Peter Boerboom - Drawing Perspective Methods for Artists: 85 Methods for Creating Spatial Illusion in Art

85 Methods for Creating Spatial Illusion in Art

Peter Boerboom and Tim Proetel

It is as mundane as it is intriguing: Correctly placed, a few lines on a piece of paper can create spatialityto be more exact, the illusion of space. The interest to draw space might come first and foremost from the purpose of wanting to depict the visible reality. But it has a more basic meaning: to create depth is a primary aspiration of every artistic design, whether for illustrations or architectural outlines, posters, Roman mosaics, or graffiti.

Spatiality fascinates the viewer; it independently draws him or her into the picture, whether it is objective or abstract. This book teaches methods of artistically depicting space: big and small, overlap, folds and waves, one-point perspective, shaping, fade, light, and shadow.

Big and small objects placed next to each other lead us to assume that the smaller one is farther back. An object partially covered by another in front of it allows us to see an overlap. Tracks that meet in the distance are moving toward a vanishing point, which is called one-point perspective. A circle turns into a ball when the object is shaped with light and shadow. Mountain ranges in the distance are paler than the boulder that is closer to us. Blurry shapes give us an inkling of vastness, while proximity is precisely represented. The features of three dimensionalities are based on the methods introduced here. When working on the exercises, the methods can be varied, combined, and refined, and they can be applied in both representational and new image creations.

1. Big and Small

Sucessively reducing the size of objects and things creates the impression that they are positioned behind each other. On the other hand, children (similar to artists in the Middle Ages) draw the sizes of objects depending on importance, not distance. The top of the picture represents the back to them.

With objects of identical shape, the smaller ones appear to sit farther back.

Not only do shapes become smaller, the distance between them becomes shorter the farther back they are.

Wide lines become thinner the more distant they are. The impression of regular repetition is important for depth perception.

The imagined horizon line staggers the areas in space.

Below is in front; above is in back no matter how big the trees are.

The street edge defines the terrain. Thats why the gradually receding street disappears behind the hills, its smooth course broken up.

The various line widths show the spatial order of the three walls.

When clear overlaps are missing, it is not always obvious whether the small shapes are farther back than the bigger ones.

Depicted here are sounds swinging in space: quiet and loud.

Condensing generates depth. The space pulls together at compressed areas because the distance between the lines is smaller there.

2. Overlap

The visible reality is full of overlaps, meaning objects partially covering other objects. Lines are broken up if something, such as couch pillows, lies in front of it.

Overlaps are generated where something lies in front of another object.

A loop alternates the inside and outside.

A white stripe lies on top of a single dark area because both parts are perceived as one unit.

Obviously a rectangle is lying in front of the image plane. The dark spots move into the background because our perception prefers crisp, concise shapes.