Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1992 - 43

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mosr appropriare for a
parricular rendering.
The picrure plane
rhen becomes a flexible rool ro be used in
differenr ways for differenr purposes.
In any rendering,
objecrs ar rhe picrure
plane will be in scale.
Placing rhe picrure
plane so rhar ir passes
near or rhrough rhe
major elemenrs of rhe
ser resulrs in rhose elemenrs being rendered
more nearly rhe same
size as rhe ground
plan. Relarionships
bet\veen plan and rendering are more easily
undersrood if objecrs
are obviously the same
size. The designer can L
choose which aspecrs
of rhe ser need to be
highlighred, and place
rhe picrure plane accordingly.
Figure 4 is drawn
from rhe same observarion poinr as Figure
2. Because of rhe posirioning of rhe picrure
plane behind the srrucrure, rhe image now
appears larger as rhe
viewpoinr gers closer.
Nor only is rhis a
much more descriprive
view of rhe strucrure,
ir corresponds ro my
preconceprion rhar
objecrs appear larger ar
closer range.
Peripheral disrorrion is a facr of linear
perspecrive life and
Figure 4 exhibirs rhe L
usual
elongarion
around rhe edges. Disrorrion increases as we move furrher
from rhe cenrerline and furrher from rhe
picrure plane. Therefore, by locaring rhe
picrure plane nor ar rhe proscenium, bur
nearer ro the objecr being described, rhe
disrortion ar rhe focus of rhe rendering
is minimized. In orher words, rhe
amounr of disrortion across rhe whole
rendering is equal for borh Figures 2 and
4, bur Figure 4 is more accurare in rhe
area of rhe srrucrure, where ir counrs.
There is one final implicarion rhar is
apparenr in rhearres rhar do nor have a
proscenium. If rhe picrure plane is rruly

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liberared, ir may be placed wherever ir
will creare rhe mosr effecrive view of rhe
space and rhe strucrures wirhin rhar
space. The picrure plane may be aligned
ro give rhe leasr possible disrortion ro
rhose elemenrs rhar rhe designer wishes
ro render accurarely, and may also be
rorared ro respond ro a particular observarion poinr thar is well ro rhe side of
rhe cenrerline, or ir may even be tilred if
rhe observarion poinr is in rhe balcony.
The manipularion is quire legirimarely
wirhin rhe rules of perspecrive rhar
designers have accepred since Brunel-

lesch i. It is necessary, however, ro recognize whar variables exisr, and ro undersrand how ro rake conrrol of rhe variables
ro creare renderings rhar are nor only
accurare, bur may have porenrial for
grearer clarity and visual impact.
ffi
Ronald Fedoruk teaches design at the

UniversifJl ofBritish Columbia.
Works Cired
I ~1organ, Harry. Puspuli,'r Dmwing for rlu TI}{,l1lr~.
lew York: Drama Book Publishers. 1979.
Parker, \X'. Oren. Sano-Graphic TrclmiqufS. Carbon·
dale: Southern Illinois Univcrsiry Press, 1987.

TD&T

1992 FALL

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1992