If you see the up close posts and the height of the near by tree, house and barn in the painting, “The Winter Farm,” you realize perspective plays a huge part in an artist’s compositions, especially if the intent is to be somewhat realistic.

As an artist, you have to paint what you see, not what you know. For example if the posts are six feet high and the height of the house roof is approximately five times as high, how much trouble would you be in if you painted the posts one-fifth the height.

You will always have trouble if you draw or paint what you know instead of what you see.  Trust your eyes and believe they will always keep everything in proper perspective and keep it looking realistic even when some things do not make any sense.

All artist will, from time to time, use their artist license to complete their paintings. However, when it comes to properly painting perspective, be very careful not to take too much artist license. Even a novice will know when something does not “feel” quite right in a painting.

Of course, many artist, especially the Naive artist, with their childlike simplicity in subject matter and technique clearly did not place a lot of emphasis on perspective. It seems many had no clue about perspective. And, yet, they painted wonderful and beautiful paintings with lovely colors and compositions. Which only goes to show that if it is on purpose and it is art…then it is art.

All an artist needs is a thought inside their mind, and the tools and medium to take it from the mind and place it on a substrate. It may be beautiful…at least beautiful to them, and it just might turn out to be great to the rest of the world.

I’m certain that when the Naive artist, Edward Hicks, first began to muse about “The Peaceable Kingdom” he did not concern himself so much about perspective. However, he did concern himself about the overall composition. This is evident.  He made a lovely work of art.