What follows is a random thought exercise as I struggle to grasp the complexities of drawing a three dimensional cube.
Perspective is a challenge, in life and in drawing.
Perspective Skews Reality
In drawing, perspective creates an illusion of depth and distance on a two-dimensional surface. Objects closer to us appear larger, while those further away appear smaller. Scaling, however, is the challenge. One wrong line and the T-Rex might appear further than it is.
In life, our mixed experiences and beliefs create entirely different realities. Two people may witness the same event and share wildly different recollections. Just like an artist might misjudge a line, causing the sun to set where it should rise, we too can misjudge situations based on our skewed perspectives.
Perspective requires skill and practice
In drawing, mastering the various forms of perspective takes time and patience. In my case, many crumpled sheets of paper.
In life, perspective is routinely shaped and re-shaped through introspection, learning and unlearning. It is not innate. It's nurtured. We are born without bias but our formative years will yield them nonetheless. It takes years of self awareness to temper that bias.
Too many perspectives
In drawing, there's one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective. There are many more, but they don't alliterate as well. It can feel overwhelming, especially to the humble beginner such as I.
In life, there is a myriad of perspectives. They may have names that indicate a political identity or religious fervor. Understanding how others see the world can be as overwhelming as envisioning a cube through a fisheye lens.
Without perspective
In drawing, we may lose much of the essence behind the art.
In life, we may lose much of the essence behind life.
I don't have any profound parting words on perspective. This mostly started because I couldn't draw good three-dimensional cubes.