The Theory and Practice of Perspective (eBook)

IT is much easier to understand andremember a thing when a reason is given for it, than when we are merely shown howto do it without being told why it is so done; for in the latter case, insteadof being assisted by reason, our real help in all study, we have to rely uponmemory or our power of imitation, and to do simply as we are told withoutthinking about it. The consequence is that at the very first difficulty we areleft to flounder about in the dark, or to remain inactive till the master comesto our assistance. Now in this book it is proposed to enlist the reasoning faculty from the veryfirst: to let one problem grow out of another and to be dependent on theforegoing, as in geometry, and so to explain each thing we do that there shallbe no doubt in the mind as to the correctness of the proceeding. The studentwill thus gain the power of finding out any new problem for himself, and willtherefore acquire a true knowledge of perspective. George Adolphus Storey Book First The Necessity of the Study of Perspective to Painters, Sculptors, and Architects LEONARDO DA VINCI tells us in his celebrated Treatise on Painting that theyoung artist should first of all learn perspective, that is to say, he shouldfirst of all learn that he has to depict on a flat surface objects which are inrelief or distant one from the other; for this is the simple art of painting. Objects appear smaller at a distance than near to us, so by drawing them thuswe give depth to our canvas. The outline of a ball is a mere flat circle, butwith proper shading we make it appear round, and this is the perspective oflight and shade. 'The next thing to be considered is the effect of the atmosphere and light. Iftwo figures are in the same coloured dress, and are standing one behind theother, then they should be of slightly different tone, so as to separate them. And in like manner, according to the distance of the mountains in a landscapeand the greater or less density of the air, so do we depict space between