The more distant a subject is from you, the smaller it appears; it is a simple idea but one that is critical to how we create the illusion of three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface. This concept is known as “diminution” and it is one of the three main indicators of depth, governing the complex constructions of linear perspective and the baffling distortions of foreshortening. In this second part of our new series, we’ll be looking at how you can use its principles to support your observational drawing.

You don’t need to understand diminution in order to represent it if you could draw what you see in front of you