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Perspective - Part 5

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DIMINISHING SIZE IN LINEAR PERSPECTIVE

A new aspect to be covered is how similar objects change, not only in size but in the relative space between them as they get farther away from the eye of the viewer. This is true of trees, railroad tracks, windows of buildings, columns, etc, assuming they are equidistant (equivalent distance between them.)

This is an easy concept to grasp, but make sure that once you understand it, you practice it on a drawing pad to make sure it gets engraved in your brain.
Say you are drawing trees of similar size, which are also equidistant from one another. Follow these steps: Here's how:

Draw the leading tree (fist one,) establish a vanishing point, and divide these two converging lines by exactly two equal halves (black line)
Next, draw a vertical line from the top of each tree (yellow lines)
Now, connect the top of the first tree (where the yellow and top converging line meet) through the intersection of the black line and the yellow line of the second tree (green line)

Place another vertical yellow line at the area where this green line intersects the bottom converging line (red line) This new yellow line is where your third tree will be placed
Make sure that the size of this third tree is demarcated by the top and bottom converging lines.


Repeat the same process for as many additional trees as you wish. For this example we chose fifteen.	Here is the result! That wasn't too hard, was it?

Application: Both Hubert and Monet used the diminishing size principles to calculate the size and position of each of the elements from the bridge, such as arches, columns, rails, etc.


The Pont du Gard by Robert Hubert 1787 Oil on canvas, 242 x 242 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris	The Bridge at Argenteuil, by Claude Monet 1874 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon

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