How to Draw from Photographs

Achieving Depth

A gorgeous spring day when the sun is out and the flowers are in bloom is practically an invitation to sketch a landscape! But when I seek subject matter, I’m looking for more than a pretty spot—I also search for a scene with features that will help me portray depth. A distinctive foreground, middle ground, and background will help me portray atmospheric perspective—the tendency of objects to appear less detailed as they recede from the viewer. And overlapping elements are another key to creating a sense of three-dimensional depth in a two-dimensional drawing. Look for both in your composition.

Finding Inspiration It’s hard to ...