If you are an artist who would like to become a cartoonist and/or an animator, you should take classes to learn basic art techniques. You should also consider going to art school. Learning about basic elements of art can help you as an artist to become a legitimate creator of realistic works that can be animated and used to tell stories, develop comic books, and participate in the creation of television shows, feature films, and of course video games. Learning the basics can help you to further develop your natural skills and teach you how to showcase your unique abilities. Learning the basics will teach you where the lines are in art so that when you begin to draw outside of them in your unique ability, you will know whether you really are as good as some people say you are.
Art classes and art school need not seem limiting to you as an artist. Learning about the history and foundations of your craft will provide you with stability and make your possibilities more real to you. You will learn basic techniques that can help you to be more creative and to express yourself in ways that are unique to you and that others understand. We all know that making up a new language does that individual no good if he/she has no one to talk to in that language or with whom to share secret messages. Learning the basics of art can put you on the same page as others who have similar talents and can provide you with a foundation from which you can grow. With this in mind, let’s first look at the element of perspective in art.
Perspective
In geometry and in its applications to drawing, a perspectivity is the formation of an image in a picture plane of a scene viewed from a fixed point. A perspective is how you see something. It is an individual’s visual point of view. If you look up at a tree that you are standing next to, your perspective of the tree is that it is taller and possibly bigger than you. In order for you to be able to see the top of it, you had to look up. Therefore, your perspective is from beneath it or from the bottom of the tree close to its base.
The following photos help to explain the difference in perspectives of individuals who view basketball players during basketball games.
This picture of Michael Jordan is taken in a way that he is viewed from below him as the object of this photo. The perspective of him is from below. The viewer is looking up at him.
This picture of Michael Jordan is taken in a way that he is viewed at eye level for the individual who is of average height. The viewer’s perspective of him is at eye level.
This picture of Michael Jordan is taken in a way that he is viewed from above him as the object of this photo. The perspective of him is from above him as he attempts to shoot the ball. The camera is placed slightly above the basket making it possible to look down at him as he shoots the basketball.
This picture of Michael Jordan is taken in a way that he is viewed from above him as one of the players in this photo. Many fans who attend basketball games are able to view the games from this perspective. It all depends on where your seats are located. The perspective of him as the object in this photo is from above. The viewer is looking down at him.
Drawing the Human Body - Proportion
While there is significant variation in anatomical proportions between people, certain body proportions have become canonical in figurative art. The study of body proportions, as part of the study of artistic anatomy, explores the relation of the elements of the human body to each other and to the whole. It is usually important in figure drawing to draw the human figure in proportion. Though there are subtle differences between individuals, human proportions fit within a fairly standard range. An average person is generally drawn slightly smaller than one with an ideal figure. The figure considered ideal is drawn to give an impression of nobility and grace. A heroic figure is usually drawn with a bigger chest and longer legs.
Ratios of the measurements of body parts is similar but different than proportions in anatomical art. Leg-to-body ratio is an indicator of physical attractiveness. Generally, the most attractive ratio of leg to body for men (as seen by American women) is 1:1. Results from a Japanese study were the same for male attractiveness but women with longer legs than body were judged to be more attractive. Excessive deviations from the average were seen as indicative of disease. It is said that high class fashion journals depict women with an extreme length of limb (meaning longer arms and legs), and decorative art does the same for both men and women.
The photos below are computer-generated images. The first one of an elderly African American male is an example of one in which the head is drawn larger in proportion to the body. The African American female figure shows more proportionate parts of the body in comparison.
Line of Sight
The line of sight is defined as an imaginary line between a viewer/observer/spectator's eye(s) and a subject of interest, or their relative direction. You can think of it as a straight line from your eyes to anything that you see. That is your line of sight. All pictures taken by individuals with a hand-held camera are taken from the perspective of the person’s line of sight. However, when someone uses a selfie stick for instance to take a photo or to record a video of themselves, it can be taken from a different line of sight than from their own. A selfie stick can record a person from above or below their personal line of sight giving the viewer of the photo or video a different perspective. In the photo below, the line of sight for this basketball court is at eye level for an individual who is of average height.
Shadows
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an object. Shadows show depth perception and perspective. Wikipedia.org states the following about shadows:
If there is more than one light source, there will be several shadows, with the overlapping parts darker, and various combinations of brightnesses or even colors. The more diffuse the lighting is, the softer and more indistinct the shadow outlines become until they disappear. For a person or object touching the surface where the shadow is projected (e.g. a person standing on the ground, or a pole in the ground) the shadows converge at the point of contact.
This photo shows an example of a drawing of a round object and its shadow. There appears to be only one source of light which is above the object and slightly to the right of it. The object’s shadow is very dark around it and it is extended (or cast) towards the left of the object. It also gets lighter towards the outer part of it on its far side.
The following scene from the film Space Jam (1996) includes examples of different perspectives, lines of sight, proportion, and shadows.
First, we see Daffy Duck and Porky Pig doing aerobics along with a video that features the famed fitness personality Richard Simmons. We can see that Daffy is taller than Porky and that their figures are proportionate to each of their sizes.
Next, the line of sight of the television as the animated characters watch and participate with the fitness video is according to their perspectives. They are all shorter than most real human beings, so the camera appears to be positioned low enough for them to see it at their level.
Next, when Bugs Bunny opens the door and Michael Jordan walks in, the camera pans up dramatically showing the difference in height between Michael and Bugs Bunny. The previous line of sight changes as the animated characters see Michael for the first time in the gym.
Then, as Michael begins shooting the basketball, the camera is placed at what is the line of sight of the animated characters that we are assuming are watching him. The camera then briefly captures a slow motion shot of Michael shooting the basketball from above him as he shoots. This shows that the perspective of Michael as viewed by the camera is from above him.
Finally, when Stan sits on the bench next to Granny, her shadow can be seen on the wall behind her. As she moves, the shadow moves in a realistic manner just as she does even though she is an animated character. The shadow indicates that the source of light is above and to the right of them where they are sitting on the bench in the gymnasium.
Happy learning!
(Sources – Encyclopedia Britannica, Graphic Mama, Pinterest, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, Yahoo! Sports)