Linear PerspectivePerspective is a technique for representing three-dimensional space on a flat surface. Many artists around the world have employed various techniques for portraying depth. However, it wasn't until the Renaissance that artists invented a mathematical system to show depth logically and consistently. The system of linear perspective gave artists a powerful new tool for creating realistic art.

Linear perspective is based on the way the human eye sees the world-objects which are closer appear larger, and more distant objects appear smaller. To create this illusion of space, the artist establishes a vanishing point on the horizon line. Objects are drawn using orthogonal lines which lead to the vanishing point(s). In one-point perspective, the forms are seen face on and are drawn to a single vanishing point.

Size: objects appear smaller as they get farther away.

Position: objects appear higher on the page as they get farther away.

Overlap: Overlapping objects show which is farther.

Detail: Objects have less detail as they get farther away.

Saturation of color: Close objects are brightest and sharpest.

Objects in the distance appear pale and washed out.

Horizontal Line: Is always at eye level. The horizon line remains

at eye level even if you look in another direction

Vanishing Point: The point to which all

lines which are parallel to the viewer recede.

Convergence Lines Also called Orthagonals Are lines that converge

at the vanishing point They are lines that are

moving away from the viewer.

An average train station

Objects become smaller as they recede.

Notice how the pillars get smaller.

What else gets smaller as it recedes?

Look carefully at the photo for the 3 different types of line: vertical, horizontal and diagonal.

If you focus on the diagonal, you will notice they all radiate out from one single point.

This point is called a Vanishing Point and is symbolized here by a red dot.

A Vanishing Point is the point where receding parallel lines converge.

In this situation, we only have one vanishing point because viewers are perpendicular to the back wall.

In all linear perspective the vanishing point is always on the Horizon Line.

Remember that the Horizon Line is always placed at the viewer’s eye level, not where the viewer is looking.

Without the photograph, we can see how the scene can be drawn so that there is the illusion of depth.