Landscape with a staircase and a Balustrade
By Jean-Baptiste Oudry
Digital image courtesy of the Gettys open
Content Program
How would the artist ensure that the background imagery appears to be in the distance?
a Use no vanishing points
b Create a value change from the background to the foreground
c Make the background imagery as large as the foreground imagery
d Create minimal texture changes on the various surfaces
b Create a value change from the background to the foreground
b Create a value change from the background to the foreground
The correct answer is b) Create a value change from the background to the foreground.
To ensure that the background imagery appears to be in the distance, the artist would create a value change from the background to the foreground. This means that the artist would use lighter values for the background and gradually darken the values as objects get closer to the foreground. This technique is known as atmospheric perspective, and it mimics the way objects appear less distinct and less saturated as they recede into the distance due to the scattering of light in the atmosphere.
By using this value change, the artist can create the illusion of depth and distance in the painting. Objects in the background would have lighter values, while objects in the foreground would have darker values, making them appear closer to the viewer. This value change helps to create a sense of depth and spatial relationships within the artwork.