C

SIGHTING AND TWO-POINT

PERSPECTIVE

Sighting is based off of the principles of perspective, but is a

shortcut, so to speak, and a great, simple trick to use in both

shorter and lengthier sketching sessions.

Before moving to the step by step explanation, there are 2

rules that must be followed in order for this to work. Keep

these in mind while reading about and using thetechnique. These rules are crucial and sighting will not work

unless they are followed.

Sighting

Rule of thumb

Pencil measurements at arm's length

This is a very simple way to assess angles

and proportions when sketching. Hold a

pencil at a full arm's length in front of you.

Align the top of the pencil with the top of

the object, then slide your thumb down the

pencil till it's aligned with the bottom of the

object. Keeping a firm grip on the pencil

quickly lay it on the drawing paper and

mark off the two points. This method can

be used effectively to quickly assess and

check angles on buildings objects and the

human figure.

(1) Hold your body rigid and extend

your dominant arm (usually the right

arm), pencil in your hand, to its full

length.

(2) Place your thumb against the

pencil as a gauge (sliding it up and

down or to the left or the right,

depending on the unit of

measurement you wish to establish).

(3)Bring the pencil on a line with

your eye and the object that you

are measuring.

4) Try to find one part by which you can

then measure the rest of the object. In

the diagram above, the head is used

as a unit of measurement to determine

the length of the subject's body. This is

done by aligning the tip of the pencil

with the edge of the snout, and the

thumb is resting on the pencil to where

the head ends at the start of the neck.

The tiger above is thus, six heads in

length.

5) Once you find a part to which to

measure the rest of the parts of the

object, you can then proceed to put in

the object’s details, still using the same

scale of measurement in which you

established.

An example of how to use your pencil as a measuring

stick to find the height and width of the house with the

use of your pencil and thumb. You can also find the

angle of the roof with this method. In drawing the

house (as shown above), the height of the chimney

might be taken as a standard of measurement. Hold

the pencil upright, the top on a line with the chimney

top.

Now move the thumb downwards until the end of

your thumb comes between your eye and the bottom

of the chimney. Then draw the chimney. Repeat this

measuring operation, finding where the length of the

chimney corresponds to other parts of the house. Your

pencil can be moved between the house and your

eye and by using the chimney length as your

standard of measurement, the corresponding length

and width of the house can be estimated.

With the pencil and thumb

measuring technique, you can

even find the angle of an object,

such as the house’s roof. Just hold

your pencil parallel with the object

(in this case the roof). Then, without

changing the position or angle of

your pencil, just bring it down to

your paper and make a light stroke

indicating the angle.

LET’S REVIEW

• We learned about thecomponents of a perspectivedrawing.We made a one pointperspective practice drawing.I briefly mentioned thatperspective drawings can haveone or two vanishing points.Today we will talk about thosetypes of perspective drawings!

•

•

•

TWO POINT PERSPECTIVE-WITH TWO POINTPERSPECTIVE INSTEAD OFHAVING ONE VANISHINGPOINT WE HAVE TWO!

LET’S QUIZOURSELVES!