The Receding Horizon

Theme: Capturing depth in the Aotearoa landscape using Aerial Perspective.

"Aotearoa is a land defined by distance. From the rolling hills of the Waikato to the jagged peaks of the Southern Alps, our landscape is often viewed through a veil of mist, light, and atmosphere."

In this mini-unit, we will explore the technique of Aerial Perspective (also known as Atmospheric Perspective). This is the visual effect where objects become lighter, cooler (bluer), and less distinct the further away they are from the viewer.

We will look to the masters of New Zealand landscape painting—artists who captured the distinct light and layered geography of this country. By studying how traditional NZ artists layered their compositions, you will learn how to trick the eye into seeing vast distances on a flat canvas, turning a simple mix of blue and white paint into mountains that look Far away.

SEEING THE DISTANCE

The Goal: Understand how atmosphere changes the way we see the landscape and identify these "rules" in traditional New Zealand art.

What is Aerial Perspective?

When we look at a landscape, the air between us and distant mountains isn't empty. It is full of moisture, dust, and light. This atmosphere acts like a filter, changing the way objects look the further away they get.

The Three Rules of Distance

To create the illusion of deep space on a flat canvas, we must follow these three rules:

John Gully, 'The chimney, Milford Sound', 1878 and section of "Cass", 1936, by Rita Angus.

THE COLOUR OF AIR (MIXING)

The Goal: Master mixing the "atmospheric blues" required for distant mountains.

The "Blue Filter" Effect

Even if a distant mountain is covered in dark green trees, the massive amount of atmosphere between you and the mountain will turn it blue-grey. To paint distance, we need to learn how to "desaturate" (dull) colours and lighten them.

- TINT: Adding White to a colour (makes it lighter).
- TONE: Adding Grey (or the complementary colour) to a colour (makes it duller).

We usually need both for aerial perspective.

ACTIVITY: The Atmospheric Value Scale

Choose a "base colour" for your landscape (e.g., a deep sap green or burnt umber). You are going to create a 5-step scale, transforming that base colour into a distant mountain colour.

Instructions:

1. Paint pure colour in Box 1.
2. In Box 5, mix a large amount of White with just a tiny touch of Blue.
3. Mix the steps in between, gradually adding more white and blue as you move right.

The Rule: As you move to the right, the colour must get COOLER and LIGHTER.

BLOCKING IN THE LAYERS

The Goal: Begin the final painting by establishing the sky and the furthest distances.

The Golden Process Rule: BACK TO FRONT

When painting landscapes with acrylics, always start with the thing furthest away (the sky) and move forward. If you paint the foreground tree first, you'll have to painfully paint the sky around the leaves later!

Step-by-Step Plan

1. The Sky Gradient: The sky is rarely one solid blue. It is usually deeper blue straight up above you, and paler (sometimes almost white or pale yellow) towards the horizon line.
2. The Furthest Range: Use your lightest, coolest mix from Lesson 2 (Box 5). The bottom of this mountain range should almost blend into the sky color at the horizon.
3. The Mid-Layers: As you add closer layers, make your paint mix slightly darker and slightly warmer (less blue, more of the original earthy color).

ACTIVITY: Composition Planner

1. Before you start on the final paper, map out your plan below. Sketch the layers and write notes on which paint colors you will use for each layer of the background using this image.

THE SHARP FOREGROUND

The Goal: Bring the front of the painting forward using contrast, warmth, and detail.

Grounding the Viewer

The foreground is where the viewer is "standing." To make the background look far away, the foreground needs to look very close. We do this with:

1. Warmth: Introduce earthy yellows, burnt sienna, or warmer greens.
2. Darkest Darks: Here is where your deepest shadows belong.
3. Texture: Dry-brushing or dabbing paint to suggest grass, rocks, or dirt.

NZ Context: Foreground Flora

Traditional NZ landscape artists often used distinct native plants in the foreground to set the scene.

Practice painting the specific details you will add to your foreground layer from the photograph. Don't draw every blade of grass; focus on the texture and shape of the plants using layers and marks

Sketch the layers and shapes of the forground and write notes on which paint colors you will use for each layer and paint them in.

REVIEW & REFLECTION

Self-Evaluation Checklist:

Look at your finished painting. Tick the boxes if you achieved these goals:

1. Value: Is the background significantly lighter than the foreground?
2. Colour Temperature: Does the background look cooler (bluer) and the foreground warmer?
3. Edges: Are the distant mountains softer, and the foreground objects sharper?
4. NZ Style: Does the landscape feel like Aotearoa (rolling hills, distinct ridges, or native flora)?

Reflection Question:

Which part of your painting successfully tricks the eye into seeing the furthest distance, and how did you achieve that effect using paint?

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