Editorial Review
Depth, perspective of sky and sea, shadows, much more, not usually covered. 391 diagrams, 81 reproductions of drawings and paintings.
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Customer Reviews
handy 
2007-05-12
This book is like a little paper back novel so dont expect any big diagrams and its printed on butchers paper basically, but having said that it is cheap and a handy little reference pocket book for someone who needs to look up drawing in perspective its very old as well first published way back last cenury or the one before cant rember but it is an oldie ,I got something out of this book so i dont consider it a waste of money has things like drawing stairs in perspective inclined planes elipses , domes spires stuff like that there is a fair bit of info crammed into it . worth a go.
The language is admittedly a bit archaic. 2007-01-03
Yes the language can be a little hard, but with some logic and patience it's completely understandable. This is an incredibly thorough book and I highly reccommend it.
I give it four stars because there will always be people who are irritated by old fashioned writing and if you are that sort of person, I'd say try another book.
One of the Best 
2006-08-10
I have read 7+ books on perspective and I believe the thouroughness of this book and its explanations make it the one book you could use above any other. It is comparable to G. A. Storey's book but is easier to understand and it fills in the gaps that other books take the reader's knowledge for granted. I would, however, suggest reading multiple books on perspective because many will explain certain things that others will take for granted and vis versa.
This book is delightful 2005-12-13
I purchased this book as a reference, but after getting it in my
hands, I found it engrossing cover to cover. I would never have
guessed that a book on a subject like perspective could draw the
reader in like this one does. Mr. Cole had a nice way of including
the reader in a way that makes you feel like he's present. I had
no experience with perspective before this book, but now I can draw
realistic arbitrary items with confidence. It has helped my
portrait drawing as well. A must-have for any artists library.
For Beginning Artist or Those Moving into Imagined Settings 2005-09-25
Imaginary settings, like fantasy novels, sometimes need to be anchored by a lot of realism. While emphasising getting the perspective of what you're looking at right, there is a tremendous amount here for the artist drawing what only exists in his or her imagination. The last section, frighteningly called "Mechanical Perspective" (anything mechanical is evil, right?), merely deals with how to start with an overhead plan and wind up with a sketch of the building or ship, inside or out.
Very Detailed 2005-07-28
Depth, perspective of sky and sea, shadows, much more, not usually covered. 391 diagrams, 81 reproductions of drawings and paintings.
A word on the complainers 2005-07-22
If I had listened to some of the whining reviewers here, I'd have skipped this one. But, I had already picked it up from a used store before checking the reviews and got it for $3.
The English in this book is NOT hard to understand, however it is hard for dumb people--people who've never taken a college English course nor understand simple logic. It was written in 1921, so EXPECT an antique style of writing. If you still struggle with finding the ANY key on your keyboard, pass this one up.
For the rest of you, buy it in the used book store. It's worth the $3.
Inferior to Perspective Made Easy by Ernest R Norling 
2005-07-11
Most of what's covered in this book is covered in Perspective Made Easy, but explaining how to space diagonal vanishing points (which I haven't seen in other books)and the depth line keep it from being not worth picking up. The language is outdated and hard to understand, but not as bad as Shakespeare. The beginning of the book quickly summarizes the basics with somewhat confusing examples.There's one whole pointless chapter devoted to praising a painter named Turner, where the author basically calls him a god. Turner's name pops up several times in the book which is annoying. My advice if you're a beginner is to start with Perspective Made Easy.
Very helpful 2005-02-16
As a "foreign" reader you sometimes have to concentrate a lot to understand what the author was trying to tell you.
But that book really pays because you'll get a grasp of some very clever techniques that evolved over time.
(For example drawing foreshortened squares/cubes without using plans and vanishing points). Untill now I've never read such a practical and helpful book on perspective for artists.
Most books on perspective either are too technical (-and that won't help the aspiring artist) or they are too basic.
Wish that Rex Vicat Cole had published another book on that subject and shared the next level with us ...
(That in mind I should give 4 points because he didn't :-))
Don't just read, practice!
Some beginners think perspective is easy because at school they once learned that all you need are two vanishing points. Of course I don't agree ... perspective is in everything we see regardless of size and the smaller the object, the more it differs from cubes :-) the more complicated it gets. So when drawing from life you'll soon discover that there's a lot more on perspective drawing.
Cole's book takes you beyond that (basic) level and helps improving your draftsmanship.
Eye-opening and Illuminating 2004-11-29
This is an excellent book on the subject of perspective. My paintings improved dramatically after I practiced many of the techniques. I find this particular book indispensable.
The reason I give this book only 4 stars is because I agree with some of the posts here: The language is arcane; the book was published way back in 1921 London. Even with my advanced degree in a technical subject, I did get stuck on a few of the instructions/self-imposed exercises. This frustrated me, because I really wanted to master those particular subjects, and I had no one to go to for further explanation.
Still, I know much, much more now than I did before I bought it and worked my way through it. And you may not have any problems at all. This book is a few dollars well spent for any artist's library, as are many of the very affordably priced Dover Art books.
May God rest Rex Vicat Cole's soul (I assume he is long deceased). This voice from the past has helped me with my art and helped me appreciate others' art. And if you are a realist-landscape painter, see also his "Artistic Anatomy of Trees."
