BACKGROUND

    MIDDLEGROUND

    FOREGROUND




    A lesson in creating visual depth.

    MATERIALS NEEDED
  • Magazines with large photographs of landscapes and cityscapes
  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Glue

    OBJECTIVES
    To understand the concept of foreground, middle ground and background in creating a sense of depth in a landscape painting or drawing.

    BACKGROUND INFORMATION
      In western art we are used to looking at landscape paintings in which the objects closest to us are the biggest and the lowest in the picture. This is called the "foreground." The most distant objects are in the "background" and are the smallest and at the top of the painting.



    DIRECTIONS

    STEP 1
    Now you are going to create a landscape collage which will demonstrate these concepts. Begin by looking through magazines. Select an image that has a large area of sky. It should be a full page photograph at least 8 x 10.

    STEP 2
    Now find a photograph with a field of flowers or a cityscape. This should also be 8 inches wide. Cut across the tops of the buildings or the landscape.

    STEP 3
    Finally, find some large objects. These could be figures or objects. Carefully cut these out so there is nothing of the original picture remaining around them.

    STEP 4
    Glue the background image to the paper. Trim the edges of the white paper. Place the middleground buildings on the background. Trim the edges. Place the final figures on the bottom of your papers. Trim it so that it is a rectangle. If you have done this carefully, it will be difficult to tell if your new scene is a real photograph. Have you created a sense of space?

    RESOURCES


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