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  • In this third part of the illusion of depth, we'll look at how edges, lines, cast shadows,

  • and paint thickness can be used to add depth to your drawings and paintings.

  • Hey guys, what's going on, my name is stan Prokopenko, you're watching proko. Lets jump

  • right in and talk about edges.

  • Sharp edges are visually a lot louder than soft edges and so they tend to pop forward

  • and separate object, whereas soft or blurry edges recede and bring things closer together.

  • So, a sharp edge between these two object will separate them. Blurring the edge will

  • somewhat merge them and bring them closer together.

  • When our eyes focus on something, things further away or closer to us from that object will

  • be blurred. In photography this is called, depth of field. When the depth of field is

  • high, sharp details are seen in a very large range. Objects far away from the focal distance

  • are still sharp. This can seem unnatural because that's not really how our eyes see things.

  • Naturally we will see a narrower depth of field to help us focus on a particular area.

  • A narrower depth of field is a great tool to add depth to a drawing.

  • Line

  • Line isn't really a type of edge; sharp, firm, or soft, but it is a way to indicate the edge

  • of a form. It's a stylized way that doesn't exist in reality, but nonetheless it is a

  • way to indicate depth and can be very effective. The type of line you use can make or break

  • the illusion of depth. You can vary the thickness of the line and the value of the line to achieve

  • this.

  • As forms recede back into space use a thinner line. This is related to perspective, since

  • the objects further away from us will appear smaller, including the lines. We tend to use

  • the same line throughout the drawing. Sometimes this might be because of our tools allowing

  • for just one line weight, such as the tip of a graphite pencil or a ballpoint pen. In

  • that case, you'll have to go over the line a few times to make it thicker unlike with

  • a brush or a pencil sharpened to a taper, where you can vary the angle to change the

  • line thickness. Also, consider varying the value of the line. Make the objects further

  • back lighter and the ones that you want to pop forward darker. This is related to atmospheric

  • perspective that I talked about in part 1.

  • Line can be used not only in separate objects, but within an object as it recedes or where

  • there is overlapping form.

  • Such as in the figure. This tricep is closer to us than the deltoid. But, I want to show

  • that the edge of the tricep is wrapping around and behind the deltoid. So, instead of using

  • the same line in the overlap, which is still effective because of the overlap, I could

  • use line weight to make it even more effective. I could make the line thicker in the areas

  • that are closer and thin out and lighten the line of the tricep as it wraps around the

  • deltoid.

  • Cast Shadows

  • Cast Shadows are another way you can show that something is in front of something else,

  • especially when there is no overlap to do that. In fact this is heavily used in graphic

  • design to pop things forward. Photoshop and other similar programs have a "drop shadow"

  • option that immediately pops a shape out from the background.

  • In this figure drawing the cast shadow helps to bring the arm away from the body. And suggests

  • that its further away at the elbow because of the greater distance to the edge of the

  • cast shadow.

  • A cast shadow on a ground surface can indicate that there is open space behind the object

  • and also can serve as a great way to add converging lines to add some perspective to a scene.

  • Paint Thickness

  • The final thing I want to mention is quite literally adding depth to a picture. If you're

  • using paint, you can physically bring something forward by using thicker paint on that area.

  • I won't go not too much detail about it, but I think it's easy concept to grasp. If you

  • have two objects, using thicker paint in the distant one might not be a good idea. But

  • thicker paint in closer objects can serve as a great attribute for depth. Just an idea..

  • Ultimately creating the illusion of depth in your artwork will be achieved through a

  • combination of the concept I went over in the last 3 videos, and its up to you to decide

  • which ones you want to use and how you want to use them. It depends on your style. If

  • you're a beginner, try all of them and don't worry too much about style. As you develop,

  • your taste will grow and change, and your style will come naturally.

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In this third part of the illusion of depth, we'll look at how edges, lines, cast shadows,

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