In Studio - Notes, Handout & Task: Viewpoint & Depth

Highlighted handout:

In studio notes/questions:

What do we mean by depth in an image?

Giving compositional elements within an image the illusion of distance or a third dimension.

How can this be achieved?

Use foreground, mid-ground, background techniques.

Overlapping

Cropping

Staggering

"Draw objects smaller as they get further from the eye."

What do we mean by viewpoint?

The view/angle in which the compositional elements are arranged. A view from the front, the side, the top etc.

What can it provide you with?

Variety, interest and perspective through staggering at various intervals and resizing main elements accordingly.

Are depth and viewpoint only relevant to image makers who want to make ‘realistic’ artwork?

No, these concepts can be use in fantasy, cartoon work and also surreal artwork to play with these ideas and play with viewers depiction of depth within an image.

In studio critical task:

My critical deconstruction of the following images, taking into consideration:

- Depth and how it is created

- Arrangement and overlapping of objects

- Use of foreground, mid-ground, background

- Points of perspective

- Viewpoint

- Composition

Yann Kebbi

In this image, Yann uses overlapping to create a sense of realistic composition and depth. Buildings are drawn smaller in the background despite being taller buildings in real life, creating a realistic sense of scale. The viewpoint of being on top of a roof but looking across creates interest and a unique perspective. 

Foreground: Man and water-tower

Mid-ground: Flats and other buildings

Background: Buildings further away

Michael Gillette

Michael uses a unique "birds-eye-view" perspective and viewpoint in this image. Seeing the items within the image from this overhead angle with slight overlapping helps create realistic depth.

Sean Tan

In this image by Sean, the use of birds and the reducing size and scale of them as they fade into the background and top of the image helps create depth and a sense of realistic perspective. Also the above viewpoint/angle looking down on the boat helps with this along with the overlapping of these birds in the foreground at our eye level, to the rest of the image.

Larger elements appear closer to us while farther elements such as the front of the boat, are smaller.

Mobius

Mobius uses the principle of foreground, mid-ground and background as well as a dynamic "birds-eye-view" viewpoint. The centre of focus (bird and character) is created by making this element larger and compositionally central, layered over the mid-ground and background elements of the image. The use of 3D positioning helps to also create realistic perspective.

Laura Harwood

Laura's image isn't necessarily a realistic depiction of a tennis game, however the same rules of creating depth still apply. Larger, dynamic figures are in the foreground, whilst figures in the background are a lot smaller creating the sense of distance.

Foreground: Red figure

Mid-ground: blue figure

Background: yellow figure

Laura Carlin

Depth and 3D perspective are being created in this image by the use of guiding lines and scale. Lines outlining the roof of the plane cabin guide our eyes towards the back with the help of the reducing size of the cabin details accordingly. Larger elements are right at the front of the image and smaller elements (back seats and smaller "landing" signs) appear at the back. Overlapping and arrangement along with a high viewpoint help the audience see all of these details from a realistic angle.

Sophia Foster-Dominio

The sense of depth in this image is created by 3D elements and shape. The arrangement of these elements work well within the frame created by the realistic positioning of the 3D back wall. Everything compositionally is arranged in geometric lines and angles, helping to create a sense of space and viewpoint.

Miroslav Sasek

Overlapping of figures as they reduce into the background of the image help create depth as well as the lines of the tube tunnel guiding our eyes and strengthening 3D perspective. Smaller signs and people are in the background whereas larger people and closeups of faces are in the foreground, just as they would be if the audience themselves were there.

Laura Carlin

In this image Laura uses foreground mid-ground and background with larger figure statues appearing in the front and smaller statues appearing in the back. The placement and arrangement of these elements also add interest in the depth and helps to create a sense of space and scale of the garden setting with overlapping and staggering.

This weeks session was another great one for me and I really enjoyed the in studio task of breaking down images and really looking closely at the tools the artist/illustrator has used to create interest within their images. Elements of foreground, mid-ground and background are something I really need to work on in my own images as you can achieve so much taking these areas into consideration. Layering composition successfully using depth and viewpoint helps to create a 3D world out of a 2D medium really engulfing the audience and adds so much more interest than just a flat image that has not been considered.

Note to self: 

TAKE OUT THIS BOOK!

I sometimes struggle with the basic elements of composition and always feel that this is something I can improve/expand upon or at least be more mindful about it when creating images. Composition in terms of viewpoint and depth are something that can make/break an image and I feel if I became more confident at arranging the main elements within my own images - it would open up a lot more interesting/successful compositional options for me. This book looks like a great one to help with that.