Sketchplanations

Explaining one thing a week in a sketch

Atmospheric Perspective illustration: a large vista shows undulating hilltops for as far as the eye can see, but we note that the further away these contours are, the colour and tone that we experience becomes more and more washed out.

Atmospheric perspective

The effect you may have noticed where things further in the distance lose their intensity and colour until they fade into the sky. Most often noticeable with hills or mountains, but also in a misty forest as mist, dust, fog or things like pollution increase the effect.

If it’s a blue sky day, the distance will take on a bluer tone like the colour of the sky.

This scene painted from our ascent of Mt Rainier in the Pacific Northwest. And here’s a sunset version.

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