Perspective (graphical)

Perspective (from Latin perspicere, to see through) in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is a way to represent 3-dimensional objects on a flat surface (such as paper). The two most characteristic features of perspective are:

• Objects are drawn smaller as their distance from the observer increases
• Objects are shown distorted like they appear to the eye of a viewer in reality if they are not seen from the front.

Satire on false perspective by Hogarth.

Basic concept

Perspective works by representing the light that passes from a scene through an imaginary rectangle (the painting), to the viewer's eye. It is similar to a viewer looking through a window and painting what is seen directly onto the windowpane. If viewed from the same spot as the windowpane was painted, the painted image would be identical to what was seen through the unpainted window. Each painted object in the scene is a flat, scaled down version of the object on the other side of the window.

References

• Kemp, Martin (1992). The Science of Art: Optical Themes in Western Art from Brunelleschi to Seurat. Yale University Press.
• Damisch, Hubert (1994). The Origin of Perspective, Translated by John Goodman. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
• Hyman, Isabelle, comp (1974). Brunelleschi in Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
• Vasari, Giorgio (1568). The Lives of the Artists. Florence, Italy.

Other websites

• Teaching Perspective in Art and Mathematics through Leonardo da Vinci's Work at Convergence
• Mathematics of Perspective Drawing
• Drawing Comics - Perspective
• Quadrilateral Perspective by Yvonne Tessuto Tavares
• The Perspective Page A short interactive introduction to the geometry of perspective drawing