How to Paint Pictures With Depth
- 1). Draw distant objects smaller than close objects. If you look into the distance objects appear to be smaller than they really are. Hold your hand in front of you and notice that distant trees appear to be no larger than your hand.
- 2). Understand perspective. This is the visual illusion of all straight lines in a drawing meeting at a point in the distance, called the vanishing point. It is a good idea to lightly sketch in lines from your objects in the foreground to a common vanishing point in the distance. Using the lines as a guide you will know how to size objects that are far away compared with those that are closer to the front of the picture.
- 3). Make distant objects less defined. The further away an object is, the less clear it is. Distant mountains appear to have a blue haze over them and their vegetation is not clear to the human eye. Paint them this way, with smudgy, soft colors bleeding into one another.
- 4). Use cooler, softer colors for distant objects and warm or darker colors and clearer definition plus texture for close up objects. The warmer, brighter colors attract your eyes and this makes them appear to be closer.
- 5). Overlap distant objects with close up objects so a person looking at the picture can see the front object is closer than the back object.
- 6). Look at the sky. You will notice that the higher it is, the darker blue it appears, while on the horizon the sky is often almost white. The closer clouds appear to be bigger than those that are far away. Paint the sky like this to give it depth.
- 7). Pay attention to light and shadow. Notice where the sun is and which way the shadows fall. Dark shadows between mountain ranges show which ones are in front and which mountains are farthest away.