Breaking Down Backgrounds (Part 2): The Basics of Depth

Drawing backgrounds can be really intimidating for both new and experienced artists. Whether it's trying to understand perspective or just figuring out what stuff to include in the first place, it can be a really daunting task! I know from firsthand experience that it's tough to take the first steps into figuring out how the heck it works.

I'm hoping this guide will be able to break down all the steps I go through when making a background into manageable, easy to understand pieces.

What is Depth?

Depth is a representation of how far back an image appears to go into space. 

For example, these two illustrations of mine have two very different levels of depth to them. 

The piece on the left features the Deryli and the Magician's Key characters standing in the forefront of the drawing with a solid color background and no implications of anything behind them. This gives the piece a very flat, illustrative appearance, which is ideal for things like fashion drawings or pinups.

The piece on the right, on the other hand, features two characters surrounded by scenery, both in front of them and behind them. This gives the illusion that they are in an actual setting, with objects surrounding them. 

Foreground, Midground, Background

The most basic concepts behind depth are the foreground, midground, and background. These are the different layers of a drawing that imply space.

The foreground is everything that is closest to the viewer. 

In this illustration, the objects closest to the viewer are the plants in the bottom corners. Because they overlap the objects behind them, it's clear that they're closer to the viewer than anything else. The moss and water can also be considered in the foreground, though it is extending back into midground territory.

The midground is everything mid-level distance from the viewer.

In this illustration, the characters and the immediate scenery surrounding them are the midground. They are visibly behind the objects in the foreground, but still in front of everything in the background.

The background is everything farthest from the viewer. 

In this illustration, the sky and trees behind the characters make up the majority of the background.

Methods of Conveying Depth - Clarity

Now that we know the three layers of visual depth exist, there are ways we can use them to maximize the level of depth in our artwork.

Note that as we approach each layer of depth, we should treat them as if they're being viewed through someone's eyes rather than strictly as a drawing.

Foreground

You may think that objects in the foreground should have the most detail, since they're closest to the viewer. But actually, our eyes tend to naturally rest on things in the midground (because we have to stand a few feet away from something to get a good look at it) and objects closer to us tend to become blurred by the eyes. Think of when your camera is trying to focus, and everything is blurry until it pinpoints what it should be looking at.

A good example would be this photo. (Source)

As you can see, the area of the fence closest to the viewer's eye is very blurry, since our focus is on the woman standing in the midground. 

Midground

Objects in the midground of your drawing should have the most detail and clarity, since they're the objects the viewer's eyes are looking at directly. Of course, you can definitely experiment with putting the focus of your drawing in the foreground or background as well, but generally most compositions rely on the focus being in the midground.

If there's an object or character you want to have a lot of detail, consider putting it in the midground surrounded by some less-detailed objects. This will draw the viewer's eye right to those details!

Background

Your background should be much more simplistic and undetailed compared to the rest of the piece.  If you use too much detail in the background, it can flatten the image and remove the illusion of depth, since both it and the subject will struggle for your eye's attention. Sometimes only using silhouettes of shapes, like trees or buildings, is the best way to convey what's there. 

Depending on the setting of your piece, it can also help to use atmospheric perspective, which is when objects become paler and more blue-tinted the farther away from the viewer they are, as a result of air particles getting in the way.

This photo is a good example of atmospheric perspective.

Methods of Conveying Depth - Contrast

Similar to clarity, contrast is a really simple way to give the illusion of depth in a drawing.

Contrast can be anything from a difference in value to the weight of your lines. 

A few forms of contrast that I like to use for drawing scenes:

Using contrasting line widths (a thicker line for objects closer to the viewer + a thinner line for far-away objects) is a good way to convey distance in colorless drawings or comics.

Using contrasting values helps to make the focus of a drawing stand out. In this example, the focus of the piece (the candelabra and Amadeus' face) is the brightest and most vibrant area, and as the background recedes into space it becomes deeper and darker. 

Contrasting saturation is a good way to make things pop and push forward. Although the range of values in this example are fairly limited, the level of saturation in the background versus the foreground helps to distinguish the two and bring the character forward.

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I hope this guide was helpful! Part 3 will be coming soon ✨

Read Part 1 here! 

Read Part 3 here!