60 min Depth & Space Challenge
Learn to create depth and dimension in your composition using layering, atmospheric perspective, and scale variation. Sketch thumbnails to explore space, then refine one into a final artwork, applying your unique style while enhancing depth and realism.
Welcome to your new challange
This challenge is all about commitment, creativity, and momentum. We encourage you to go all in for the next 60 minutes—immerse yourself in the process, explore new ideas, engage with the community and most importantly, enjoy the journey. By the end of the challenge you’ll not only have created something meaningful, but you’ll also have strengthened your artistic mindset and techniques.
Things you need
To make the most of this challenge, prepare:
- → A tablet/sketchbook, brushes, pencils, colors. etc
- → A timer to keep track of exercise duration
- → A comfortable workspace with minimal distractions
Engage with the community
Art thrives in community, and this challenge is designed to bring artists together. If you haven’t already, join the Art Challenges Whatsapp Group and take a moment to introduce yourself by sharing:
🔹 A short introduction about you and your artistic background.
🔹 One artwork that represents your current style
🔹 What are your expectations from this community?
🔹 What personal challenge are you working on right now?
Engaging with other artists will enhance your experience, provide inspiration, and give you valuable insights. Don’t hesitate to support others, give feedback, and share your progress along the way.
Start Challange
A chaotic composition can confuse the viewer and dilute the message of your artwork. Visual hierarchy creates clarity, direction, and structure, helping the eye know exactly where to look first and how to move through the scene. This challenge will guide you in building stronger visual relationships by learning how to organize elements by importance and create effective flow.
By understanding how to control contrast, scale, and placement, you'll turn cluttered compositions into clean, readable, and impactful visuals that tell a story at a glance.
Learn
Mastering depth requires understanding how to layer elements and control contrast. Study the following article:
Exercise – Building Depth in Your Composition
Now that you understand depth techniques, it’s time to apply them in a practical exercise. The goal is to train your eye to think in layers and strategically place elements to create a strong spatial effect.
Start by sketching three small and quick thumbnails (10 minutes each), try to keep your sketches simple—focus on structure and depth rather than details. Each thumbnail should incorporate at least two of the following depth techniques:
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- Foreground, Middle Ground, Background
- Arrange objects at different distances to create a sense of depth. Use scale and placement to separate layers visually.
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- Atmospheric Perspective
- Create a scene where objects in the distance are lighter, less saturated, and have less contrast, while the foreground remains more detailed.
- Overlapping & Scale Variation
- Make objects in the foreground larger and overlapping parts of the background to emphasize depth.
Self-Feedback
Now, analyze your sketches and reflect on how effectively you've created depth. Answer these questions honestly to refine your artistic approach:
- 1. Can you clearly separate the layers ?
- ________________
- 2. Does the foreground contrast enough with the background?
- ________________
- 3. Is there a clear sense of scale and distance between objects?
- ________________
- 4. If you squint, does the composition still feel structured and readable?
- ________________
Take your time, evaluate your work, and choose the thumbnail that best represents strong depth and spatial clarity. You’re building something great—keep going!
Final Artwork
Now, it’s time to take your best thumbnail and transform it into a fully developed artwork!
→ Select your strongest thumbnail.
→ Refine your sketch keeping the depth techniques intact.
→ Apply your artistic style.
→ Enhance depth using lighting and color.
→ Finalize with details and polish.