It is not often if ever, that one stops to think about all the work the human brain is doing, during normal everyday tasks. Stop for a second and think about what your brain is doing now: reading letters on a computer screen, realizing that it is seeing a computer screen, grouping letters into words, reading and comprehending words, and all simultaneously within a given time.
Now think about when you look at a two dimensional picture. What do you see? How does your brain organize lines, shapes, and scribbles? One way to describe the phenomenon is Gestalt’s theory of Visual Psychology. The way the mind makes sense of what other wise is a mess of ink or graphite on paper is through perception of scale and proportion. Two-dimensional drawings help to aid the eye to discover its true meaning. A Two-dimensional drawing has depth, which means that the viewer can see that the object is not just flat, but has features with texture. It is not the same as a three-dimensional object, where it actually jumps out of the page at you, a two-dimensional drawing is a very good way to understand the relationship between what you are seeing on the page, and how your brain perceives it.
Above is two pictures the first being a one-dimensional picture. In this picture you cannot see any depth. Are the dots in front or behind the circle? Now take a look at the second picture. You can see depth, you see trees, a cottage, and water, and all these elements combined with color and contrast help the eye to develop a sense of dimension. You know that the path leads up to the cottage. You know all of this because your brain is a powerful tool. So the next time you look at a picture, or read a book, think about all the hard work your brains is doing, and then say to your self “Well done brain!”
Painting (above) by:
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