Mastering Atmospheric Depth: Top Mistakes to Avoid in Landscape Painting

Creating atmosphere and depth in your paintings is critical if you want to paint landscapes convincingly. That three dimensional quality is important. So is the sense of reality that your viewer is looking for. Get this wrong and you will see something off about your painting. Maybe you cannot see what is missing, but you know something is wrong. Very often it is one of these six common mistakes. In this article and video we take a closer look at these errors and how to fix them.

Watch the detailed demo in this video:

The Six Painting Errors Summarized:

Here are six typical beginner painting mistakes related to creating atmosphere and distance in a painting:

• 1. Lack of value contrast: Beginners often struggle with achieving the necessary value contrast to depict depth and distance. Failing to create a gradual shift in values, from lighter in the foreground to darker in the background, can result in a flat and two-dimensional appearance.
• 2. Overly saturated colors in the distance: Using vibrant and intense colors for objects in the distance can disrupt the sense of atmospheric perspective. Beginners may unintentionally paint distant elements with the same intensity as those in the foreground, making them appear closer and diminishing the illusion of depth.
• 3. Ignoring atmospheric effects: Beginners sometimes overlook the importance of atmospheric effects such as haze, mist, or atmospheric perspective. These subtle elements play a crucial role in creating depth and distance. Neglecting to incorporate them can make a painting look unrealistic and lacking in atmosphere.
• 4. Overly detailed distant objects: Trying to render distant objects with the same level of detail as foreground elements can be a common mistake. Distant objects should be depicted with less detail, softer edges, and less crisp lines to give a sense of spatial recession.
• 5. Disregarding scale and proportion: Incorrectly sizing or proportioning objects within the landscape can disrupt the sense of depth. Beginners may unintentionally make distant objects too large or foreground elements too small, resulting in an inaccurate perception of distance and space.
• 6. Neglecting aerial perspective: Aerial perspective refers to the phenomenon where distant objects appear less distinct, lighter in value, and bluer in color due to the presence of atmospheric conditions. Beginners may overlook the importance of incorporating this effect, which can impact the overall sense of depth and atmosphere in a painting.

By being aware of these common mistakes, beginners can pay closer attention to creating atmosphere and distance in their landscape paintings. 

Practicing techniques such as: 

• value control, 
• color harmony, 
• atmospheric effects, 
• and proportion 

will contribute to more successful portrayals of depth and spatial recession. Remember, learning from these mistakes is part of the artistic journey, and with practice, you'll continue to improve your skills and create more convincing and atmospheric landscapes.

​

Next Steps? Learn to Paint Like an Impressionist

Painting atmosphere is part of the joy of Impressionist Painting. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of strong landscape painting in an Impressionist style. It is a lot of fun too!

learn more