02.02 Depth
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Depth is a fundamental principle of Design. Visual depth exists in both representational compositions and non-representational compositions. There are several visual clues we use every day to judge the distance or depth of an object. Visual depth creates the illusion of physical distance perpendicular to the viewer between objects in an image, or moving image.
The illusion of depth can be created in two-dimensional art by mimicking the way objects appear in real life when they recede into three-dimensional space. You can adjust the color saturation, the contrast in value, and the sharpness of individual elements to mimic Atmospheric-Perspective in order to create the illusion of depth in your work.
How to Create Depth
- Make objects overlap
- Things that are closer appear darker and in focus
- Objects of the same size will appear larger the closer to the viewer they are and smaller the farther away they are
- Use Atmospheric-Perspective to show depth
- Colors become more subdued and muted the farther away. They are and become more saturated the closer they are
- Linear perspective can help show depth