#1 Thing to Know About Perspective

Understanding perspective - at least in a basic and intuitive way is SUPER helpful for painting.  We could spend tons of time studying this - and perhaps should - but for now, the first thing to know is this:

Your eye level and the horizon are ALWAYS the same thing. 

Take this in. When you take a walk or drive - put your hand or a pencil in front of your eyes - and see how it lines up EXACTLY with the horizon.  

_{I'm holding a sharpie up at my eye level.  If I could see the horizon from inside my house, I'd notice that the sharpie/eye level lined up with the horizon.}  

_{This image is from a book called Perspective Made Easy by Ernest Norling. It's a fantastically simple and clear book on perspective. I recommend adding it to your library!} 

So, I'll say it again - the horizon line and your eye level are ALWAYS the same. If you sit down, the horizon comes with you. If you go up into an airplane, the horizon line will also come with you. 

_{Ernest Norling From Perspective Made Easy}

Your first perspective assignment is to look for and experience this in real life.  This will help you have a more intuitive feel for perspective and make it easier to learn some of the more advanced aspects of perspective.  

Watch the video to see me explain this a bit more in-depth. 

Happy painting! Make sure you're signed up to get emails from me so you don't miss any new articles on drawing, painting or perspective. Happy Painting!