How to effectively apply perspective in a scene. POV Method

The Foudo Letter

July 2, 2023

In this letter, we will discuss how to effectively use perspective to create a sense of immersive in the painting.

We are not talking about drawing complex forms, but using the most basic knowledge of perspective to create an immersive experience, making the viewers feel like they are part of the scene.

I aspire to become a better artist but face many obstacles. Currently, the obstacle blocking my progress is a monster known as "space".

Upon reflection, I realize that I have two problems in my painting process:

• I am afraid to draw low-angle and high-angle scenes, as I struggle to understand the logic behind them. This is especially challenging when it comes to drawing characters and simplifying them effectively.

• I wonder: why do great artists have such a strong sense of immersion in their paintings? They are able to create a sense of space that makes the audience feel as though they are truly in the depicted environment.

I struggled and made progress.

I realized that it's actually a very simple principle of perspective. You just need to know how to use it.

Simply put, there are two factors to consider when creating a sense of immersion for your audience:

• Making objects look like they're in the same space - horizon line

• Determining the angle of the eyes - Y-axis

These are four principles that can create a sense of immersion:

• Real perspective and fake perspective

• Perspective unity

• Horizon line (most important)

• Simulating the eyeball

They are basic knowledge of perspective, as long as you can draw a box.

Real perspective and fake perspective

Perspective is a technique that creates a sense of space on a flat surface for the audience.

It is an illusion.

When we need to express an object with a regular shape, such as a box, we need to follow the rules of real perspective.

Because if it deviates even a little, the sense of space disappears.

What if the object is irregular? For example, flowers, clouds, and streams of water.

Even if we want to find perspective, we may not know where to start.

In this case, creating an illusion is enough.

There are two methods to create a spatial illusion:

• Shape compression

• Overlaps

Shape compression

This is a flower facing forward.

Compress, rotate, and make minor adjustments.

The contrast between the two flowers created a sense of space.

Overlaps

Let one flower cover the other.

This creates space in the image.

Here is one of my practices.

Perspective unity

When I look for vanishing points in a photo, I can usually find one main perspective, but often I can also identify numerous other vanishing points.

This is very frustrating, especially when I'm creating and can only use two vanishing points, which are not enough for more complex scenes.

Here is a method that can help you simplify your scene's perspective, making it

easier for you to draw complex scenes.

Perspective is a way of creating a sense of space on a flat surface for the audience.

1. Ensure that the main objects comply with the main perspective rules.

2. And then add objects that do not align with the main perspective.

As long as there are enough objects following the main perspective, it will look reasonable. However, irregular objects must also conform to a rule, which is the Horizon Line

Horizon line

The horizon line is the fundamental logic of space.

As long as objects share the same horizon line, they appear to be in the same space.

We can clearly distinguish whether these boxes are above or below the horizon line.

I can put many boxes of different sizes, change their position, and rotate them.

We can also distinguish their position relative to the horizon line.

How do we make these judgments?

These sections.

The closer to the horizon line, the smaller the section angle; conversely, the larger it is.

I have known this principle for a long time, but I didn't realize how useful it was until I learned the application techniques from Wenjun Lin's course.

First, we define a horizon line

Draw a character.

Another one

As long as the cross-section follows the principle of the horizontal line, the characters can be in the same space.

With this method, you can place countless characters in one scene.

Tips

When we extract elements from a photo, we realize that reality does not always follow this logic and is often disordered. If your goal is to create a sense of space, ignore elements that do not follow the horizontal line logic.

This is the subjective processing as an artist.

Simulating the eyeball

This is not a necessary element, depending on how you want to view it.

In the era before the invention of cameras, recording functions were still carried out, even if it was not the main purpose. Paintings would be hung on walls or even painted on walls. At this time, the audience who viewed the paintings were seen as observers.

However, in modern times, especially in games and comics, artists do not want us to simply observe the paintings as viewers, but rather to immerse ourselves in the world they have created.

This is known as Point of View.

The horizon line can put all objects in the same space. Next is to determine the position of the eyes.

The horizontal line represents the X-axis.

The point where the X-axis intersects with the Y-axis represents the position of the eyes.

Adding the Y-axis will change the perspective from two-point to three-point perspective.

If using a fisheye perspective, there would actually be four vanishing points. However, if the eye position is not in the middle (which is not common in most compositions), the impact of the fourth vanishing point is not significant. Therefore, it is simplified to three-point perspective here.

What happens after adding the Y-axis?

Vertical lines tilt towards the center line due to perspective.

By drawing these tilted lines as curves, we can simulate our vision and enhance it.

The closer they are to the vanishing point, the more they tilt.

The focus of XY will become the natural center of vision.

I need to talk about the rule of thirds.

There are already a lot of YouTube videos discussing that.

I'll just talk about why putting the Y-axis in the middle is not good.

This person is looking at paintings at an art exhibition. He is in the center of the frame, with several people beside him.

The audience's attention will be focused on this protagonist.

However, the attention does not flow easily.

Without visual flow, there is no story.

Let's see what happens when we apply the rule of thirds.

Same content, but with more information.

I will show you how I used these principles to create my work.

I will continue creating the Seasons Elf series.

This time, I am trying to create the Summer Elf.

Topic: Summer elf playing at the beach

For me, the most difficult part is to balance composition and space when

considering the visuals.

So, I first disregard composition and create a rough sketch with space.

Then, I use compositional thinking to make adjustments.

Red is the horizon line.

The angle on the right helps me establish space.

The farther away from the horizon line, the larger the angle.

This technique is used when drawing clouds and the sea, and it can create the illusion of space.

Then use shape to lay out.

Simplify shapes

Guide the line of sight to the face

Let’s deal with the character first

The logic behind the patterns on the kimono is to create a Z-shape, which makes the flow of sight smoother.

I have considered for a long time how to draw clouds. My goal is to practice creating a sense of space, so the shapes and lines of the clouds must be clear.

The character is the protagonist, and the clouds should play a role in setting the scene.

Extended the character's "Z" flow while considering changes in angles to create a sense of space.

This is the color version

The plan was to set off fireworks at night. However, my understanding of lighting and shadows was not sufficient to support my idea, so I changed it to daytime.

I don't really like this color version. I changed it to black and white.

My second attempt

I'm tired of doing the Four Seasons series. I want to draw something else.

After my previous painting experience, I have developed a simple workflow:

1. Set the theme: devout believers, blindfolded, kneeling in front of a statue, with a beam of light shining down from above.

2. Find perspective references.

3. Find element references that align with the theme.

4. Place the elements into the perspective and imagine the rough picture.

5. Use shapes to lay out the composition.

6. Add details.

For experienced painters, the composition should be considered first. However, since I am not familiar with perspective, this workflow is suitable for me.

Perspective references

I am using this image as a reference for perspective.

Draw a rough perspective.

Element References

After having a rough idea in mind,

sketch it out.

I slightly broke the rule of thirds, which made the space look bigger. Although I don't quite understand the principle.

I am facing the same issue again. Once the basic perspective is set up, I find it difficult to think in terms of composition.

During the experiment, I tried three methods:

1. Categorizing the main objects into similar geometric shapes - in this case, triangles were used.

2. Originally, I intended to draw a magnificent building, but the arrangement of decorations inside was too regular and difficult to start with. I changed to a broken church instead. Fragments, weeds, and trees can be added for variation.

3. Using brush strokes to divide the shapes, makes the shape segmentation clearer.

This is a sketch of light and shadow.

Obviously, I don't understand light and shadow.

I used another approach.

Created a blurry light and shadow effect with brush strokes.

This is the finished image.

Reflection:

My understanding of perspective is still very shallow.

I can only use space to think about the picture at a preliminary level.

Therefore, my next task is to enhance my understanding of perspective.

At the same time, I also need to understand the logic of light and shadow, which of course requires improving my awareness of structure.

If you want to support me in creating more high-quality content and learn more about my creative process, join my Patreon.

I appreciate your support!

Learning-Practice-Experiment

Now back to the learning stage.

See you in the next Letter.

-Foudo