Page 117 - sarah-simblet_sketch-book-for-the-artist

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ACCELERATED PERSPECTIVE MEASUREMENT AND FORESHORTENING

To discover how this works, tape some paper to a
board. Stand its b o t t o m edge on your lap. Lean the
top edge toward you and find a position where
you can comfortably look down the paper at an
angle of about 40 degrees. Keep the board steady
and draw. To make forms look correct, your hand
travels farther than you expect, which feels strange.
Proportions will only look correct from the angle
at which you make the drawing.

Tilt the top edge of this book
toward you and look down
on this figure from above. A t a
certain angle, her proportions
will appear correct.

T h i s is t h e s a m e d r a w i n g
photographed from above,
looking down the paper at
the angle at which I drew. W e
appear to be looking down on
a w o m a n standing beneath us.

FORESHORTENING

To foreshorten a figure, you must let go of what you know from experience
about the relative sizes o f body parts and trust your eyes. Look at your model
as if he o r she is a flat series o f shapes o n e o n t o p o f a n o t h e r Measure t h e
height and width of each shape and compare it t o its neighbor. W o r k
around the figure, adjusting anonymous shapes. Soon the body will lie

d o w n in space, pleasingly foreshortened.

Compare the heights of the nose and eye shapes to those
o f the forearm, belly, and thighs. See h o w different the relative
heights o f these shapes are f r o m w h a t w e might expect in real life.