Whether you specialize in drawing—even cartooning and animationùor prefer media such as acrylic, oil, pastel, or watercolor, a good knowledge of perspective is invaluable. It is the foundation of all great paintings and drawings, no matter what medium. Perspective shows you everything you need to know to make objects look three dimensional. Practice the methods of measuring and dividing areas proportionately; then learn how we perceive depth and distance, and how to render it correctly on paper or canvas. You will learn the basics and beyond, covering concepts like foreshortening; cast shadows; reflections; and even one-, two-, and three-point perspective. And once you have a good grasp of the basics, it's easy to graduate to more complex and irregular forms. This comprehensive guide will show you how!
William F. Powell is an internationally recognized artist and one of America’s foremost colorists. A native of Huntington, West Virginia, Bill studied at the Art Student’s Career School in New York; Harrow Technical College in Harrow, England; and the Louvre Free School of Art in Paris, France. He has been professionally involved in fine art, commercial art, and technical illustration for more than 45 years. His experience as an art instructor includes oil, watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, and pastel—with subjects ranging from landscapes to portraits and wildlife. He has also authored a number of art instruction books, including several popular Walter Foster titles. As a renowned master of color, Bill has conducted numerous "Color Mixing and Theory" workshops in Los Angeles and San Diego, California. His expertise in color theory also led him to author and illustrate an educational series of 11 articles entitled, "Color in Perspective" for Painting Magazine. Additionally he has been consulted for his color expertise on telescope and satellite images for national space programs, and he has served as a color and pigment consultant for several artist’s paint manufacturers. Bill's work also includes the creation of background sets for films, model making, animated cartoons, and animated films for computer mockup programs.
