Monday, April 29, 2019

How to Create Depth in Landscape Painting, Part I--Atmospheric Perspective

"Look to the Hills",  demonstrating atmospheric perspective
     Atmospheric perspective in landscape painting is one tool artists have to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface. Using this tool well requires careful observation of subtle differences in color, contrast, and sharpness of objects as we see through the atmosphere from near to far. 

     No, it is not really complicated. Think about a time you could see a great distance into a scene with hills or mountains. The furthest ridges appeared bluer (or maybe a bluish purple) compared to near ridges as well as having softer edges (looking "fuzzier"). In general, colors become cooler as distance from the viewer increases, dark/light contrast lessens, and edges soften. A landscape artist needs to consider all these qualities carefully.

     I almost always paint from my own photos (as well as using field notes and sketches), but I have discovered that photos seldom show atmospheric perspective well. It is up to me to create that perspective as I paint. Merely copying a photo is unlikely to be effective in creating depth.
"On the Jones Creek Trail"

     Also called aerial perspective (although it has to do with looking through the air and whatever is in it, not at all with a bird's eye view), atmospheric perspective rendered well will make a stunning difference in your work. To create realistic looking depth, artists often exaggerate these effects.

     I am absolutely not an expert, but will show you a few paintings to illustrate my efforts at creating depth. "Look to the Hills", shown top right, pictures a favorite place near Warwick, New York with a long view into the distance. Notice that even though the distant foothills are heavily wooded, they don't look very green. Rather, they are a neutral sort of bluish shade with minimal appearance of contrast. Also, the far side of the valley is blurred and muted in color and tone, becoming a bit brighter and more defined nearer to the viewer. The trees, chair, and grasses closest to the viewer have sharper edges, more intense color, and greater light/dark contrast.

     "On the Jones Creek Trail" presents a different sort of challenge; the viewer cannot see very far because of heavy foliage. Here, you can see that I have definitely exaggerated the effects of atmospheric perspective to create several visual planes and to avoid a flat look. In my next post, I will describe some specific techniques I use with acrylics to paint landscapes with the appearance of depth.

Question of the day: Are you interested in descriptions of artists' techniques? What else would you like to hear about perspective?

9 comments:

  1. Mary, you did so well with the perspective in both of these paintings. It is helpful to be reminded of the techniques. Since I haven’t been painting much it is good to think about so I can get back to painting without so much thinking. I need it for the paint outs in plein air. Thanks….

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  2. Dear Mary you certainly know how to capture landscape perspective. Both of these paintings are so lovely. Hope your April was good...May is almost here. Have a delightful day. Hugs!

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  3. Oh, what lovely paintings! I'm not a painter, but I did enjoy reading your blog and the explanations you gave for the near and far. One is never too old to learn. Thanks for teaching me. Have a great week!

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  4. Jo, how kind of you to thank me! If these thoughts make even a tiny contribution to your paint outs, I'm thrilled. I took one plein air painting workshop and learned a great deal, but feel MUCH more confident doing research outside and painting in my studio. Kudos to you for doing the events and for doing them well!

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  5. Thank you for your useful tips....
    I am not artist, but I enjoy to see painting galleries....

    Have a wonderful spring

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  6. Thank you for your compliments, Debbie. I always love hearing from you.

    I appreciate that you read my blog, Nanny, even when it is not "your thing". You may not be a painter, but you are very creative at what you do.

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  7. I'm glad you enjoy galleries, Tanza. I appreciate your visit to my blog and your faithful comments.

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