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Lesson Plans


Re: How to teach PERSPECTIVE CREATIVELY

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msl
Thu, 25 Dec 1997 10:45:59 -0800 (PST)

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Jen:
Perspective can be taught in 2 very contrasting ways:
a-- as a set of OBSERVATION skills, or PERCEPTUAL skills that allow you to make a realistic 2D record of your 3D visual perceptions
b-- as a geometric set of rules that allow you to CONSTRUCT images with the illusion of depth out of nothing; this is usually called linear perspective

You will find a clear step-by-step description of -a- in chapter 8 of Dr. Betty Edwards's Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Tarcher, 1979). Historically, -b- was derived from the empirical discovery of -a- in the 1430's by Italian Renaissance scientists/artists.
Pedagogically, it makes a lot of sence to introduce perspective in the same developmental order in which it was discovered, starting with visual perception and direct experience, and moving on to the general constructive method, aka "laws of perspective".
Of course this inevitably raises the larger question: is it possible to teach the average student how to draw? Betty Edwards and the people who apply her technology answer yes, but the consensus in most of the art education field is no.
Please let me know if this helps.
Marc Lazard

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