Discovering the Art of Foreshortening

We will be reviewing the essential elements and principals of design as we progress in our drawing skills. One of these important elements is the perspective technique of foreshortening. Another term for this is the monument view. When you stand in front of a monument and look up the perspective reveals a foreshortening perspective. Meaning that the subject shortens as you eye goes from top to bottom. Thus if you were standing in front of Lincoln within the Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C. you would be overwhelmed with the chair or throne that he was sitting in and as your eye journeys upward his body would shorten in perspective.

Your homework for last week was to is to produce two photos of a good examples of foreshortening in order to provide a drawing from each photo. You may use the magazines on the table to discover those images if you choose to. I expect the drawings to reflect a strong effort of time put into the drawings.

View the video below of excellent examples of student art work depicting foreshortening.