Composition - Viewpoint and Depth

• Depth in an image is the illusion of distance. 
• Depth is a sense of reality and resembles how we actually view the world with our own eyes. 
• Depth can be achieved by overlapping, cropping, separating objects, scale/size, staggering, use of props, directional lines, the use of foreground, mid-ground and background. 
• Viewpoint is the direction from which we are looking at something. It shows where we are positioned when we see it. 
• Considering the viewpoint can provide you with a more interesting composition, for example, a birds eye view of a scene may look a lot more interesting and intriguing than if you were to draw it from a standing position on the ground which is the way we usually look at something. 
• Depth and viewpoint are not only relevant to 'realistic' artwork because even if the image you are making is non representational, it doesn't mean it has to appear two dimensional. 

Analysing Images

Yann Kebbi

• The amount of detail visible on each of the buildings decreases as they move into the distance. This helps to make them seem further away which creates depth. 
• The buildings overlap and you can only really see the tops of the buildings in the background as the rest of them are covered. 
• The viewpoint is interesting because you can see what is above the person viewing this scene (the tall buildings) but we are also able to look downwards and see the rooftops of smaller buildings. 
• I think the slither of red flooring in the bottom right is crucial to this image's foreground because it shows the closest surface to the viewer and helps us to place where they are in these surroundings. 
• The contrast in scale between the man on the ladder and the buildings in the mid ground and background tell us that he is closest to us but is also very small amongst these vast surroundings. 
• The angle of the rooftops creates a vague diagonal line from the top left corner towards the bottom right. 

Sean Tan

• The flying fish are the components lightest in tone so they appear to be closest to us when viewing this scene. 
• The direction they are flying in (bottom left to top right) cuts directly across the line created by the edge of the boat which is an opposite diagonal. This creates two opposing lines of sight which allows you to take in information from the whole image. 
• The flying fish are not all the same size which suggests some are further away than others, they seem to occupy the foreground and the mid-ground. 
• The people on the deck are mainly looking upwards towards the flying fish which draws your attention back to them. 
• The scene is being viewed from above, maybe from a  crows nest seeing as they are on a boat. The people appear smaller because they are further away from the viewer than the fish.  

Miroslav Sasek

• The curve of the tunnels and the stripes creates by advertisements on the walls create a spiral effect which draws your eye into the tunnel.
• Tunnel perspective - everything from all angles is disappearing towards one point. 
• There is less detail in the figures as they get smaller and further away. 
• The image has been cropped so that the entire frame is filled with information and the arches at the top of the tunnel cut across the top corners which provides a tighter frame for the image to sit inside.
• The track itself is not represented realistically as it wouldn't normally curve, however, this adds to the line of sight drawing your eye to the tunnel hole at the end of the track. The curve sits comfortably against the other curves of the image whereas a straight track may have been too harsh for the image and taken away from its mesmerising fluidity.
• The viewpoint is interesting as I don't know who could actually view this scene from this angle. We are seeing people and the track from above but are also able to see the detail of the roof of the tunnel. I imagine this is what might be seen from a CCTV camera as it provides a clear view of all that is happening in the scene.