Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Stools for fools, flowers for comfort
I am still stuck on getting the perspective on the stools, I am sure I will get it one day. The flowers and vases seem to just be natural, it is easy (relatively) to get the perspective. I suppose it is just that geometry that is difficult?
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Hi there. I realize this drawing was done almost 4 years ago, but I just thought I'd add my two cents. Keep in mind that this is coming from a person who is not a good drawer, but who is familiar with geometry and the principles of perspective. So, I'm not saying I could do much, if any better. I know it's much easier to talk about how to do it than to actually do it! I respect your effort, patience, and perseverance. That is admirable, and something I wish I had the way you seem to.
Anyway, about the drawing:
I think the most obviously distorted aspect to the stools is that you are drawing the legs from a view that is neither directly above the stool, nor in front of it. Your "eye" is somewhere in front and above the stool, as if you were a 6 foot tall man standing across the room, and looking down at a 2 or 3 foot high stool. Correct? Is that the intention? If so, then the round "seat" of the stool should no longer appear round. That is your major malfunction ;) A circle (like the top of the stool) will only appear circular if you look at is straight-on; in this case from directly above it. Think about how it looks when you are directly beside it, looking edge-on...it's just a straight line right? So, in your view angle, which is somewhere in between those two extremes, the circular top should now appear elliptical, or oval shaped.
Something that helped me with that kind of thing (even though I was great at math and geometry (and I'm an engineer), I was a very poor drawer; it's one thing to describe and another to do, I know) - something that helped me to "see" the apparent shape of objects in perspective was to look at the real object from the viewpoint in my drawing, but then close one eye to get rid of depth-perception and all of its hints about space that help us in real life, but mean that we are less aware of the "shapes" we see. If you close one eye, and maybe even squint a bit to blur and obscure everything but the shape,you can more easily discern the shape that you should draw.
Also, I noticed you trying to draw a rectangular space around the stool; sort of "boxing it in"...that's good and should help you - but it can also make it more difficult if you don't draw the cube correctly either! I suggest that maybe you practice drawing cubes and rectangular prisms in perspective. Remember, in an isometric perspective, parallel lines stay parallel, but right angles don't stay right angles (if you're off-center). In "true" perspective, parallel lines converge at the horizon. Your boxes are neither isometric nor perspective! They are all crooked!
I'm only trying to offer some helpful ideas; things that I've been told when I tried to learn to draw. It was very difficult for me; and I even changed my college major from architecture to engineering!
Keep at it; I enjoy your blog.
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