Point of view
Key information
Sometimes artists show us a bird’s eye view in their drawings, looking down on the scene from above; or a worm’s eye view, looking up from below. Artists often use perspective in their drawings to create the illusion we are looking at a three-dimensional space; like looking through a window at a landscape. For The never-ending line Kellie O’Dempsey does something else—she fills her environment with drawings.
Drawing provocation
What happens if we change our point of view while we are drawing?
Working with a sheet of paper or cardboard and your favourite drawing tool, choose somewhere to draw. Spend some time drawing the details of what you can see around you, then get up and move to another location in the same area. Draw the same things from a different perspective on top of the existing drawing. Keep going until your drawing has many layers. You could choose to make your drawing on a roll of brown paper, or kitchen paper so you can make a scroll that extends as you change locations.
Research and discuss
Another artist who explores different points of view in their drawings is John Wolsley. In some of his drawings he focuses on tiny details of leaves, insects and surfaces, building up layers from many points of view. In others he puts the paper on the ground and makes rubbings collecting marks from different surfaces the paper contacts. For him, it’s important to spend time in a place and really get to know it; drawing helps him to connect with his surroundings. His drawings communicate the feeling of being in the environment rather than looking at a landscape from a distance.
After you have spent some time doing your drawings, show your class the results. Did you make any discoveries while you were drawing? Discuss what you noticed and compare your experiences.
