When painting a landscape, it is essential that you are able to illustrate a visual “sense” of depth, through your brushstrokes, colors, and composition. Creating a believable landscape painting with depth really isn’t some magic trick, it’s technique. Learn how to pull spectators into your landscapes with these tips offered by Brooklyn painter Al Serino.
Drawing perspective is one of the most common causes of frustration in learning to draw. While the notion of perspective is rooted in ancient times, its introduction in the art of the Renaissance forever changed the course of art history.
The word "perspective" comes from the Latin "perspiciere" and means to see clearly. To achieve a realistic representation of the landscape that correctly suggests its amplitude and spatial depth, you must practice the four complementary perspectives: linear, atmospheric, chromatic and textural, suggests Al Serino. Its use together with other resources, will allow you to create convincing and credible three-dimensional scenes, which will show “clearly” the desired landscape.
1. Linear perspective:
Its field is the previous drawing. Based on the use of points and vanishing lines, it will allow you to correctly transpose a three-dimensional space (the real landscape) to a two-dimensional one (paper or canvas). It is the essential starting point for any landscaper. Essential to this technique is the use of a vanishing point, which is the point in the composition where lines of perspective seemingly converge. For example, most of Al Serino’s artworks employ a vanishing point at the base of the painting, which is then used to create the sense of depth as if you were looking down. With enough practice you will learn to use it intuitively.
2. Atmospheric perspective:
It recreates the sensation of depth and distance of the landscape through the visual effects caused by atmospheric: loss of contrast, sharpness and intensity of color that objects experience when moving away.
3. Chromatic perspective:
Work with the color temperature. Warm tones bring closer, while cool tones move away. Using these properties properly will help you enhance the spatial depth in your landscapes.
4. Textures perspective:
Showing the textures of objects in the foreground in more detail and less detail in those of the more distant ones reinforces the feeling of closeness or distance from them.
