﻿ 15 Proven Ways to Draw the Illusion of Depth - Ran Art Blog

15 Proven Ways to Draw the Illusion of Depth in Art

Updated: 06 Feb 2021

Pen and ink drawings of olive trees


In art, when drawing in a realistic style, it is helpful to draw from direct observation or by using reference images.

However, for an initial sketch or when drawing from imagination, there are several proven methods to create the illusion of depth.

1. Volume

Unlike flat objects, 3D objects appear to have volume and therefore indicate depth in the painting.

A three-dimensional object will have highlight and shadow areas depending on where the light source is located.




2. Size

According to the rules of perspective, the farther an object is, the smaller it will look.

For that reason, when drawing similar objects in different sizes, one can conclude that smaller objects are farther away, thus create a sense of depth in the painting.

objects with different size indicate depth Objects with different size



Size can also be used to create a sense of space.

Adding small objects to a defined space will make it look big:


Adding big objects to the same space will make it look small:

Man walking in cave pencil drawing Big object defines small space

3. Overlap


Overlapping objects conceal each other Overlapping objects


Pen drawing of two overlapping olive trees Overlapping olive trees

If you like my tree drawings, feel free to visit my guide on how to draw ANY tree with a pen.

Pen drawings of trees

4. Position/Height

Objects that their base is positioned higher on the painting surface will look farther away.

Using position to create illusion of depth Different positioning

Topography conditions, such as mountains, hills or valleys, are important in object placement.

In most cases, the base of closer objects will be lower on the drawing surface AND the top part of close objects will be higher than far objects.

Position and height of near object Closer object position & height


Observer angle of sight Observer angle of sight


Pen and ink drawing of a tree Tree position

When looking from above, the top part of closer objects will be lower on the painting surface.

Height of objects when viewed from above View from above

5. Contrast & Details



That is to say, when drawing or painting, areas with high contrast will come forward and areas with less contrast will recede.


Landscape with trees pencil drawing Trees pencil drawing

6. Edges



Hard vs soft edges when drawing Hard/sharp vs soft edges

Foreground objects will have hard edges and therefore in focus.

Background objects will have soft edges and therefore blurry.

Foreground object edges are sharp Background objects have soft edges

7. Horizon

Dividing the painting into ground and sky by a horizon line, mountain range, vegetation or any other way, attests to depth.

In addition, by adding ground to the painting, the objects stop "hovering".

Use of horizon to create depth Horizon and ground

Pencil drawing example:


For a list of equipment I use for drawing, visit my guide for pencil drawing supplies.

8. Perspective


Illusion of depth using linear perspective Linear perspective



9. Foreshortening

Objects in front of the viewer, such as buildings, trees, mountains, people, etc., will look smaller as they are farther away, but will maintain the ratio between height and width in the painting. This means that there will be no distortion.

On the other hand, when we change the object (or our) angle of sight, and the object is now along the line of sight, it will get shorter in that direction.

Foreshortening painting when being looked at an angle Foreshortened oil painting

This distortion is due to the angle of sight. The more an object is in our direction of sight, the more it will be distorted (becomes much shorter in that direction).


Foreshortening drawing of a lake Foreshortened lake

Note: Cast shadows will be subject to foreshortening (unless they are in front of us).


Pen drawing of an olive tree & shadow Cast shadow foreshortening

For recommended drawing pens, visit my technical pens review for artists.

10. Colors

According to the rules of atmospheric perspective, the farther an object is, the more its color (hue) shift towards the background color which is usually blue sky.

Far objects hue shift toward the sky Green slightly shifts to blue

11. Saturation

The farther an object is, the less saturated its color will be.

In other words, its color will be less rich, bright or intense, therefore becoming dull or neutral.

Far objects are less saturated Far objects are dull or grayish


Seashore and mountain oil painting Seashore oil painting

12. Temperature

Purple, blue and green are cool colors; they bring to mind the ocean.

Red, orange and yellow are warm colors; they bring to mind fire.

The farther away an object is, the more atmosphere particles will be between it and the observer, i.e. the atmosphere color will have a bigger effect.

When the sky is blue, the color of background objects will shift gradually toward a blue hue due to scattered light and therefore become cooler.

Foreground objects will be warmer than the background objects since there are less atmosphere particles between the observer and the foreground objects.

Opposite phenomenon may occur in sunrise or sunset.

Temperature in landscape painting Temperature in landscape

Done with marker pens for artists.

13. Values

According to atmospheric perspective, farther objects will have higher brightness values, meaning their color will be lighter.

Far away objects brightness values Farther object is lighter


The key is to press harder with a drawing pencil for darker values or to use pencils with different brightness values.

Mountains brightness values with pencil Foreground objects are darker

In addition, transitions (gradient) in brightness values can be used to create the illusion to depth.

Pencil drawing of a man in tunnel Transition from dark to light
Man with torch in tunnel pencil drawing Transition from light to dark

14. Cast Shadow

It is important to paint or draw cast shadows when necessary and adjust their direction to the opposite side of the light source.

Pen drawing of pine trees and shadow Cast shadow


Pen drawing of a landscape and shadows Landscape with pen & ink


15. Brushstrokes & Marks


In these cases, larger paintbrushes can be used for foreground strokes.

The same can be done with a technical pen. Using a pen with bigger nib size for bigger marks when drawing foreground objects and smaller nib size for background objects.

Different nib sizes for different marks Different nib sizes


Tree drawing with a pen Pen drawing of a tree


Same basic shape with different marks direction tells a different story:

Direction of lines when sketching Marks direction for creating shapes and depth

When planning a painting, marks direction play a major role:

Initial sketch for tree drawing Marks as first step

And they are necessary when painting.


Tree and sunset oil painting Tree in sunset oil painting



The key to create depth when painting (or drawing) is the use of different methods to produce a three-dimensional look on a two-dimensional surface.

Simply put, there is no actual depth in painting but an illusion of depth.

When you draw or paint from observation, the knowledge of what to look for will improve your art and, when drawing from imagination you can use your artistic license with these methods.


While using colors, it is important to pay attention to color attributes such as hue, saturation, value and temperature.

In a monochromatic drawing, correct brightness values are crucial.

Landscape vs still life:

For landscape painting, it is important to understand linear and atmospheric perspective.

When painting a still life, methods like contrast, overlap, edges and so on will be used to create depth.


One way to practice with quick results is using a mechanical pencil for sketching.

Where to go next?


And, learn about the 8 key factors for painting realism.
