Paulsen Drawing I Packet for October
October 6th
Stipple
First choose two objects to draw, create 10 thumbnail drawing of each object in a box, choose an
asymmetric composition to reproduce, enlarge to fit paper, boxes will be at least 6” x 8,” carefully
and lightly outline contours with HB pencil, stipple with extra fine tip sharpie,
and outline boxes with a solid line.
Linear Perspective
Linear Perspective: a systematic method for creating the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface.
The system originated in Florence, Italy in the early 1400’s The artist and architect Brunelleschi
demonstrated its principles. Architect and writer, Leon Battista Alberti was the first to write down the
rules of perspective. The revolutionary system of geometric, linear perspective was widely adopted by
15th Century Italian Renaissance artists, such a Leonardo DaVinci and Raphael.
Today artists and architects still use the principles of linear perspective to represent objects in spaces
such a buildings, interiors, furniture and even organic objects such as trees or figures.
Basic Vocabulary
Picture Plane: the surface on which you draw. Also an imaginary vertical surface, like a window, through
which you look at your object.
Eye Level: the position where your eyes are located in relation to the subject viewed.
Horizon Line: the place where the earth and sky seems to meet. The horizon line is the same as your eye
level, because the height of your eye level determines where you will see the horizon.
Diminishing Size: objects appear to get smaller as they move away in space.
Horizontal: a line that travels in the direction of or parallel to the horizon.
Vertical: a line perpendicular to the plane of the horizon.
Perpendicular: something that is at a right angle (90 degrees) to another line or surface.
Parallel: lines that if extended into space would always be the same distance apart.
Converging Lines: lines that are parallel and receding in space, appear as if they would intersect if they
continued in space.
Vanishing Point: the place where the converging lines disappear on the horizon line, all lines parallel to
each other and receding from the picture plane go to the same vanishing point.
Two Point Perspective: two dimensions are receding from the picture plane, two vanishing points, one
for each dimension.
1. Place a box or object on a flat surface slightly turned to that both the front and the side are
receding from your point of view, as pictured above.
2. Draw the leading edge (the edge closest to you). It is the vertical height edge of the box.
3. Determine your eye level, measure from the top of the leading edge to your actual eye level. This
measurement determines where you place the horizon line. Add the horizon line.
4. Determine the vanishing points by measuring the angle at which the depth is receding. Mark both
the left and right vanishing points. Note: most often the vanishing point will not be on your
paper, but somewhere on the horizon line as if it continued off of your paper onto your desk or
even into the room. You may mark a point on your desk with tape or pick a point in the room to
represent the vanishing point, just remember that the vanishing point must intersect the horizon
line.
5. Draw the receding depth by connecting lines form the top and bottom point of the leading edge
to the vanishing points.
6. Determine the depth of the box and draw two verticals (one for each side) to limit the depth.
7. Add the back edge depth by drawing a line from the top point of the left vertical to the right
vanishing point and a line from the top of the right vertical to the left vanishing point.
Oct 13th Two Point Perspective
18” x 24” Draw Boxes on table using directions and shade with pencil or charcoal
October 13th Homework
One Point Perspective (11” x 17” paper, with pencil shading)