Space and Scale

Illusionistic depth:

Diminution of scale

Charles Burchfield,

1920’s American

Illusionistic depth:

Overlapping of forms

and

sharp and diminishing detail

(MC Escher, 1940’s)

Sharply contrasting values advance into space while dimly contrasting values recede. (Georgia O’Keefe, 1930’s)

Pierre Adolphe Valette,

1910

What (again) are the devices for indicating illusionistic depth here?

Playing with Scale:

(Rene Magritte, 20th C Belgium)

Another example of playing with Scale:

Robert Therrien

(Contemporary American)

Perspective is everywhere--especially where you find geometrical forms.

Linear Perspective was invented in the early 15th century by an Italian architect named Fillipo Brunelleschi. He wanted to figure out a way to accurately record his observations of the ancient Roman buildings that so inspired him.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (1498)

Ancient Roman Fresco (First Century AD)

Duccio

14th C.

Italo-Byzantine

Mughal miniature painting (India) 17th C

18th C Mughal Miniature (India)

The Art of Courtly Lucknow (India)

Shirah Discovers the Body of Farhad (1800)

A Princess and Her Companions (1760-1770)

A Dancer Balances a Bottle (1770)

Japanese paintings

Ukiyo-E style

18th-19th C.

Mary Cassatt

19th C. American

Project Number Seven: Space and Scale You are going to make a painting/drawing/collage that deploys both western linear perspective and a non-western Asian (or modernist) sense of space. First, use your pencil and ruler to make a 1” border along all sides of you 15”x20” illustration board, then divide the interior composition in half along the long side—making each rectangle 9”x13”. Using the procedure I described in both the lecture and the demo, create a one-point perspective interior inside one of these rectangles. This interior is going to be populated with imagery that represents your ideal, utopian space. What sorts of objects would you want in your dream place? Be sure to use one-point perspective to draw and position all of the geometrical elements in this place. Be sure also to use the principles of scale, position, overlapping, and sharp and diminishing detail as well. For the other half of your composition, you are going to use these same perspective space elements to create a very non-western or modernist conception of space. Remember from the lecture how non-western space is created: shapes can be out of scale, or be flat and set upon (and not within) the picture plane. They don’t have to conform to any particular perspective lines. Shapes can also be equally colorful and detailed, with little or no shading. You can use a variety of media—drawing, painting, and collage—to complete both of these spaces. Also: think about how to visually link both these individual compositions in some manner to create a visually unified overall design.

Student work: (acrylic paint)

Student work: (acrylic paint)

Student work: (acrylic paint)

Student work: (acrylic paint)

Student work: (pen, ink, and watercolor)

Student work: (ink and watercolor)

Student work: (pen, ink, and watercolor)

Student work: (pen and ink)

Student work: (Prismacolor and ink)

Student work: (watercolor and pen and ink)

Student work: (pen, ink, acrylic, and collage)

Student work: (collage)

Student work: (collage and acrylic paint)

Student work: (acrylic paint and pen and ink)

Student work: (watercolor and graphite)

Student work: (marker pen)

Student work: (Prismacolor)

Student work: (acrylic paint)

And now for the demo…And now for the Demo…