Master Pastelist Doug Dawson Shares Seven Principles for Depth in Landscape Painting
Doug Dawson, a Master Pastelist and a respected figure in both the Pastel Society of America and the International Association of Pastel Societies, outlines seven essential tips for creating depth in landscape paintings in an article on Artists Network. While teaching at the Art Students League in Denver, he highlights strategies like overlapping elements, scaling down objects, tweaking values, controlling details, softening focus, and using cooler, muted colors. Dawson suggests placing the darkest shades in the foreground and notes that details should fade as they recede into the background. His artwork, including pieces like 'Above the Mesa,' 'Clear Creek Run Off,' 'The Water's Edge,' and 'Eagle Nest Island,' is also featured alongside digital editions of Pastel Journal, Artists Magazine, and Southwest Art.
Key facts
- Doug Dawson is a Master Pastelist in the Pastel Society of America.
- Dawson is a Master Circle Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies.
- He teaches at the Art Students League in Denver.
- The article lists seven principles for creating depth: overlapping objects, diminishing size, diminishing values, diminishing details, softening focus, cooling colors, and duller colors.
- Overlapping objects are perceived as closer.
- Diminishing values mean darks get lighter and lights get darker with distance.
- Cooling colors occur because air filters out yellow, making greens bluer and oranges redder.
- The article references Dawson's pastel works including 'Above the Mesa,' 'Clear Creek Run Off,' 'The Water's Edge,' and 'Eagle Nest Island.'
Entities
Artists
- Doug Dawson
Institutions
- Pastel Society of America
- International Association of Pastel Societies
- Art Students League
- Artists Network
- Pastel Journal
- Artists Magazine
- Southwest Art
Locations
- United States
- Denver