Perspective and Spatial Depth
Perspective and spatial depth
This domain tests whether space is convincing: ground planes recede, objects diminish correctly, and distant forms lose contrast. You need one consistent eye level and a clear vanishing-point system.
Core rules
- The horizon line equals the viewer's eye level. Horizontal parallel lines recede to a vanishing point on that line. One-point is for a frontal box or street; two-point uses two vanishing points for angled boxes; three-point adds a vertical vanishing point when looking sharply up or down.
- In two-point perspective, vertical edges stay vertical. In one-point, the front face stays true and side edges converge.
- Atmospheric perspective: distant objects become lighter, cooler, lower in contrast, softer in edge and less detailed.
- Depth cues: overlap, relative size, placement on the picture plane, convergence and texture gradient.
Worked example
A street scene with the eye level slightly above the heads of near figures. Set both road edges to meet at one vanishing point; keep shopfront verticals vertical; make the nearest figure full height, the middle figure two-thirds and the distant figure one-third. Reasoning: the shared eye level keeps all standing figures' eyes on the horizon if they are on the same ground plane; convergence and scale agree, so the street reads as one space.
Traps
Two different horizons, tilted verticals in a two-point scene, converging verticals when you intended two-point, distant buildings darker than foreground, and figures scaled by importance rather than distance. Test by laying a ruler along receding edges.