Line and Space

This week, Chapters 5 and 6 presented many key terms and concepts, some of which I am already familiar with and others that are completely new to me. Linear perspective is present in all surroundings in the world, it's just a matter of whether or not one choses to be aware and acknowlege it. For instance, as you drive down a long stretch of a highway, you will notice that the road will have a single vanishing point which represents a one-point linear perspective. As you will also notice, the world is full of scale. As viewers, we know that as an object gets further away from you it will appear smaller and smaller, yet we also know that this object is always going to be the same size. Perspective is apparent in daily life and choosing to acknowledge it will give you a new outlook on the world. It will help you to see things that you might have previously overlooked.

At work I am constantly looking at plot plans for houses. These are simply outlines of how the house will appear, and from these I am supposed to determine if the house will fit within the given dimensions of the lot. It's amazing that I can gather all of this from a piece of paper and some ink, while sitting at my desk. Never really having to see the actual house or lot. The concept of lines allows many things to become visually evident in the world that surrounds us. So, next time you open your eyes make sure that you are really looking at the amazing things that are right infront of you.