Imaginary Cities
Perspective is a point of view, how you see things, and the way artists represent space on a flat surface. We will be using One-Point Perspective to create an imaginary city in bird's-eye view. Now, think about that.... where do birds see things from? From up above! You will be creating the illusion that you are looking down at a city from the sky, or even from space. Look through the following thumbnails to see examples of bird's-eye view cities.
Before you design your cities, you must have a good understanding of one-point perspective. We started off by practicing shapes on the following handouts. If you were absent, you can find them here.
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Keep the following terms in mind while you practice your one-point perspective:
- Horizon Line: The line in a perspective drawing where the sky meets the ground. It also represents the viewer’s eye level. That is, the placement of the line on the picture plane depends on the vantage point of the artist. For example, if the artist is low to the ground, the horizon line is low on the picture plane. You can see the top of an object if it is below eye level, below the horizon line. If an object is above eye level, above the horizon line, you can not see its top.
- Vanishing Point: The point on the horizon line at which lines or edges that are parallel appear to converge.
- Orthogonal Line: Literally, a line which is at right angles to another. In linear perspective drawings, it is the line you draw from the corner of an object to the vanishing point. It establishes the illusion of a perpendicular line going into the distance. Orthogonal lines should always be drawn lightly at first. Usually, most of an orthogonal will be erased.