Foreshortening

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The method involves adjusting the appearance of objects or figures to create a sense of depth by reducing their apparent size according to their relative position in space
2. This concept refers to the artistic representation technique where dimensions are modified to imply distance, enhancing three-dimensionality in two-dimensional works
3. This technique involves altering proportions of objects to convey depth by making distant elements appear smaller in relation to objects that are closer in perspective

Etymology: The English term is a plain compound. "Fore-" means "in front" or "before," and "shorten" comes from "short," from Old English "sceort." Literally, it describes making something look shorter because it points toward the viewer. Italian writers on art used "scorcio," from "scorciare," meaning "to shorten," for the same effect, so the English term translates the concept rather than borrowing a word. The technique shows up in the drawn figure itself. A leg extended toward the viewer or a body tilted back is drawn with its length compressed, and the eye reads that compression as distance. The meaning has moved from a literal measurement of length to a method for showing depth through apparent shortness.

Synonyms: abbreviation, compression, contraction