Exercise: parallel perspective

This is a view from a bridge over Lake Geneva with the end of the jetty, walk way, wall, grass and line of trees running into the distance.

MEDIA: Pencil, ink pen, neon crayons for hints of colour

METHOD: Tasked with not using any aid or rulers, I had to create this perspective drawing by hand. I used light pencil to block off the main thirds of the scene and drew all the main parallel lines going back to what I observed as the vanishing point in the top middle of the page, off the left of the tiny little statue. I used the middle and edges of where the lines drop off the scene to get the composition. Then I used black fine line ink pen to get the detail and then a little light neon crayons to suggest colour and light tone though keeping it light touch so the drawing and perspective was the main study

REFLECTIONS:

• Once I got the main blocks of lines and horizon in, I was able to follow and fill the detail well enough
• That said, guessing the shortening gaps of repeated items as they run back into the distance was a bit trial and error but it helped to compare across the two lines where objects started and ended
• I think that I may have made the height too wide compared to the view itself – I realise I had filled the paper instinctively rather than cutting off the bottom where it made sense for the perspective
• I just so happened to catch the statue way off in the distance fully in the the centre horizontal line and the short height of it helps give a lot of depth to the drawing

Checking the lines with a ruler:

I didn’t want to draw right over my drawing so I attached see through alcohol paper to check my lines:

I used blue lines for the left and pink on the right and a grey horizon line.

I think the individual sets for one subject in the drawing were not too badly aligned with the points crossing quite close to each other. I just didn’t get the same cross over for both blue and pink quite exact as I could have if I had measured it out. I have circled these in black dotted line and dotted the main intersections of the lines. They are also just above my horizon line instead of one it – but I’m pleased that I got relatively close!

Final reflections:

• Not using a ruler is not easy- I usually always first use a ruler to get the correct lines (if straight lines exist) once I have figured out the composition. I find it easier to measure and separate sections using a ruler around which I can then draw.
• My horizon line tapers off on the right down a tad so it wasn’t straight when I checked with a ruler
• However, this technique really is useful to capture depth and visual line which I quite appreciate even if I tend to dislike drawing buildings and man made structures as I don’t find them as interesting