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People in Places – Class 8 Arts Chapter 17 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 8ArtsChapter 17NCERT book: Kriti - Arts Class 8

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 17 of the NCERT Class 8 Arts book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 17: People in Places (Visual Arts)

Introduction

Some paintings look flat and delight us with lines, patterns and colours; others seem to pop out of the surface. This chapter explains how that happens through perspective and human anatomy, and ends with you creating a composition of people in a place.

Perspective is the technique of showing three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface. It creates an illusion of distance and depth, where things that are closer appear bigger and more detailed than those further away.

Key Ideas

Horizon Line and Vanishing Point

  • The two edges of a road (or railway tracks) are parallel but appear to converge in the distance.
  • The horizon line aligns with the eye level of the viewer.
  • Lines converge at a vanishing point, which is also at eye level.
  • Things are described as above eye level, at eye level or below eye level.

    • To visualise this: imagine your eyeball as a circle whose centre is the vanishing point, a horizontal line through the centre as the horizon line, and other lines radiating out from the centre.

    Three things are important to draw in perspective:

  • Identify the horizon line at eye level.
  • Visualise the vanishing point.
  • Observe the angle of lines that converge at the vanishing point.

    • Example: the Rani ki Vav stepwell in Patan, Gujarat, printed on the 100 rupee note — the lines of its upper and lower storeys converge at the vanishing point. Room interiors show the same: lines of ceiling, walls and floor meet at one point.

    Activity 17.1: Make a Viewing Grid

  • Materials: an unused or discarded transparent sheet, measuring scale, ball-point pen or permanent marker, scissors.
  • Cut the sheet to A4 size and draw a grid on it.
  • Hold it straight and still; align the horizon line on the grid with your eye level.
  • Find lines that align with the horizon line; compare angles of near and far lines.
  • Copy what you see through the grid onto your drawing paper. With practice, you will not need the grid.

    • Human Anatomy and Proportion

    The structure of the human body is called anatomy. As we grow, some body parts grow more than others. Proportions are expressed as ratios using the head as one unit — parts equal to the head (1:1), twice the head (1:2), thrice (1:3). The book's diagram shows basic proportions of 8 head divisions.

    Tālamāna Paddhati

    Indian painting and sculpture traditions (texts of the Shilpa Shastra) prescribe different ratios for divine beings, royalty, warriors, children, animals and mythological beings. This system is the Tālamāna Paddhati, where one tāla = the length of an adult hand from the bottom of the wrist to the tip of the middle finger.

    Activity 17.2: Mark the Proportions

    Mark the head with two horizontal lines, repeat that distance down the body, count how many times the head repeats, and write the ratio of height to head. Compare different age groups and body types.

    Activity 17.3: Draw Your Friends

    There are no stereotypical proportions everyone fits into — small variations make each person unique.

  • Start with the head; use your pencil to measure how many times it repeats.
  • Make rough markings so the whole body fits the paper.
  • Keep measuring and verifying while drawing.
  • Complete and take feedback.

    • Then draw friends sitting, bending, lying and squatting.

    Activity 17.4: Composition in Perspective

  • Make preparatory sketches: plan foreground, middleground and background; mark the horizon line and vanishing point; begin with three human figures at varying distances; add furniture, trees, roads, vehicles, buildings. Figures must be proportionate to the setting.
  • Choose one layout with your teacher.
  • Begin the final artwork — line drawing, then small edits.
  • Colour it using any medium; choose a colour theme based on season, time of day or mood.
  • Title your artwork with a short phrase based on your ideas and memories.

    • Key Terms

  • Perspective — showing 3D space on a 2D surface (परिप्रेक्ष्य)
  • Horizon line — line at the viewer's eye level (क्षितिज रेखा)
  • Eye level — height of the viewer's eyes (नेत्र स्तर)
  • Vanishing point — where parallel lines appear to meet (लोप बिंदु)
  • Converge — come together (अभिसरण)
  • Viewing grid — transparent sheet with a grid (दृश्य जाली)
  • Anatomy — structure of the human body (शरीर रचना)
  • Proportion / ratio — size relationship (अनुपात)
  • Tāla — unit of measure: wrist to middle-finger tip (ताल)
  • Tālamāna Paddhati — Indian system of body proportions (तालमान पद्धति)
  • Foreground / background — near and far parts of a scene (अग्रभूमि / पृष्ठभूमि)
  • Composition — arrangement of a picture (संयोजन)

    • Connect to Your Life

    Look down a school corridor or railway platform — see the lines converge. Check the ₹100 note for Rani ki Vav. In your maths class, the same ratios you learn help you draw bodies correctly.

    Common Mistakes

  • Placing the horizon line at the top of the page instead of at eye level.
  • Drawing far-away figures the same size as near ones.
  • Assuming everyone has identical, "ideal" proportions — the book stresses there are no stereotypes.
  • Moving the viewing grid while copying, which shifts all the lines.
  • Drawing figures that are out of proportion with the furniture or buildings around them.

    • Let's Reflect

  • Where is your eye level in the scene you drew, and where is the vanishing point?
  • How many head-lengths tall are you, and how does that compare with a younger sibling?
  • What title did you give your composition, and why?

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Define perspective as showing three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.
    • ✓Use the horizon line at eye level and the vanishing point to draw converging lines.
    • ✓Make and use a viewing grid to translate a real scene onto paper.
    • ✓Measure human proportions with the head as a unit and understand the Tālamāna Paddhati.
    • ✓Compose people in indoor or outdoor settings with correct perspective and proportion.

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Take students to a long corridor or road so they see parallel lines converge before any drawing.
    • →Pass around a ₹100 note and trace the converging lines of Rani ki Vav together.
    • →Help each student build a viewing grid from discarded transparent sheets; stress holding it still.
    • →Coordinate with the Mathematics teacher for ratio work in Activity 17.2, as the book suggests.
    • →Have students measure their own tāla (wrist to middle-finger tip) and compare.
    • →Rotate poses in Activity 17.3 so every student both draws and models; discuss that no body is 'standard'.
    • →Display all final compositions for a class review.

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the student explain horizon line, eye level and vanishing point?
    2. Does the student's drawing show lines converging correctly at the vanishing point?
    3. Can the student measure and write body proportions as head-to-height ratios?
    4. Does the final composition keep human figures proportionate to their setting?
    5. Can the student define one tāla in the Tālamāna Paddhati?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Kriti - Arts Class 8

    1. 1. Bringing Words Alive — Play Reading
    2. 2. One Stage, Many Scripts
    3. 3. From Page to Stage
    4. 4. Applause and Advice
    5. 5. Discovering the Elements of Music
    6. 6. Musical Instruments
    7. 7. Indian Classical Music
    8. 8. Inspiration and Imagination
    9. 9. My World of Music
    10. 10. Inner Dynamics of Dance
    11. 11. Pan Indian Dance Forms
    12. 12. Dance for Well-being
    13. 13. Innovation, Inclusivity and Inspiring Change
    14. 14. A Presentation of Dance and Choreography
    15. 15. Elements and Principles of Visual Art and Design
    16. 16. Still Life in Colour
    17. 17. People in Places
    18. 18. Arts of the People, With the People, For the People
    19. 19. Campaign for Art Awareness