objects that are facing us directly, *2-Point* is used for objects that are tilted or rotated away from us in some way, and *3-Point* is used for more extreme angles (like *Bird's-Eye* and *Worm's-Eye Views*). The **VP** that appears when looking up is called the *Zenith*, and the **VP** that appears when looking down is called the *Nadir*.

Try to learn how to use *1-Point* really well before moving on to the other two types.

**Other Things That We Can Do**

*Linear Perspective* is when parallels are treated as lines. This would include *1-Point*, *2-Point*, and *3-Point*.

*Curvilinear Perspective* is when parallels are treated as curves. For example, there is *4-Point* and *5-Point*, which produce something similar to a *Fish-Eye*. There is also *6-Point*, which can show everything around a person, like a "*Panorama*". If you also include what you would see if you look up and down, then it is "*Omnidirectional*". It makes it seem as if we are looking in every direction simultaneously! [For a neat example, check out how the artist [Richard Termes](https://termespheres.com/) paints scenes on spheres.]

We can increase the amount of a scene that we see by using more sets of converging parallel lines. However, the image also distorts more, especially when it is presented on a flat surface all at once.

In addition to *Linear* and *Curvilinear Perspective*, there is also *Paraline Drawing*. There is no *Convergence* whatsoever in a *Paraline Drawing*. Lines are true parallels throughout! This is used within *Drafting* (i.e.: drawing blueprints).

*Drafting* usually focuses upon three different ways of looking at thing:

• The *Plan* (or "Top View", made up of Width, *X* and Depth, *Z*)
• The *Elevation* (or "Front View", made up of Width, *X* and Height, *Y*)
• The *Section* (or "Side View", made up of Depth, *Z* and Height, *Y*)

These are called *Draft Views*. They are drawn to scale (i.e.: a fraction of the size that they would be in real life), so that one can take accurate measurements right off of the page! However, as accurate as blueprints might be, they can also seem "flat" and not give a very good idea of what it would actually look like.

Thankfully, we can use any two of these *Draft Views* at the same time to make a *2-Point Perspective* drawing. This is called *Mechanical Perspective*. For example, an architect might combine a *Plan* and an *Elevation* drawing of a building to show what it would look like when viewed at a specific angle.

You might wonder, "Why not start with the *2-Point* drawing instead?". This is because *Convergence* would throw the measurements off. Therefore, people often find it much easier to do some *Draft Views* first. This principle applies to coming up with things in your imagination as well. For example, someone designing a character might make a "model sheet" that shows what they look like from the front and side before trying to draw them in a "three-quarter view".

If something is drawn with *2-Point Perspective* and the *Vanishing Points* are too close together, then it causes distortion. This is sometimes known as "*Violent*" or "*Forced Perspective*". It appears because the further that we are away from something, the less *Convergence* that its parallels seem to have. Therefore, if there is too much *Convergence*, it just looks distorted. Again, only so much of a scene can fit into our view without any curvature. Spreading out the *Vanishing Points* is equivalent to opening up the *Cone of Vision* and/or changing the *Depth of Field*.

This understanding can lead to all sorts of different **POV**s, and even help us to simulate what different types of camera lenses would look like! For example, zooming out so that what is in the *Foreground* is pushed farther into the *Background* is like changing the "[focal length](https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/understanding-focal-length.html)" of a camera lens. Focal length is measured in millimeters (e.g.: 200-mm, 50-mm, 28-mm, etc.). Generally, the higher the focal length (in mm) that we use, the more zoomed in it seems. Less of the scene is visible all around.

**Using Perspective Grids**

A *Perspective Grid* is a series of guidelines that gives us a framework for drawing in 1-point, 2-point, 3-point, etc. Because we are always on a **GP**, it is easy to imagine a space readily partitioned by a *Perspective Grid*.

What is the purpose of a *Perspective Grid*? It acts as a point of reference for gauging:
• Relative height or depth
• Relative distance and size
• Relative orientation

Drawing with a Viewfinder makes copying images easier for the same reasons: It gives a point of reference for gauging the characteristics of things in relation to an observer's viewpoint!

**Perspective Tips**

**Use Thumbnails To Plan Perspective**

In other words, figure out the proper perspective on a small scale, and then increase its size! This is especially useful when dealing with **VP**s that are far off of the page. Remember, angles and proportions can scale in size without the relationships changing.

**Use Photographs To Study Perspective**

• Where is the **HL** in the scene? Is the observer physically standing on a **GP**, and if so, what is their height or *Eye Level* from it? Estimate the height by seeing if the **HL** passes through the *Eye Level* of other people in the scene and/or objects that can help you gauge sizes (e.g.: doorways, cars, etc.).

• Is there a set of parallel lines which can be traced back to a **VP**? If not, what if you were to place imaginary bounding boxes around objects in the scene? Look for *Diminution* as things near the **HL**. Note that **Convergence** always occurs away from the observer! [Although, there are some stylistic exceptions, such as within [Byzantine art](https://www.atelier-st-andre.net/en/pages/aesthetics/byzantine_perspective.html).]

• Can you divide the scene into *Foreground*, *Midground*, and *Background*? Look for differing sizes in *Overlapping* objects and how some objects become hazy due to *Atmospheric Perspective*.

We sincerely hope that this information has helped you to understand *Perspective*, and created a good foundation that will make it easier for you to learn more.

Thank you for reading! ♥