Have you always dreamed of creating realistic landscapes that seem to extend to infinity? Atmospheric perspective is the key to achieving this! This simple but effective painting technique will allow you to give relief and depth to your works.
What is atmospheric perspective?
Atmospheric perspective, also called aerial perspective, is a technique that mimics the effect of the atmosphere on our perception of distance. By simplifying, distant objects appear blurrier, less contrasted, and often bluish than those that are close. This is what we observe every day in nature: distant mountains appear more vaporous and less detailed than trees in the foreground.
How does it work?
• Colors fade: The further away an object is, the paler its colors become and tend towards blue. This is due to the diffusion of light by the atmosphere.
• Edges blur: Lines become less defined and blurrier with distance.
• Contrasts decrease: The differences in brightness between objects are reduced, creating a feeling of depth.
Why use atmospheric perspective?
Create the illusion of depth: Make your painting appear to extend beyond the canvas.
• Prioritize elements: Highlight important elements by bringing them closer to the viewer.
• Reinforce the atmosphere: Create a particular ambiance, peaceful or dramatic, by playing on brightness and colors.
How to apply it in your painting?
• Choose a vanishing point: Imagine a point towards which all the elements of your landscape converge.
• Degrade colors: Use more saturated and warm colors for the foreground, then increasingly cooler and washed-out hues for the background.
• Blur the edges: Use a softer brush or a layering technique to blur the lines of distant objects.
• Reduce contrasts: Decrease the differences in brightness between objects as they move away.
The importance of colors for atmospheric perspective
• Basic blues:
Sky Blue: A light, bright blue, ideal for representing a clear, sunny sky.
Azure Blue: A more intense and saturated blue, perfect for summer skies.
Navy Blue: A deep, dark blue, often used to represent night or shadows.
Ultramarine Blue: An intense, slightly purplish blue, perfect for stormy skies or twilight.
• More nuanced blues:
Periwinkle Blue: A light blue with a slight hint of purple.
Duck Blue: A blue-green, ideal for representing a cloudy sky or a lake.
Cobalt Blue: A very bright and intense blue, often used for accents.
Prussian Blue: A dark blue with a slight hint of green, perfect for shadows and depths.
• Blues created by mixtures:
Grayish Blue: Adding white and black to blue will give you softer, more subtle shades.
Greenish Blue: Adding green to your blue will create more natural and refreshing hues.
Purple Blue: Adding purple to your blue will give you more mysterious, twilight hues.
• The blues of the changing sky:
At sunrise and sunset: The sky takes on warm hues, mixing blue with orange, pink and purple.
On cloudy days: The sky is grayer and the blues are softer, sometimes tinged with green.
After rain: The sky is often a deep, intense blue, with bright white clouds.
• Tips for painting the sky:
Observe nature: Look carefully at the different shades of blue you see in the sky throughout the day.
Vary the intensities: Alternate light and dark areas to give relief to your sky.
Paint in layers: Layer several layers of paint to achieve depth and transparency effects.
Some famous examples
Atmospheric perspective has been used by many great masters, including:
Leonardo da Vinci: The Mona Lisa is a perfect example of using this technique to create a sense of depth and highlight the main character.
Claude Monet: Monet's landscapes are characterized by a vaporous atmosphere and gradient colors, which demonstrate a perfect mastery of atmospheric perspective.
In conclusion
Atmospheric perspective is a valuable tool for any artist who wants to bring their landscapes to life. By mastering this technique, you will be able to create realistic and moving works that will captivate the viewer's eye.
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