Backyard

Add a Comment

Comment by Xiao Li on July 28, 2014 at 5:13

Wow!!  Thank you Michael.  I definitely need to get a book on this subject.  We deal with this sort of concept all the time but I did not really give it a thought.  Thank you for your lecture.

Comment by Michael J. Severin on July 28, 2014 at 2:55

Good morning Xiao.  Correct.  Let's say you are drawing a house.  You have your straight horizon line. BTW, YOUR  horizon line is always at your eye level.  Okay, any line that is BELOW that horizon line will extend UP toward a point on that horizon line, either left, right, or both, depending on which angle you are viewing the house. Okay, any line that is at the SAME LEVEL  as the horizon line .is straight ..it will not go to a vanishing point.  Any line that is ABOVE the horizon line will extend down to a vanishing point somewhere on the horizon line.  So this applies to everything with 2 point perspective:  Beach scenes, waves, clouds, roads, fence post, people, windows on a building,  etc.  My explanation was very simplified ...it gets more complicated in certain situations ..for instance:  buildings on various  elevations and roads that go over a hill,  will all have different  vanishing points!!! ...Linear perspective is very complicated and there are many books on the subject out there.  Take the example of a beach scene and people:  If you are standing on a flat beach, your horizon is at your eye level ..which on a flat beach ..zero feet sea level ...would be the oceans horizon line.  Looking down the beach, the surf would extend out to a vanishing point far off somewhere, your next wave would be a little straighter..but would extend to the same vanishing point, the next wave a little more straighter ..extending to the same vanishing point on the horizon.  Each wave will get a little straighter until you get to the horizon line ...then ..clouds near the horizon line will be kind of straight, but as they get nearer and above you, there vanishing points will behave the same as the waves,  except DOWN toward the horizon.  Okay, that is only 2 point perspective ...there is also 1 point and 3 point. 

Comment by Xiao Li on July 27, 2014 at 18:28

Now I got it.  The vanishing line should always going upward, or at least the bottom one, no matter it extents toward the right or toward the left.  It can only going downward when the horizon is underneath the object, that is we are standing below the object, looking upward. I finally understood it when I started to draw them on the paper.  Thank you Michael!!  Unfortunately, the house owner liked the painting very much, so I gave it to her.  Now I can't go back to correct my mistakes.  Next time, I won't make this type of mistakes again.

Comment by Michael J. Severin on July 27, 2014 at 13:25

Hi Xiao.  Actually Xiao, if we are looking head on to that back fence, it would have no perspective left or right. ..it would go straight across the back of the painting.   The swing and fence on the left, the vanishing point is on the right because the highest part of the fence and swing is the nearest to us ..so all the lines running parallel, would go to the right because that is where they are heading.  Now, the 2 x 4s braces ..there vanishing point is to the left ..because that is where the parallel lines are heading.  Unless your backyard is tilted to the left, your swing perspective lines are heading in the wrong direction.  Does that answer your question, Xiao?

Comment by Xiao Li on July 27, 2014 at 13:14

Thank you Michael and Ann.  Your detailed analysis are very appreciated.  Regarding perspective, the object should have two vanishing points.  One towards the right and one towards the left.  if I want to avoid flat horizontal fence, I should have the choice to put the vanishing point towards the right or to the left without violating the perspective rules, right?  In this case, the yard is extended on the left.  Why it doesn't look right if the fence is tilted toward the left?

Comment by Ann Turner on July 27, 2014 at 6:44

Nice composition Xiao. I also like the shadow patterns especially the grass. Up the dark value as suggested here will give it punch

Comment by Michael J. Severin on July 26, 2014 at 12:30

Very nice concept Xiao! ..I really like the shadow and light shapes.  Suggest you throw some of that shadow onto the fence ....it would be a great design element and would frame the swing.  It would also break of the large shape of the fence.  Make the shadows on the swing a little darker in value .as dark a value as you have on the tree trunks at left.  When you put that shadow on the fence, and darken the swing shadows, you lights on the swing will really pop out!!!.  One more thing:   Perspective again:  unless your backyard is going downhill, raise that left fence up a little as it comes from the frame ...then ...raise the left portion of the swing so it goes toward the vanishing point to the right.