Primitive artwork has been around since humans first discovered that a half-burned stick would leave a mark on the cave wall. Those early artists drew in what we now would call primitive style ... DUHHH!! They created beautiful drawings with no idea of perspective.

We have seen many artists who have achieved acclaim and success with warped or very little perspective. There is room in the world of artistic expression for all types of works. But if your name isn't Grandma Moses, you might find it best to learn how to use perspective to bring realism and depth to your work.

Let's face it; we have all seen work that was marred or ruined by poor perspective. If you don't want this to happen to you, the best thing to do is learn how to use it.

The most efficient way conquer the learning curve on perspective is to have a book in front of you so you can read, reread and study the pictures to gain understanding of it. I have often found myself referring back to the books when a particularly perplexing perspective problem presents itself, so I like to keep them around.

Beginning at the beginning is always a good thing for me. I have found a book that does just that. It explains perspective starting with the very beginning; a good place. There are good basic illustrations and straight-forward explanations of what to do and how to do it. You will come away from this one with the structure to use perspective the way it should be used in your work. "Perspective Made Easy" by Ernest R. Norling is a great book for anyone who paints, from beginner to someone who wants to refresh their skills. Best of all, it is very inexpensive, especially for the treasure trove of information it contains.

Another book on our same subject is "Perspective Without Pain" by Phil Metzger. This book is a little more involved and will appeal to the beginning as well as the more experienced painter who is not completely satisfied with their use of perspective or feels they would like to be able to have an easier way to approach the subject. This book provides step-by-step instruction accompanied by exercises which will reinforce the lessons you are learning. All in all, this very reasonably priced work will make a great gift either for yourself or for someone you know who wants to learn more about drawing skills that will help them in all walks of life from now on.

Be sure, too, to read or review our article on developing your drawing skills, even if you think you can't draw: Learning To Draw On The Right Side Of The Brain.

In conclusion, it is good to remember that we can all learn from each other and our skills can always use improvement, if only in making our work easier for ourselves. Building a library of books that provide basic instruction for reference will be a help to you as long as you continue to love art.

Please stop by our forum to leave comments or start a discussion thread about anything painting related that interests you. And if you are not a subscriber, you can get a free emailed newsletter (usually once a week) to keep you up with what is going on in our area.

Happy Painting!
Paula Devore
Painting Editor