Learn All ABout Horizon Lines!

You've come to the right place if you want to learn about horizon lines! Normally, it would be easy if the world if flat. However, it's not! That means there is something called a false horizon that you must deal with!

The false perspective horizon is another dimension where we can add more depth to our composition!

We will deal with a couple of scenarios of multiple horizon lines: when a plane is higher than the horizon, when the plane is lower than the horizon, and when there is a tilt in the picture plane versus the horizon.

Let's get started!

1. What is it?

When you look at a picture and you match up the vanishing points, most of the objects that you see will go towards that dot. However, there are instances where there is an object that just doesn't adhere to that rule.

Doing a perspective analysis tells you that it goes to another vanishing point not related to the main ones.

horizon lines

Just look at the illustration above! When an object is tilted vertically, it has its own horizon with new vanishing points. Well would call this a false perspective horizon!

Depending on your composition, there are false horizon lines above the main one, below it, and angling against it.

We will discuss this in detail below!

2. Going up a hill

Have you thought about how a road looks like when you're going up a hill? Quite simply, if the road itself is the perspective guide lines, then it looks as though the vanishing points keeps on going to hit the sky rather than an actual horizon!

Moreover, the road gets cut off by a horizon point. This would be your false perspective horizon because the true horizon is actually behind the road. However, you just can't see the true horizon because the hill is above your eye level.

To demonstrate this, draw your Cartesian plane as usual. Draw your expected horizon to do a one point perspective. After that, draw another horizon. This will be your false perspective horizon. It's best to do it above your eye level (above the true horizon).

horizon lines

Then, link up the correct guide lines between the true horizon and the false perspective horizon. Use the vertical horizon as your guide. See how the horizon lines differ from one another?

It behaves in the same way regardless if you're doing one point perspective, two point perspectives, or multiple point perspectives.

With this example, you will discover that this is what a hill will look like in perspective!

3. Going down into a valley

The other possible example would be if you were to enter a dip into a valley. This is where your false perspective horizon lines are below the true horizon. That means you can see the true horizon as the false one is not covering it.

To illustrate this point, go back to your one point perspective. From there, draw a second horizon. As you have already guessed, this will be your false perspective horizon.

horizon lines

Similar to what we did before, draw perspective lines that move towards the false horizon.

Now, link the two perspective points as it pertains to their own respective horizon vanishing points. As you can see, this is how the perspective looks like when you're down in a valley.

4. Tilting an object

The last possibility is even easier! Just think about how a plane rolls in the skies above or how boats rock back and forth in an ocean. Obviously, these objects don't stay parallel to the horizon that surrounds it.

As an artist, your attempt would be to capture that moment when the object is not parallel to the horizon.

To learn this concept, again, draw your horizon lines. As always, there's a false horizon. However, instead of drawing this false horizon that is parallel to the true horizon, you're going to tilt it.

It really depends on how much you want to tilt the object. From there, draw the perspective guide lines as normal. It's actually best to draw the tilt as though it's enclosed inside a box so you know whatever objects are in the area is tilted correctly.

horizon lines

And that's it!

You can definitely include more than one of the false perspective horizons that we have talked about. Combine all three if you can!

Use what you have learned to make sure these objects are not only placed in the proper perspective, but they are placed correctly in respects to the environment around it. Also, make sure they are scaled correctly!

All the perspective concepts you have learned build on top of each other. The better you can understand each perspective instance, the more knowledgeable you become to create epic sceneries!

From here on, it will depend on your motivation as a means to gain more experience into applying these perspective concepts, and other perspective concepts we have talked about, to the best of your abilities!