How I create a sense of depth in a painting

In my previous posts we covered the imprimatura and painting the sky.

Next comes the landscape. But when a landscape feels flat, it’s usually missing one thing: depth.

You can have the right colors, the right subject, even good technique — but without a believable sense of space, the painting never quite comes to life.

So how do you create that feeling of distance and atmosphere?

In this video, I’ll show you how I approach depth in a landscape, using atmospheric perspective, layering, and a few simple techniques to help guide the viewer’s eye through the scene.

Before you watch

As you watch, don’t just look at the details. Pay attention to:

• How values and contrast shift as forms move back in space

• How edges and color intensity are controlled at different distances

• How the viewer’s eye is guided through the composition

These are the things that create a believable sense of depth.

Watch: How to Paint Landscapes with Real Depth

If you’d like to watch this on YouTube or join the conversation, you can do that here.

After you watch

Depth isn’t created by adding more detail — it’s created by adding details in the right locations.

As forms move into the distance, simplifying shapes, softening edges, and adjusting color and value relationships allows the painting to come alive.

When those relationships are working together, the landscape begins to feel like a real scene you can step into.

How this fits into the bigger process

This stage builds on the earlier ones we’ve looked at in this series.

The underpainting establishes the foundation.
The sky and clouds create atmosphere.

When you add the landscape, it all starts to come together with a believable sense of space across the entire painting.

Each stage of the painting supports the next — and when you have a clear process, everything becomes less overwhelming.

So, if one of your goals is to paint more realistic landscapes, my free workshop is a great next step.

👉Register to watch Secrets to Painting Beautiful, Realistic Landscapes

When you understand the why behind the process, painting becomes a whole lot simpler – and a lot more enjoyable.

This is Part 3 of a 4-part series on painting more believable, luminous landscapes. In my next post, we’ll take a closer look at the next step in the process.

• Read Part 1: The Magic of an Underpainting

• Read Part 2: How to Paint Beautiful Clouds