If the reader is familiar with even elementary perspective, this chapter
will not aid him, for it is not within the scope of this work to
instruct in a science which is adequately covered by literature
especially devoted to the subject.
The object of this chapter is to give the amateur an opportunity of
producing by the simplest methods an interior or exterior back cloth
which will be reasonably convincing in its perspective lines.
For this reason, the orthodox means of obtaining accuracy in fixing the
vanishing point, scale, and all other technical explanations have been
omitted as being useless unless the reader has the assistance of a
qualified student to help him in deciphering the diagrams.
It must not be assumed, however, that the result of following these few
instructions will be a something that is not perspective. With
intelligence a very respectable interior, for instance, can be set out,
which will satisfy most people, if not the professors.
If, on the other hand, an attempt is made to draw out a scene without
some method of perspective, the result will be in all probability
ludicrous, and ‘Chinese’ in its lines, producing an irritating effect on
an audience of discernment.
Perspective is the view of objects flat or perpendicular, as they appear
to the eye, and not as they really are. The farther an object is from
the eye, the smaller does it appear to be, until at last it seems to
vanish at the limit of vision, that which we call the vanishing point.
If we look through a long straight tunnel we see ground, sides, and roof
all converge to a point of light—the other end. If the tunnel is lit by
lamps at the sides, they will be seen to get smaller and smaller and
closer and closer together as they approach the outlet. They do this in
strictly decreasing proportion, and no two spaces are alike. To attempt
to draw these spaces correctly without a method would be futile.
Now all straight lines, whatever they are, rails, bricks, lamp-frames,
etc., that have their ends to the mouth of the tunnel, get closer and
closer together as they recede, until they appear to nearly meet at the
point of light, and this fact is the germ of perspective drawing. The
horizontal lines, however, such as sleepers and the sides of the lamp,
although they decrease in width and length, remain quite parallel to the
very end of the tunnel.
Therefore we have two leading facts, (1) that all lines going away from
us tend to meet, and (2) all lines across our path remain parallel. If
our tunnel is a square one, and we chop it up into a number of sections,
what have we but a series of rooms end on end. Consequently, keeping the
principle of the tunnel in his mind’s eye, the reader should have little
difficulty in setting up a correct interior. Of course doors, windows,
columns, pictures, etc., have their widths to be determined, and these
must be laid out on the same principle as the tunnel lamps.
[Illustration: _Fig I_]
Fig. 1 of the illustrations shows a simple interior including ceiling,
floor, back wall and two side walls. It will be seen that from corner to
corner of the canvas are diagonal dotted lines, and where they cross in
the centre is a point marked V.P. which is the vanishing point or ‘end
of the tunnel.’ As we do not require an endless room we cut off several
miles of it and put a back in. This can be done by dividing each of the
diagonal lines into four parts, and drawing up to the four points (F) to
make the back of the room.
We now have something like a square room, with four equal sides, on the
back wall we put what decoration we like without troubling the vanishing
point except that no object that is equal to a similar one on the side
walls must exceed it in height, although it may in apparent width. To
set out the columns on the right-hand wall, draw a line (B) from the
left-hand front corner through the right-hand back corner of the floor,
and continue it on until it cuts across a horizontal line (C) drawn in
through the vanishing point, thus forming another point marked A. Now as
we have considered this a square room, of course our base line D is
really the same length as the side walls, so we mark our columns on D in
their proper places. Then we draw lines from each of such marks to the
point A, and from where they cut the floor line of the wall we draw
perpendicular lines up the walls to give us the elevation of the columns
in perspective spacing and width.
The left-hand walls and the ceiling show a simpler method, when merely a
single central feature is wanted. Simply draw diagonal lines corner to
corner, and then a vertical or horizontal one, and the exact centre is
found; then mark out the feature, seeing that all the going-away lines
tend towards the V.P. The position of the V.P. as shown is not a fixed
rule, but merely for simplicity of instruction: it may be above or below
the centre of the back wall, or to right or left, giving a different
aspect of the room; the general rules described still apply.
Fig. 2 shows a method of setting out a parti-coloured paved floor.
Divide the front line into a number of equal spaces, draw lines to the
V.P., then A to A, then horizontal line B, through the centre cut, which
allows C to C to be drawn. Then draw the other horizontal lines, cut
vanishing lines, and the floor will represent a draught board in
perspective, cross each square with diagonal lines, and the pattern can
be made diamond-wise. With this basis to work on, many geometrical
patterns can be set out in perspective, and of course a ceiling
decoration would be painted on similar lines.
[Illustration: _Fig II_ _Fig III_]
Fig. 3 is a street scene in perspective, it is very much on the lines of
Fig. 1 except that the spacings are irregular, but they are arrived at
by the same methods. We have only shown the right-hand side of the
street, as the other side can be set out by reversing the procedure.
Assuming the street to be 60 feet wide and the four houses together say
80 feet, the base line must be extended to show this roughly to scale.
Then from the V.P. draw the horizontal line C, and from the left-hand
end of the base the line B, then cut at A, and that is the point to
which all the lines of the vertical features of the houses must be
drawn. Then proceed as described for Fig. 1. We have not included the
Church, as it means too considerable an extension of the base line for
reproduction.
Treat the left-hand side of the street similarly, but vary the detail to
fancy.
The heights of the various buildings are immaterial so long as every
roof and cornice line runs to the V.P.
All the foregoing instructions have been for parallel perspective, where
but one vanishing point is required. Fig. 4 illustrates an instance of
angular perspective, where two sides of a building recede from the eye.
For first efforts at scene painting, angular perspective can be ignored
by the simple evasion of not including buildings on the angle. But,
strictly speaking, angular perspective is the more exact of the two, and
when the reader has grasped the central idea of the vanishing lines, he
should essay the angular in his scenes to obtain variety and freedom.
In Fig. 4 two vanishing points are required, but they must both be on
the same horizontal line, lines to right and left of the building are
drawn out to their respective V. points. The base lines for spacings can
be utilised as in Fig. 3, but one for each side of the building must be
set down.
[Illustration: _Fig IV_]
Perspective drawings should be made to scale on paper. After finishing
rub out guiding lines, and square up paper as described in another part
of this book, and so transfer sketch to the canvas. Never place the
vanishing points above the centre unless the scene is to be viewed as
from a hill.
In the small space at my command much has been omitted from this
chapter, and the ambitious amateur would do well to obtain standard
books on perspective, and study the science fully, but satisfactory
results can be obtained by following these simple instructions carefully
without further tuition.