Understanding Perspective (Art of Drawing)

Sept 12

Popular author and teacher Giovanni Civardi's books provide good introductions to each subject with clear illustrations and concise text. Understanding Perspective looks at aerial, linear, central linear, two-point and three-point perspective as well as chapters on projected shadows and reflections. These books are more sketchbooks than how-to-do-it books, but there's much to be learnt from studying the work of this popular artist.

Aug 12

Perspective is that thing that tends to make your brain freeze over. It's either something you can just do, like colour mixing, or a subject so technical it brings you out in a cold sweat, a bit like dreaming you're doing an A level maths exam with only a set of times-tables for help. And that's the trouble, there's no way round the fact that perspective can only be explained with the use of lines and diagrams and a fundamental understanding of the vanishing point. Yes, it is a form of geometry. Giovanni doesn't shirk the task of getting to grips with the technicalities, but at least you know you're in good hands and I hope that this will be enough to encourage you to persevere. The technical stuff is kept to a minimum and is concisely, but clearly, explained and there are plenty of his sensitive pencil drawings to show you how things work out in practice. If this is something you've been putting off for longer than you care to admit, this might finally be your chance to nail it.

Mar 13

Civardi presents here a simple, thorough explanation of the basic principles of perspective drawing, the representation of three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional medium. After a brief introduction touching on tools, geometry, and optics, this slim guide covers aerial, linear, and central-linear perspective, two-point and three-point perspective, and the use of construction lines, projected shadows, and reflections. Many finished drawings, step-by-step process drawings, and photographs are provided throughout. VERDICT Beginning and intermediate hobbyists and art students can use this book to learn or improve their realistic-drawing skills.

GIOVANNI CIVARDI was born in Milan in 1947. While training to become a sculptor, portrait artist and illustrator at the Free Life-Study School of the Accademia di Brera, he also studied medicine and surgery. For over a decade, he worked as an illustrator, producing commissions for newspapers, magazines and book covers. During frequent trips to France and Denmark, Civardi put on one-man exhibitions of this work and pursued his interest in studying the relationship between medical anatomy and the human form as depicted by the artist. His experience gained from teaching anatomy, life drawing and portraiture in schools and institutions over many years has led to the publication of numerous books in which Civardi's experiences are brought into focus.