Roles of proportions
Having instructed my art students to pay attention to the importance of proportions, perspective and their roles, likewise, I would like to share my thoughts with you.
Roles of proportions are not only used for painting human figures but also when applying different tones! Probably this sounds new to you and her I am sharing my experience. When we add sensibly shadows or lights on a painting with certain proportions, will emphasize certain shapes or forms. It is what I call the artistic or visual math which any realism painting requires. Realism is not about the ability to copy a photo, rather mixing your own different photos to create a new composition with a fresh subject. Having hundreds of photos, slides or negatives is one thing and combining them to create a new subject, is another story. This story requires knowledge of proportions and experience of the use of tones. How many times we can be looking at an object or someone yet, we are not actually seeing them. Creating a realistic painting is the outcome of profound calculations of real objects perceived and felt, of personal observation, intellectual interpretation.
Watching for the direction of the light or the angle of it, calculating subconsciously the extended light or shadows on the exposed shape is necessary. The farer an object distanced from us the smaller and lighter proportions of tones we would see. I would also add that the proportions of passion and the patience we have, will add different depth and different result.
Roles of perspective; without obtaining the knowledge of perspective, an artist can work with any other free style but realism. However, if we wish to speak realistically, we can't afford it to be out of focus. Having a fast food meal, can't be considered a real meal. Painting realistically without roles of perspective and proportions, will invite many criticisms. How often we use the expression “Put things in the right perspective” But what is the general meaning of perspective? It is the focus on the most important matter/object to fully perceive it clearly, then set priorities.
Vanishing point and Perspective: there are the perception of certain goals and what comes first and what comes as second importance. As the object takes less importance or value will be vanishing and evaporating as a second or third importance. Perspective is a mathematical visual observation and penetrates in everything we see in life or draw. Perspective is an enjoyable subject to learn about and guarantees that will increase our brain cells. Who can argue that the more our brains collect details/information, the more cells are created. Learning about vanishing point and how objects vanish in that point, may seem complicated at first but once we learn the first role, we will find it irresistible to learn about multiple vanishing points, it is brain stimulating.
Let us do a small exercise; try to draw a one-side box (one square) going to one vanishing point. Then, change the position of the vanishing point up or down, farer or nearer and watch how the shape of the one side box will change. Then try same exercise with two-side box (two squares) going to two vanishing points and apply as mentioned above. Your next exercise can be stairs going to a door but watch it, that needs two vanishing points. Have fun.
Reaching realism style professionally, takes hard but enjoyable work. Visualizing a painting prior to working on an empty canvas is bring stimulating and imagination enriching. Creating a lively painting entails imparting freely, our feelings which were nourished earlier to painting. And having true love and passion for what we do is the precious key that would pay off more than any material gains.
Simply, manipulating proportions using different tones in relation to perspective will create a realistic painting. And finally, painting realism with such knowledge is never sufficient to captivate viewers, but adding personal feelings is the way to real paradise.
