Drskmishra

[DarkOwnt]

Did a quick sketching today depicting total lock down! Have tried to understand perspective, shading and some idea of the street. Many shortcomimngs, I'm sure! Seek suggestions from all.

One quick tip about perspective.

You will recall from your geometry that parallel lines never diverge and never cross. It also is true that parallel lines will always appear to meet at infinity (think train tracks).

It follows that, if the rail on your balcony is parallel with the rails of the balconies across the road, they will appear to point to the same point on the horizon, but will never appear to cross one another before they meet at the horizon. This is deduced simply by imagining extending all of these lines indefinitely. Since they are parallel they never cross, but since the spaces between them must appear smaller as they recede in the distance, they appear to meet at infinity which in this case (since they are parallel to the ground) at the horizon.

In your picture, in the immediate balcony the top part of the railing and the bottom part of the railing should point to a vanishing point on the horizon. All edges parallel to that rail including all those across the street, also point toward that vanishing point. If it turns out the building across the street actually is not parallel then all those lines have their own vanishing point on the horizon.


Note: The horizon is only significant for lines parallel to the ground. Obviously vertical lines of buildings, furniture etc. point up, which all meet at infinity upwards... and parallel lines can point in any direction.

Final note: Your perspective within the balcony looks good, as it does general for each building... but they do not seem to be matched to one another in the same space. This of course does depend on the actual orientation of the buildings.

[D Akey]

Did a quick sketching today depicting total lock down! Have tried to understand perspective, shading and some idea of the street. Many shortcomimngs, I'm sure! Seek suggestions from all.

I like the autumn forest painting.

As to the sketch of the lock-down, I would never (as viewer) look at this as one image. I would see it as related vignettes in a sketchbook. As such they are cool. You're getting in and telling a story based on poses. It also has a feeling of stark detachment -- an allusion to a prison in a way. So editorially it rocks with message.

As to the technique, I would say that you are looking pretty decently. It's not technically perfect, but you're closing in on forms enough for there to be life and attitude in it. So it gives it a rather personal journal vibe, through a voice. There are many more skilled artists who cannot get that sort of life into it. So you're ahead of the game there.

I think the one thing to bear in mind as you create through perspective is that you want to establish an eye level including a horizon line (whether or not we see it), and vanishing points that converge onto that line. Keep it simple when you can so you don't go crazy from trying to work out all the possible mechanics. But it's good to get a simple short hand handle on it.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks both of you, for your kind observations. Truth be told, I started with just a bored house locked man looking down his balcony with railing and background hint of a building, but the front looked so empty that i had to reluctantly add the front building, and thats where i lost the plot! Street scenes as you rightly put, have to tell a story, and I was only prepared for half of it perhaps! But I'm happy I wasn't wide off the mark! Thanks again for all the support as always.

[Drskmishra]

If I got it right, the parallel lines look more in order this time. Any better?

[DarkOwnt]

Aha.. yes much better!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir, for all the support!

[Mike A]

Hi -I've enclosed 3 quick'n dirty sketches to demonstrate a process that can be used to help a composition. Here's how it goes:

1: Create a base layer and draw a horizon, then add a vertical line - centered or not, as you feel like. The crossing point of the vertical line and your horizon is the Vanishing Point. Then draw some more horizontal lines below the horizon and add diagonals from edge to edge, through the Vanishing Point. You can then add horizontal lines above the horizon. It could look like this:



2. Add a second layer and draw in your houses, etc. Here's an example:



3. Make Layer 1 invisible and - hey presto - here are your houses in correct perspective:



A little simple, but a useful starting point sometimes...

[Drskmishra]

Thanks Mike, you made my life much simple! Let me see how i can make the most of it. Thanks again!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do this beach, rocks, reflections and all. Seeking suggestions from all.

[D Akey]

The colors are sensational and rich. I like that you have mixed the color of the far rock with more blue to have it recede compared with the closer rocks. That's what is called atmospheric perspective -- the other, non-structural perspective that you were working on. Using both is always a great way to go to give a natural feel, whether using saturated colors or more muted. I love the movement of the cool blue to the warm as it comes closer to the viewer.

Good stuff. I'm feeling the space.