Assignment #8: A New Angle

I've been looking up paintings and drawing and photography and I've come to realize that a lot of what is done, is done from the same angle. I looked up swimmers. You can imagine that I found a lot of views from above and to the side as well as straight on shots. It was almost impossible to find a swimmer as viewed from below. As if someone were in the water looking up at the swimmer pass by. In fact...I didn't find any. I know there must be one but I didn't want to spend hours searching.

Using different angles helps create different moods and feels in your paintings as well as making it more interesting to look at.

Here are a few examples of taking a different angle:

This illustration was done by Igor Oleynikov and you can see how the angle creates a certain feel to it. The size of the creature sitting on the shoe really sticks out because only the bottom portion of the human is really shown. It takes a different angle then most "Big vs Small" type illustrations.

This drawing was done by an Architect by the name of Kelvin Dickinson. Notice how his use of perspective allows us to see the side of the building as well as the top. By using this view he not only creates more interest but allows the viewer to really understand what the building will look like from various angles.

This drawing was done by Rosalie Petrovich. I found it on a random blog and haven't been able to find anything else by the artist. However, this does show how using a variety in angle can help with interest, mood and composition.
Assignment 8:

Choose a subject and think of how you would normally portray that subject. I'm going to use the example of the swimmer. I would normally see the swimmer from the side or front.

Then portray that subject in a different angle that you might not normally see. Such as the swimmer from below or behind.

You can choose any subject/object for your art piece. As always, all assignments can be done using any medium and any dimensions but for those who would like more guidelines, recommendations are listed below.

Recommended Materials and Dimensions: Use acrylics. Pick an object from your garage or backyard that seems boring. Paint it in a new angle to create an interesting piece. Your finished piece should be at least 8" x 10" (or 20 x 25 cm)