Understanding Perspective, a peek inside!

June 15, that is the BIG DAY!

Leading up to that date, I'm going to start showing a few previews of the book on this blog, to give you an idea what it's like! I hope Understanding Perspective will inform and inspire...

The goal of this book is to bridge the world of abstract studio perspective with the skills and tools you need to draw on location.  Best of all, it uses pictures to teach--it explains the concepts through wonderful images by talented artists and architects from around the globe, together with lots of diagrams and tips.  Small in size, but pages packed with information, you can take this book with you out into the field when you work.

Today, I post the introduction, as it explains the basic premise of the book...more peeks inside to follow!

 

"Understanding Perspective -- Introduction

Imagine you are standing in an amazing space, say the Pantheon in Rome. Snapping a quick photo like everyone else isn’t enough -- you want to somehow capture this experience, but your group is leaving in only half an hour. What do you do? SKETCH!

Sketching on location is powerful. You have to look at something really carefully to draw it. The process of drawing imprints what you see into your brain in such a way that years from now, the sounds of the people walking by, the scent of the rain, the feel of the warm air, and much more will all flood back when you look at your sketch. Urban Sketching is about capturing your experiences on paper, and more important, in your mind and heart. It’s a great way to learn and remember.

That said, sketching on location can be challenging and overwhelming. Where do you start a sketch? How do you shrink the vast, busy scene in front of you onto your paper? How does perspective work? And where is that darn Vanishing Point? Understanding Perspective helps you bridge the theoretical world of perspective concepts with the real world of on-site sketching.

All good sketches start with good bones. Perspective is simply a set of rules “discovered” during the Italian Renaissance that allows us to translate what we see in our three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional surface, such as a piece of paper or canvas. These principles provide us with a simple structure we can use to create the foundational lines in our sketches.

Perspective doesn’t have to be frightening or something you avoid. Once you know some basics and a simple process, your sketches will be faster, easier, and more believable -- and it will change the way you see the world, as you’ll see perspective everywhere!

Best of all, when you leave Rome with sketchbook in hand, you’ll be bringing a bit of the Pantheon with you..."