Some conditions make it 
easier to abstract the proximal-
mode relations than others do. 
For example, when the images 
of two objects in the scene are 
adjacent and parallel—–as with 
the wooden ties of the railroad 
track—–it is relatively easy to 
see that one is "shorter" than 
the other. When, however, the 
objects are widely separated 
and must be viewed 
successively, it is difficult to 
abstract these features. That 
may be why artists use their 
thumb or a pencil to try to 
ascertain the proper visual 
angle of one thing in relation 
to another.

    Some people may also be 
better than others at capturing 
the proximal-mode character of 
their perception. In the 
scientific literature on 
perception, theorists have 
sometimes speculated about 
differences among people in 
this regard, referring to such 
perceptual or cognitive "styles" 
as analytical versus integrative 
or as field-independent versus 
field-dependent. Those 
individuals who are more easily 
able to attend to their 
proximal-mode perceptions may 
be the ones we say are endowed 
with artistic ability, although 
such a capacity would be but 
one component of overall 
talent in art. Whether this 
capacity is innate or learned is 
a further question. The 
question of whether artists are 
made or born is still 
controversial in psychology.