For this tutorial, I have assumed a basic knowledge of PhotoImpact, its tools, where to find them, and how to use them. I, therefore, consider this tutorial to be of Intermediate level.
One of the challenges, in art, is making flat, 2 dimensional scenes appear to have depth. There are a number of ways to achieve this result and I hope to cover most of them in what follows.
The above picture is flat and 2 dimensional. There are two trees, identical in size, on a plain white background, and no perception of depth. Simply adding two different colors to your picture, one to the bottom half and the other to the top half can add a very limited amount of "depth".
Our minds tell us that the horizontal line, where the two colors meet, is the horizon. We know, from experience, that the horizon is in the distance. Therefore, we perceive the image as having depth. This perception can be further enhanced by the addition of a shadow.
Now, our trees seem to stand in the foreground casting their shadows into the distance. Another clue to depth is placement. Objects positioned higher in the image are perceived as being farther away.
Also, objects positioned behind other objects are perceived as being farther away.
Also, objects positioned behind other objects are perceived as being farther away.
Size is another indicator of distance.
By making one tree smaller and positioning it higher on the background, we have added a very strong feeling of depth. It is important to point out that by reducing the size of the second tree, we have sacrificed some of the detail. The smaller tree is not as clear and well defined. This adds to the perception of depth. The farther away an object, the less detail is discernable.
Color is another indication of depth. Darker colors tend to be perceived as more distant.
Take a flat circle such as the one that follows.
To give this circle some depth and transform it into a 3 dimensional sphere, shade the edges. Your shading doesn't even have to be even and smooth to be effective.
The darkened edges create a 3 dimensional feel because we perceive them to be more distant then the brighter, yellow center.
At this point, I would like to direct your attention to a tutorial, written by Linda White, called "Going the Distance". Linda's tutorial gives you a step-by-step introduction into some of the above mentioned themes. You can find her tutorial at:
http://www.uniquerenditions.com/distance.html
The final piece to the puzzle I wish to cover is perspective. At this point, I highly recommend that you check out two tutorials written by the very talented Debbie Hardisty. Both deal with perspective and are well worth the time to study and master. You will find them at the following URLs:
http://www.debisty.com/tutorials/perspective1/house.htm
http://www.debisty.com/tutorials/perspective2/bedroom.htm
The important thing to remember, when dealing with perspective, is that parallel lines seem to intersect in the distance. The point at which they intersect is called the "vanishing point". Allow me to illustrate.
In the above diagram, the horizon is represented by the black, horizontal line marked "a". The "vanishing point" is indicated by a red circle and marked "b". The brown, vertical line, marked "c", represents the corner of a building. And, the gray, dashed lines, marked "d", represent the path parallel, horizontal lines will follow towards the "vanishing point". When constructing the building's facing wall, the top and bottom edges would follow the dashed lines.
In a like manner, the parallel, horizontal lines of windows and doors would follow a converging path to the "vanishing point".
In general, the "vanishing point" would be at the center of the horizon line. However, this is not necessary (as in the above example) and some interesting results can be achieved by moving it to the left or right of center. Nor are you limited to a single "vanishing point" as shown in the following example.
In this example, you are viewing the building from the corner. The walls, on either side, would diminish into the distance.
I hope this gives you the tools and ideas to add depth and perspective to your creations. It isn't much, but I hope it helps.
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Paul E. Castle II - aka:
Shadowblade