Painting Distance and Atmosphere (Weekly Challenge #190)

Natalia C.
13 minutes ago
3 min read

This week, we travel to the breathtaking mountains and valleys of Georgia, a land of sweeping views, misty ridgelines, and luminous skies. Whether it’s the layered hills near Mtskheta, the dramatic massifs of Kazbegi, or a quiet roadside glance into the forested horizon, this week’s images all share one thing: depth. And not through sharp lines or complex architecture, but through atmosphere. A warm thank you to our co-host and photo contributor, @colorsbygetter, for capturing this beautiful reference set.

Georgia’s geography offers natural drama — the Caucasus range, rolling green hills, rivers winding through valleys, and skies that seem to stretch forever. These are the kinds of scenes where the air itself becomes part of the landscape. Distant ridges fade into soft purples and greys. Details blur. Color desaturates. That’s air perspective at work.

Focus Point: Air Perspective

Air perspective (or atmospheric perspective) is the illusion of depth created by how the atmosphere affects what we see. As objects recede in space, they appear lighter in value, cooler in color, and softer in contrast. It’s not a stylistic choice — it’s a visual reality we all observe, especially in open landscapes.

This focus is especially important for landscape artists who want to paint depth without using strong lines or exaggerated contrast. In fact, the trick is often in holding back — toning down, softening edges, and letting color and value transitions do the work.

Ask yourself:

Are my distant hills cooler and lighter than the foreground?
Am I keeping the contrast strongest only in the near ground?
Are edges getting softer as they recede?

Want a refresher? Check my full blog post on this focus point here: Why Air Perspective is Essential in Landscape Art?

Analyzing the Reference Photos

Let's breakdown the references of this week.

Photo 1: Sunny Slopes and Shadowed Valleys

Clouds drift above bright green pastures and shadowed cliffs in the foreground, while distant hills fade into blue-grey layers.

Rolling green hills under a sky with fluffy clouds; a small village is nestled among the hills, creating a serene and picturesque scene. — Week 190: Georgia. Photo Credit: @colorsbygetter

Challenge as a Photo: The foreground is strong, but the background will flatten unless you control temperature and value carefully.

Focus Questions:

Are you allowing background greens to cool and fade?
What edges could be softened or lost entirely?

Tips:

Use warm greens in the foreground, cool greys for background hills.
Keep sky values close to distant land to enhance softness.
Limit detail in the distance — suggest, don’t define.

Photo 2: River View from Above

A sweeping view down to a river valley shows midground hills, water, and a distant mountain range under bright skies.

Lush green hills and a cloudy blue sky overlook a winding river and a quaint town nestled in the valley. A peaceful and scenic view. — Week 190: Georgia. Photo Credit: @colorsbygetter

Challenge as a Photo: Too many darks across the whole scene can flatten the space unless layered carefully.

Focus Questions:

What’s the furthest visible shape? Can you cool and lighten it?
Where is the contrast strongest and should it be?

Tips:

Reserve your darkest darks for the foreground only.
Let the river fade in light value as it recedes.
Desaturate background greens with violet or grey.

Photo 3: Mountain Silhouettes and a Sitting Figure

Foreground human interest sits calmly in a green foreground. Behind them, jagged peaks loom under cloud cover, their bases shrouded in mist.

A person sits on grass next to a wheelbarrow, overlooking a valley and mountains under a blue sky with scattered clouds. Trees and greenery surround. — Week 190: Georgia. Photo Credit: @colorsbygetter

Challenge as a Photo: The dynamic background needs to stay soft enough to stay behind the figure.

Focus Questions:

Where do edges need to stay sharp and where can they be lost?
How can color temperature help divide planes?

Tips:

Paint the mountains in cool greys or muted violets.
Add contrast to the figure to draw focus.
Keep low-detail shapes in the clouds and ridges.

Photo 4: Distant Pink Cloud at Dusk

This quiet road view leads the eye past trees to low blue hills and a single glowing cloud touched by evening light.

Trees in the foreground with a mountain range in the background. Pink and white clouds against a pastel sky at dusk create a serene mood. — Week 190: Georgia. Photo Credit: @colorsbygetter

Challenge as a Photo: The subtle palette means you’ll rely on temperature and value shifts to show space.

Focus Questions:

Can you push the background cooler without losing color interest?
How will you show softness in both trees and clouds?

Tips:

Use a near-monochrome scheme with small warm accents.
Blend transitions in the sky for softness.
Keep the cloud edges warm but feathered.

This week is about gentle control. Air perspective isn’t dramatic but it is powerful. By playing with softness, temperature, and contrast, you can build truly believable space and evoke the feeling of standing in fresh mountain air.

Post your painting on Instagram by Thursday, 5 December 2025 at 23:59 CET, using the hashtag #landscapeartclub190 and tagging @landscapeartclub.

Want to practice more? Try the Mountains and Cloudscapes in the Reference Library to explore further.

Happy painting!