Kistler 01_Kistler You Can Draw 10/21/10 12:01 PM Page 43
5. Draw the next line.
6. Add the third line.
7. Complete the foreshortened square. This is a very important shape to practice. Go ahead and draw this foreshortened square a few more times. WARNING: Draw the two middle dots very close together. If these dots are drawn too far apart, you will end up with an “open” square. We are aiming for a foreshortened square.
Foreshortening means to “distort” an object to create the illusion that part of it is closer to your eye. For example, pull a coin out of your pocket. Look at the coin straight on. It is a flat circle, a 2-D circle that has length and width (two dimensions) but lacks depth. The surface is at an equal distance from your eye. Now, tilt the coin slightly. The shape has changed to a foreshortened circle, a circle that has depth. The coin now has all three dimensions: length, width, and depth. By tilting the coin slightly, you have shifted one edge farther away from your eye; you have foreshortened the shape. You have distorted the shape.
LESSON 4: THE CUBE
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