The most characteristic features of linear perspective are that objects appear smaller as their distance from the observer increases, and that they are subject to foreshortening, meaning that an object’s dimensions along the line of sight appear shorter than its dimensions across the line of sight.

Linear Perspective

The three components essential to the linear perspective system are orthogonals (parallel lines), the horizon line, and a vanishing point. So as to appear farther from the viewer, objects in the compositions are rendered increasingly smaller as they near the vanishing point.

Linear perspective is a monocular cue because the effects are manifested as actual differences in distance and size that require only a single eye to perceive. In this image, for example, the white road lines and the broken white center line are parallel, but seem to converge in the distance.

There are two main binocular cues that help us to judge distance:

• Disparity – each eye see a slightly different image because they are about 6 cm apart (on average).
• Convergence – when looking at a close-up object, your eyes angle inwards towards each other (you become slightly cross-eyed).

Monocular cues are cues that require only one eye. Several different types of monocular cues help us to estimate the distance of objects: interposition, motion parallax, relative size and clarity, texture gradient, linear perspective, and light and shadow.

Linear perspective is a monocular depth cue in that causes parallel lines to appear to meet at some point in the distance. The vanishing point is where the lines seem to merge. Linear perspective not only affects our judgment of depth, but also how we perceive size.

Linear perspective uses principles of math to realistically portray space and depth in art. Renaissance artists were largely concerned with painting realistic scenes, and linear perspective gave them a reliable method to accomplish this realism, which helped make their paintings all the more captivating!

Perspective in art usually refers to the representation of three-dimensional objects or spaces in two dimensional artworks. Artists use perspective techniques to create a realistic impression of depth, ‘play with’ perspective to present dramatic or disorientating images.