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Using Perspective Dynamically & Sculpting Form

One way that we can think of Perspective is as a collection of geometric techniques for keeping things proportionate as they move towards or away from us in a scene.

Techniques like:

• Finding the centers of planes and cutting planes in half by connecting their corners with diagaonals.

• Finding the spacings of lines as they recede into the distance through the use of diagonals or measure lines.

• Finding relative sizes of objects in a scene by tranlating lines horizontally/vertically within the same "plane" (i.e.: along axes whose parallels do not have Convergence).

...etc.

Once we have learned some basic Perspective techniques, then we can "sculpt" forms by using those techniques to cut away portions of Primitive Forms and/or adding segments to them by projecting lines/curves from their surfaces in ways that make sense visually. Think "Contour Lines" and "Splines". Even if many changes happen, we can keep it consistent if we stay aware of certain basic ideas throughout:

• location of Horizon Line (by continuously keeping in mind what surfaces we are looking down on or looking up at)

• location of Vanishing Points (by continuously keeping in mind what lines are parallel with one another)

• location of Foreground, Midground, and Background (by continuously keeping in mind what things line up horizontally/vertically within the same "plane")

...etc.

This is a dynamic use of Perspective. Instead of relying heavily upon grids, we can use a few simple landmarks and relate all things to one another as the drawing itself unfolds.