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The Art of Creating a Sense of Depth and Recession

By: Don Finkeldei

The most widely understood method to create a sense of depth is to follow the general rule that warm

colors (the reds and yellows) drop out and planes/objects get cooler (bluer) in relation to perceived

distance into the painting. Of course, there are many other factors that one should keep in mind to help

build a sense of depth and recession.

If you need a glossary of terms used in this article you can get them from:

http://www.finkeldeistudio.com/art-how-to-articles/64-glossary-of-artists-terms

Ill be using some terms more than others in this article, which, Id like to define first.

Recession Planes: The best way to describe this is to use a diagram (below). There can beobjects which can be generally classified as upright (trees, for instance), slanted (mountain

slopes for instance), and Horizontals (ground planes) within each of the planes.

There may be the near ground plane in layer one, Trees in layer two, Another distant plane in

layer three, and mountains in layer 4. There also may be different types of planes in each layer

(horizontal, slanted, upright). The point to understand is that these layers recede from front to

back.

Spherical sky plane: The spherical sky plane is a little different than the recession planesdescribed above in the fact that it is a spherical shape. Recession planes in this zone can be

either described in layers going from zenith to horizon or vice versa. The point to understand

here is that there are general relationships to keep in mind going from zenith to horizon.

This article deals with the all factors needed to create a convincible integrated approach to help your

painting recede properly.

1. Value Relationships of Recession Planes:Values get closer together for objects and plane types within each recession plane as distance

increases. Also, the general overall value of each plane as distance increases often becomes

http://www.finkeldeistudio.com/art-how-to-articles/64-glossary-of-artists-termshttp://www.finkeldeistudio.com/art-how-to-articles/64-glossary-of-artists-termshttp://www.finkeldeistudio.com/art-how-to-articles/64-glossary-of-artists-terms

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lighter. A good way to view this is to turn a photograph of your painting (or the photo you are

using to paint) into a gray scale in a photo editor (such as Adobe Photoshop). You can also

posterize the gray scale photograph using 10 or so increments from black to white.

For instance, you may have the same kind of trees in the foreground as you do in a distant

plane. The modeling values of a tree in a near plane are darker and further apart (sunnyside to

shadow areas) than the same trees in the distance.

2. Chromatic (chroma) Intensity Relationships of Recession Planes:As recession planes increase with depth, chromatic intensity becomes weaker as a general rule.

For example, two red barns. A barn in a nearer distance has a more red chromatic intensity

than the barn in, say, the middle distance. The near barn looks redder and more intense than

the barn in the middle distance. There are lots of ways to decrease the chromatic intensity as

distance recedes. Adding a little green to the red and lightening it with white, or a method I

suggest - adding a neutral gray of a slightly higher value to the same red you used in the near

barn. Also (see number 5 below), you should keep in mind the hue change relationships as

depth into the painting increase.

3. Hue (color) change Relationships of Recession Planes:If you ask an artist how to make a painting look like it recedes, the first technique most say is

turn it a little bluer as depth increases -warm colors drop out faster than blue as depth

increases.

Thats absolutely true, of course. But, as you read this article youll see there are other things to

consider! A green tree in the distance is still greenish. Its not blue its a bluer green! Again,

there are lots of ways to achieve this but the simplest way it to use a lighter bluish gray mixed in

with the greener paint you used in the foreground tree.

4. Relative Size and Volume of Similar Objects as Recession Plane depth increases:As depth increases in a painting, things appear smaller. A similar type tree, for instance, will

appear to get smaller with depth. Check this relationship carefully. Its easy sometimes to

overlook this. For instance, a while back I painted a mesa scene. The mesa was in middle

distance (and was also my focal point). Because it was the focal point I started painting the pine

trees at the base of the mesa much larger than the same pine trees in a nearer distance. I

happened to take a break and when I came back to the painting, it was easy to spot the mistake

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but, I didnt see it or think about it when I was painting them. Also, in nature sometimes a tree

in a more distant plane actually appears larger than a nearer set of trees. Be careful about

painting it that way -- consider making the further tree smaller.

There is also another point to consider. Ill set the stage. You are painting a mountain scene

(the mountains are the focal point) and you have tall pine trees at the base of the mountain.

You had to set up your easel very close to the pine trees at the base (because there was no

other place to set up). You start to paint exactly what you see Huge pine trees at the base.

Since the mountains are the focal point, dont do that without at least considering this as an

option: Imagine what the scene would look like if you set your easel up a further distance (say,

1mile further back from the trees. Its not hard to realize that the mountains size didnt change

that much BUT, the trees at the base became smaller. Since the mountain is the focal point

and you what to suggest a great height to the mountain you might just want to do exactly what

you imagine making the trees smaller in relationship to mass/height of the mountain.

5. Edge Relationships between near and distant recession planes:Edges generally become slightly softer with distance. It sort of fuzzes out. You can use a

brush technique to create a softer edge but dont forget that closer values next to each appear

softer than higher value contrasts next to each other. Thats how the eye perceives value

contrasts and that will also help create recession -- just by the value recession relationships

described in section 1 above.

6. (Spherical Sky Recession) - Sky Relationships of Hue, Value, and Intensity from Zenith toHorizon

The sky at the zenith is bluer (cooler) than the sky at the horizon. The horizon is warmer, slightly

higher in value and has less chromatic intensity.

Clouds are generally bigger at the zenith and smaller at the horizon.

Also, there are relationships between the sunny side of a cloud overhead (zenith) and at the

horizon. Sunny side of clouds, as they become more overhead have more intensity and can be

yellower than clouds at the horizon, which become pinker and have less chromatic intensity.

The cloud shadow areas also have a relationship from zenith to horizon. The more overhead

shadows in the clouds become, the warmer they get. Cloud shadows at the horizon are cooler.

In conclusion, you dont want to over emphasize, or forget about any of these considerations. There is a

fine line between all of these relationships and can only be mastered by actual painting. But, if you keep

these points in mind you will be on your way to creating a convincing depth and recession in your

painting. Every rule can and sometimes should be broken. Thats up to you - but if you break the rules

youll have to use careful measures make it read as believable -- and sometimes thats very hard to do.

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