The Influence of horizon on your composition

The horizon line is the foundation of perspective. From it we will built our image (we'll see how to do that in the next part).

However, on top of being the foundation of your art piece, the horizon line shows what's interesting in your painting.

 

It has the power to emphasize objects, because it guides the eye.

We distinguish low and high horizon

A low horizon line emphasizes the upper part of your painting (the sky, or the ceiling if we're talking about interior design).

 

A highly placed horizon line emphasizes the lower part of your painting (the ground, or the floor).

 

The view from above makes everything beneath feel less important, less significant.

The view from below increases the perceived weight of the objects, and therefore their importance in the scene.

 

 

 

This is also useful to keep in mind when you're depicting humans.

For example, to increase the grandeur of the person shown in the portrait, the line of horizon would be brought slightly down. You can look at the portrayal of royal families by renaissance painters and you'll see what I mean right away.

 

---Now that we've talked about the horizon line and the eye level, we're going to move to the next topic - linear perspective.