Simple Perspective Exercise! Master the Cube - Kutepunk Kari

Hey guys!

Today, I wanted to talk about a topic that people often associate with my work, perspective. The fast and maybe boring answer to how to improve is "practice", but that leads to more questions. Practice what? Where do I start? What should I actually study? I also ask myself similar questions when I'm trying to improve certain skills. So, here's a simple exercise you can try if you're facing similar challenges. I call it "Master The Cube" *insert deep voice and echo*.

Master The Cube

As I've mentioned many times here on Patreon, if you want to "deform" or "stylize" reality, you need to understand it at a very basic level. Improving perspective is also a style where you push shapes into different views. Because everything in reality is made up of different shapes, it would be a nightmare trying to memorize how every shape looks in different views, and you don't need to do this. Instead, imagine a cube surrounding the object and try to figure out what the correct position of the cube would be based on what you consider the top, bottom, and sides of the object. In this post you will find a visual example that illustrates my point using different head references from our Pinterest board.

The front side of the cube represents the face, typically from the forehead to the chin. The top of the cube equates to the top of the head, the bottom to everything below the chin, and the sides are just the sides of the head, including cheeks, ears, etc.

Notice how I don't attempt to create a perfect square that matches the exact perspective of the reference, because this square actually doesn't exist. I don't need a 100% accurate cube position, but a rough idea of the perspective that will allow me to distort it later to enhance perspective.

Here is the construction process by Kim Jung Gi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=LVn205YsQhY&ab_channel=BeeBros

In this video, you'll see my point: he can create complex compositions with extreme wide angle views and a distinctive spherical distortion because, in essence, he translates his worldview into geometric shapes, mostly cubes. Don't get me wrong, I can't even imagine what's going on in Kim's mind, but my point is that if you apply this rule to the way you look at things, then you'll become more efficient at changing the direction of the original object just by distorting a simple cube.

Of course, everything takes time, but try taking a few pictures and practicing this exercise to slowly train your eye/brain to look at everything through this lens. I chose to show you "head squares" because getting head proportions right is important, as it's what catches people's attention quickest - it's a good place to start. But feel free to assign cubes to everything you consider important in a composition with wide angle perspective.

Here's a suggested routine:

1. Setting an Aim: Each week, set a specific aim for what you want to improve. It could be understanding the cube perspective of human heads, or improving at drawing buildings, or getting better at landscapes.

2. References per Day: Based on your weekly aim, gather around 10 references each day related to that aim. For instance, if it's human heads, gather pictures of heads from different angles.

3. Identify the Cube: Look at each reference and identify where the cube would be. This isn't about sketching yet; just understand how the cube would sit within that reference.

4. Sketching the Cube: Now, spend about 5 minutes sketching the cube that you've identified in each reference. Don't worry about any other details.

5. Adding Details: Once you've sketched the cube, spend another 10 minutes adding details onto the cube, converting it from a simple cube into the object you're trying to draw.

6. Analysis and Feedback: After you've completed each sketch, spend a few minutes analyzing it. Look back at the reference. Did you get the perspective right? What could be improved? If you're part of a group or have friends who can give feedback, now's the time to ask.

7. Iterations: Based on the feedback, iterate on your sketches. Try to address the problems and make the sketch better.

There is no "end of the road" where you'll become fully aware of how every object looks from different perspective views, but you'll notice that after a while, perfection is not what matters. Instead, a fair characterization of the object that's good enough to be understandable is key. The viewer's brain will fill out spaces, and that's fine. For instance, look at how traditional painters often left out information in some parts of their compositions, just because it wasn't necessary. So, learn to place information where you believe the value of your piece is.

Feel free to drop any questions here in the comments, via DMs here on Patreon, or in our Discord group. I'll be more than happy to answer and see your progress. If you're new here, welcome!

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing the process video of this piece, along with the PSD file for you to explore in Photoshop and also Procreate (all my files work on both!). These will be available from the Mastering Maestro tier and above. If this tickles your fancy, consider upgrading your tier ;).

If you found this article useful, please drop a like or a comment! I appreciate the feedback and also criticism, I want to improve and give you the very best.

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I hope you have a great week and thank you again for your support.!