How Do Painters Create a Sense of Depth on Flat Surfaces?

Painters use tricks to make a flat canvas feel like it has space. Like when you draw a road, the lines get closer together as they go further away, just like real roads do. They also use color: things that are far away look lighter and less detailed, like how the sky looks softer in the distance.

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Examples

A painter draws a road with lines that get closer together, it looks like the road is getting farther away.
Faraway trees are drawn smaller and lighter than close-up ones, they look further in the distance.
The sky near the horizon appears softer and less detailed, like you're looking through fog.

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Categories: Art · perspective· painting techniques· visual illusion