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Linear Perspective
Perspective is a technique for representing threedimensional 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.
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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.
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Horizontal Line:
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Vanishing Point:
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Is always at eye level.
The horizon line remains
at eye level even if you
look in another direction
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.
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An average train
station
Objects become smaller
as they recede.
Notice how the pillars get
smaller.
What else gets smaller as
it recedes?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Without the
photograph, we can
see how the scene
can be drawn so
that there is the
illusion of depth.