Creating Depth with Air Perspective in Tropical Landscapes (Weekly Challenge #162)
- Natalia C.
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
We’re back from our spring break, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to return to than this magical, remote paradise. Lord Howe Island, located 700km northeast of Sydney, is a place of vibrant beauty — and a real challenge for landscape artists!
At just 14 square kilometers and home to only 400 residents, this World Heritage-listed island is a sanctuary of rare species, crystal-clear beaches, and towering, mist-covered mountains like Mount Gower. A heartfelt thank-you to @judithcrowleyart for generously providing this week’s incredible reference photos — it’s not every day we get to paint such a rare and untouched corner of the world.
Focus Point: Air Perspective
With such rich colors and dense vegetation, the challenge this week is clear: how do we create depth when everything is visually loud?
This week’s focus is on air perspective — the technique of using lighter values, cooler tones, and softer edges to push distant elements back in the scene. It’s a subtle but powerful skill, especially vital in scenes where greens and blues dominate.
And here’s something to keep in mind, air perspective doesn’t exist on its own — it’s built using two essential tools: value and color temperature. If you’ve ever been unsure how to make background shapes fade, or found yourself mixing up light/dark with warm/cool, check my latest post Value vs. Color Temperature: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters.
Analyzing This Week’s Reference Photos
Let’s take a closer look at each of this week’s photos and explore the opportunities they offer — along with practical tips for working with air perspective.
Photo 1: Overlapping Forest Layers
A lush forest scene with tall, wild island trees arching over dense foliage. The foliage recedes into the distance with visible layers, making it a great composition for exploring value transitions.
Challenge as Photo: The dense greenery can easily become overwhelming. Without clear value shifts, the scene risks flattening out into a single mass of green.
Focus Point Questions: How can you separate the foreground from the background using value and temperature? Are your darkest shapes truly in the front, or are background trees fighting for attention?
Tips: Separate visual planes using value hierarchy and cooling colors for distance. This is also a perfect opportunity to experiment with a limited palette to avoid oversaturation. Read more here: Why a Limited Palette Can Make Your Landscape Stronger
Photo 2: Turquoise Shoreline and Rocky Outcrops
A breathtaking coastal scene where brilliant aqua waters meet soft, rounded shoreline rocks under open skies. The brightness and contrast make this one an instant eye-catcher.
Challenge as Photo: The vivid blues can compete with the land unless carefully balanced. The smooth, organic rock shapes might lack clarity without good contrast handling.
Focus Point Questions: How can you make the water recede into space without losing its glow? Where should you soften or neutralize to create a balanced focal point?
Tips: Use contrast and edge control to highlight the foreground rocks while allowing the distant blues to gently soften. Consider reducing detail in the far beach and muting background greens to let the water breathe.
Photo 3: Wide Coastal View with Forest Ridge
A panoramic sweep over tree-covered slopes with a far ridge dissolving softly into the sky. The composition flows naturally into atmospheric depth.
Challenge as Photo: Strong dark tones in the midground can make the scene feel heavy. Without tonal transition, depth can be lost between forest and background ridge.
Focus Point Questions: How do you handle multiple layers of greenery without losing a sense of space?
Are you using cooler tones to help the distant ridge recede?
Tips: Structure the space with value stepping — keep darker, warmer tones up front and soften with lighter, cooler hues as you move back. Let the far ridge melt into the sky with minimal contrast.
Photo 4: Misty Majesty of Mount Gower
A dramatic profile of Mount Gower, its upper slopes gently disappearing into a shroud of clouds. The heavy, rich greens below contrast with the light-filled sky above.
Challenge as Photo: It’s tempting to define the whole mountain, but the cloud cover demands softness and restraint. Too much detail may flatten the scene or contradict the mood.
Focus Point Questions: Where should you lose edges to let the clouds do the work for you? How much detail is really needed in the upper part of the mountain?
Tips: Let the clouds break the outline of the mountain and guide your composition. Use smooth blending for transitions and focus contrast and clarity on the foreground trees. Keep the summit light, cool, and quiet.
This week is such a visual treat, but also a true exercise in restraint. With so many vibrant colors and natural textures, it's easy to overdo contrast and lose the sense of space. That's where the subtle magic of air perspective can really help.
Try to think in layers. Ask yourself: how can I lead the eye from front to back? Where should my sharpest edges go? What can I soften or cool down? Take your time, experiment, and don’t worry about being perfect. The goal this week is to practice seeing depth — and using artistic tools to suggest distance, not just describe detail.
Whether you focus on a moody mountain scene, a sunlit beach, or a quiet forest interior, this challenge is your chance to explore how light and atmosphere shape the land. I’d love to see how you approach it — whether you keep things loose or lean into fine detail, all interpretations are welcome!
When you're ready, head over to the Landscape Art Club Forum to download the high-resolution reference photos and join the discussion. Post your artwork on Instagram using the hashtag #landscapeartclub162 by 10 April 2025 to get a chance to be featured in our account. Don’t forget to tag @landscapeartclub so I can see and share your creations.
Take your time, trust your eye, and above all — have fun with it. Let’s make this a beautiful start to the new season!
Thank you for all your fabulous tips on handling the spectacular nature of this special location,Natalia!