As objects move into the distance, the lights get darker and the darks get lighter. This is just one of the effects of atmospheric perspective that gives a landscape depth.

This painting won an award medal prize in the Carmel Art Festival Plein Air Competition. A key factor in its success was the careful control of atmospheric perspective in each successive plane of the Big Sur cliffs as they move into the distance. There are also other more subtle changes in both hue and saturation in the cliffs that you need to take account of in scenes like these. By applying those concepts you will greatly increase the feeling of depth in your paintings.

Here is another example of atmospheric perspective, notice how the color of the landscape changes behind the group of trees. The warm oranges in the foreground gradually change to red violets in the further distance.

In this course unit

In this course unit you will learn how to observe the various subtle effects of atmospheric perspective that will give depth and feeling to your paintings. You will learn:

• how distance affects the saturation of colors
• the role of foreground, middle ground, and distance in giving depth to your paintings
• how to use repeating shapes and receding lines to convey a sense of distance
• how to use baselines to give a feeling of three-dimensional space
• the use of overlapping forms to prevent objects from floating in space
• when to use dark accents and highlights to add realism to your painting
• the difference in behavior between lights and darks as objects move into the distance
• what happens to values under different atmospheric conditions such as foggy, sunny, and overcast conditions
• what to look for in moonlit scenes
• the principle of value difference consistency and why it is important in adding realism to your paintings
• how to make sure your colors are not ‘out of place’ as they move into the distance

Total number of assignments: 4

Total number of pages: 19