Lesson 21: Depth in a Scene

Objective: To have children create a scene that shows depth with foreground, middle-ground, and background.

Vocabulary:

background - The part of an artwork that seems to be the farthest away from the viewer.

depth - The appearance of space or distance in a two-dimensional artwork.

foreground - The part of an artwork that seems to be closest to the viewer.

middle-ground - The part of an artwork that is between the foreground and the background.

placement - The technique of placing objects higher or lower in an artwork to show depth or distance.

proportion - The size and placement of one thing compared with the size and placement of other things.

space - The area or distance around, between, and within objects.

Depth and Distance

Space is the three-dimensional (3D) area around, between, and within objects. One way an artist can show space on a flat surface is to create the feeling of depth. Depth is the appearance of space or distance in an artwork. Artists use different techniques to show depth.

Marcoussis-Cows Grazing by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot1845-1850, oil on canvas16.25" x 30.5"Private collection

Foreground, Middle-ground, and Background
Look at Marcoussis-Cows Grazing by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot. The artist created the feeling of depth by dividing the scene into parts. The part that seems closest to the viewer is called the foreground. The part that seems farthest from the viewer is called the background. The part that is in between the foreground and the background is called the middle-ground. What do you see in the foreground of Marcoussis-Cows Grazing? What do you see in the middle-ground and background?

Cafe Terrance on the Place du Forum, Arles, At Night by Vincent van Gogh1888, oil on canvas81 cm x 65.5 cmKroller-Muller Museum, Otterio, Netherlands

Detail and Distance
Now look at the scene in Cafe Terrance on the Place du Forum... by Vincent van Gogh. What do you see in the foreground? The artist used thick curved lines to paint the cobblestones in this part of the street. Notice how much less detail the artist used to paint the cobblestones in the background. Objects that have more detail seem to be closer to the viewer. Objects that have less detail seem to be farther away.

The Discovery by Jack Gunter2001, oil on canvas78" x 42"Private collection

Size and Distance
What do you notice about the sizes of the trees in The Discovery by Jack Gunter. Larger objects seem to be closer to the viewer. Smaller objects seem to be farther away. Compare the trees in the foreground to those in the background. How did the artist use detail to show distance?

Think Critically - Tell what you learned.

Studio Time: Depth in a Scene

Materials:

Pencils, Sketchbooks, White Paper, Oil Pastels

Plan

Think of an outdoor scene you would like to draw. Sketch some ideas. Think about how you can show depth in your scene by changing the sizes or details of the objects you draw.
Check list:
- Create a scene with foreground, middle-ground, and background.
- Use use placement, size and detail to show depth.

Create

Choose your best sketch, and copy it onto white paper.

2. Use oil pastels to add color to your drawing.

Reflect - Tell about your work.

Photograph and Submit your work on Google Classroom.

Photograph sketches as well as completed artwork.
"Add" (attach) to Google Classroom assignment.
"Mark as done" to submit your work for a grade.

Challenge: Open Window Landscape Diorama

Create a diorama with paper and drawing or painting supplies, using foreground, middle-ground, and background on the picture, complete with window panel on the front.

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