Chapter 17: People in Places
Drawing people in places: perspective, the horizon line and vanishing point, and the proportions of the human body.
Original notes — ready CBSE (NCERT, English Medium) • Class 8 • Arts • Book: Kriti
Chapter 17: People in Places — EG's own notes, in simple words
Book: Kriti (CBSE, Class 8) | Chapter 17 | Section: Visual Arts | Medium: English
Diagram (labels are printed on the image): A labelled perspective diagram: a road's parallel lines converging at a vanishing point on the horizon line at eye level.
A student drawing a friend in a street scene, checking eye level, vanishing point and body proportions.
What the chapter is about
Paintings and drawings have the power to transport you to other worlds. Some appear two-dimensional, enticing with lines, patterns, colours and textures. Others appear three-dimensional, as though popping out of the surface. Perspective is the technique of showing three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface. It creates an illusion of distance and depth, where things closer appear bigger and more detailed than things further away. You can create this magic with practice, by keenly observing the views in front of you.
Look at a road: although the lines on either side are parallel, they appear to converge in the distance — the same happens with railway tracks. Three observations follow: the horizon line aligns with the eye level of the viewer; the lines converge at a vanishing point, which is also at eye level; and the view changes with eye level — above eye level, at eye level, or below eye level. Activity 17.1, 'Make a viewing grid', helps students visualise how lines appear in perspective: first identify the horizon line at eye level, then visualise the vanishing point, then observe the angle of lines that meet it.
Human anatomy and proportion
The structure of the human body is called anatomy. Looking at old photographs shows how body structure changes from babyhood to the present: some parts grow more than others. The relationship between body parts is measured and expressed in ratio and proportion — if the head is one part, which parts are the same size (1:1), which are twice the head (1:2), and which are thrice the head (1:3). Activity 17.2, 'Mark the proportions', practises this measuring, and Activity 17.3, 'Draw your friends', draws real people from observation.
The system of measuring ratio and proportion has been central to Indian painting and sculpture. Texts from the Shilpa Shastra mention different ratios and proportions for depicting divine beings, people of royalty, warriors, children, animals and various mythological beings. The system is known as the Talamana Paddhati, where one tala equals the length of an adult hand measured from the bottom of the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. The chapter's basic proportions use 8 head divisions for the standing figure.
Body positions and composition
After one or two standing figures, observe body proportions in different postures and positions — sitting, bending, lying, squatting and others — asking friends or family to pose, showing them the drawings, and sharing what you learnt about proportion. Activity 17.4, 'Composition in perspective', brings everything together: make preparatory sketches for a layout showing people in indoor or outdoor settings, using earlier drawings, then draw the composition with perspective and correct proportions, step by step — rough markings so the whole body fits the paper, measuring and verifying proportions as each part is drawn, and finishing with feedback from the teacher on which parts look proportionate and where to improve.
Change your eye level and the whole picture changes: above, at, or below eye level gives a different horizon line — and a different world.
Mark the head divisions first. A figure drawn without measuring almost always ends up with the wrong proportions.
Key Terms
- Perspective — The technique of showing 3D space on a 2D surface, creating depth and distance.
- Horizon line — The line at the viewer's eye level, where sky and ground seem to meet.
- Vanishing point — The point on the horizon line where parallel lines appear to converge.
- Eye level — The height of the viewer's eyes; above, at, or below it changes the view.
- Anatomy — The structure of the human body.
- Proportion — The measured relationship between body parts, expressed in ratios like 1:1, 1:2, 1:3.
- Talamana Paddhati — The Indian system of body measurement; one tala = wrist to middle-finger tip of an adult hand.
- Shilpa Shastra — Texts giving ratios and proportions for divine beings, royalty, warriors, children, animals and mythological beings.
- Viewing grid — A grid used to visualise how lines appear in perspective.
Remember
- Perspective = 3D space on a 2D surface; nearer = bigger and more detailed.
- Horizon line = eye level; parallel lines converge at the vanishing point, also at eye level.
- Viewing grid steps: horizon line, vanishing point, angles of lines.
- Anatomy: head as unit — 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 parts; basic figure = 8 head divisions.
- Talamana Paddhati: 1 tala = wrist to middle-finger tip; Shilpa Shastra ratios for gods, royalty, warriors, children, animals.
- Draw in positions: sitting, bending, lying, squatting; then compose people in places.
Exam Tip / Common Mistake
Common mistake: drawing every person the same height with the same proportions, or putting the vanishing point anywhere. Fix eye level first, then vanishing point, then people.
Chart / Table: Perspective and proportion
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Horizon line | At the viewer's eye level |
| Vanishing point | Where parallel lines converge, on the horizon line |
| Road / railway tracks | Parallel lines that appear to converge |
| Eye level views | Above eye level, at eye level, below eye level |
| Head divisions | Basic standing figure = 8 heads |
| 1 tala | Adult hand: wrist bottom to middle-finger tip |
| Shilpa Shastra | Ratios for gods, royalty, warriors, children, animals, mythological beings |
Practice set — try it yourself
- What is perspective?
Hint: Showing 3D space on a 2D surface. - Where is the horizon line, and where is the vanishing point?
Hint: Horizon line at eye level; vanishing point on it, where parallels converge. - Why do railway tracks look like they meet?
Hint: Parallel lines appear to converge in perspective. - What is one tala?
Hint: An adult hand from wrist bottom to middle-finger tip. - How many head divisions in the basic standing figure?
Hint: Eight.
Questions with Answers
- What is perspective, and how does it create depth?
Perspective is the technique of showing three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface. It creates an illusion of distance and depth: things closer appear bigger and more detailed than things further away. - Explain the horizon line and vanishing point with a road example.
The horizon line aligns with the viewer's eye level. Though a road's sides are parallel, they appear to converge in the distance at the vanishing point, which also sits at eye level — the same happens with railway tracks. - How are body proportions measured, using the head as a unit?
If the head is one part, other parts are compared to it: some are the same size (1:1), some twice the head (1:2), some thrice the head (1:3). The chapter's basic standing figure uses 8 head divisions. - What is the Talamana Paddhati, and where does it come from?
The Indian system of measuring body ratio and proportion, from the Shilpa Shastra texts, which give different ratios for divine beings, royalty, warriors, children, animals and mythological beings. One tala equals an adult hand from the bottom of the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. - What are the steps of Activity 17.4's composition?
Make preparatory sketches for a layout of people in an indoor or outdoor setting, using earlier drawings; mark proportions roughly so the whole body fits the paper; measure and verify proportions as each part is drawn; finish and take teacher feedback on proportionate parts and improvements.
Extension questions — go deeper
- Draw the same street from above eye level and from below eye level. What changes, and what stays the same?
The horizon line moves and the angles of converging lines change, but the vanishing point stays on the horizon line at the new eye level — the geometry holds, the view changes. - Measure your own hand and your friend's height in head units. Are you both 8 heads? Why might you differ?
Real people vary: children are fewer heads tall, adults around seven to eight, and individual proportions differ — the 8-head figure is a guide, not a rule for every body. - Why would the Shilpa Shastra give different proportions for gods, kings, warriors and children?
Because proportion carries meaning: a divine figure's ideal proportions express perfection, a child's smaller proportions express youth, a warrior's broader ones express strength — measurement as storytelling. - A classmate draws a crowd with everyone the same size. Using perspective, explain the fix in two sentences.
People further away must be smaller and less detailed, with their feet higher towards the horizon line; people nearer must be bigger, more detailed, and lower on the page. - Combine Chapters 15 and 17: which elements and principles matter most in a people-in-places composition?
Space and proportion (elements) matter most for placing figures, while hierarchy and balance (principles) decide which figure the eye meets first and how the scene holds together.
- Perspective: 3D on 2D, nearer bigger.
- Horizon line, vanishing point, eye level.
- Viewing grid steps.
- Head-unit proportions; 8 heads; 1 tala.
- Shilpa Shastra and Talamana Paddhati.
- Compositions of people in places.
How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Use the Questions with Answers to check yourself afterwards. Ask your teacher or parent to check your answers.