Back to basics - Perspective - I got some questions

[pvpham]

Heya fellow artists. I'll start by introducing myself, I'm Phillip, I'm 19 and I am working towards becoming an animator. I'm currently in my summer holidays and have time on my hands; I really want to boost drawing ability before I get back to uni (2.5 months left).

I decided to start right back at the beginning and perspective seemed like a good starting point. Here is a quick drawing...ok I lie, drawing lines on a computer isn't quite that fast for me.

http://student.ci.qut.edu.au/~n4736494/forum/persp.jpg

I wanted to ask a few questions
1) How do I construct a tapered rectangle/cylinder CORRECTLY? Right now, I just guess it til it looks right.
2) How do I draw a cube on an slight angle? ie. Two cubes at the same distance from the viewer but the two are facing different directions.
3) How do I construct shadows?
4) This Q is not perspective related. When learning how to draw the human figure is it better to do long poses or alot of quicker poses(< 30 mins)?

Thanks
Phillip

[k4pka]

Thats your shadow question sorted: -

http://upperechelon.homestead.com/files/shadow_perspective.bmp

[pvpham]

thanks for the diagram k4pka. :confident

[k4pka]

im not sure when i found it. I just knew when i read your post that i had a picture describing shadow perspective in my reference folder!

Im not sure about what you mean by tapered cylinder. Ill assume you mean something along the lines of a cone, with the top chopped off, thus creating a tapered cylinder?!?

How i would approach this is to first construct a cuboid in perspective. The dimensions of this will govern the final dimensions of your cyliner. With that done, make the square at the top smaller, by drawing (in perspective) another square inside the existing top of the cuboid. Then using the top and bottom squares as guides, draw the ellipses. (Thus they will be in proper perspective) Then just join the top one to the bottom one with straight lines.

Can you picture that? If not say so and ill draw one up and post it.

As for learning the human figure? Well, its a long road, and i recommend a bit of both. That way you wont get bored of the same style of drawing all the time, and you will learn more. You will improve at capturing the figure quickly, then on the longer ones, you will learn more about rendering up, and picking out the finer details a human figure has to offer.

Happy drawing :)

[pvpham]

I was meaning to reply earlier since but uni server was down. Yeh k4pka thats what I meant. So is this rite?
(sorry the line work isn't very clean....or straight for that matter)
http://student.ci.qut.edu.au/~n4736494/forum/taper.jpg

[k4pka]

Yes that is what i was attempting to describe. Hopefully after doing this you can go on to create any shape in perspective, by altering the basic cube/cuboid shapes which are easy to put into perspective.

Have fun =)