Exploring How Artists Create Depth, Distance, and a Sense of Space
Space is the element of art that describes the area around, between, and within objects. It helps create depth, structure, and clarity in a composition. Whether you’re drawing from observation or imagination, understanding space helps your artwork feel balanced and believable.
The image above, (Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, Still Life With Plums, c1730), Chardin creates depth by overlapping the objects and using light and shadow to show how each one sits on the table. The plums and bowl are clearly separated in space, and the gradual change in light across the surface helps the scene feel three‑dimensional without looking dramatic or stylised.
What Do We Mean by “Space”?
Space refers to the sense of distance or area in a drawing.
Artists think about:
- Positive space - the objects
- Negative space - the space around them
- Foreground, middle ground, background
- Depth and perspective
Space helps us:
- Organise a composition
- Create depth
- Establish balance
- Guide the viewer’s eye
- Suggest atmosphere
Why Space Matters
Space shapes how a drawing reads and feels. It creates depth by using overlaps, shifts in scale, and perspective cues that help the viewer understand what sits forward or recedes. It also strengthens composition: when space is used thoughtfully, the eye moves through the image with ease rather than getting lost in clutter. Paying attention to negative space improves accuracy too, revealing proportion issues you might miss when focusing only on outlines. And of course, space influences mood - crowded arrangements feel energetic or tense, while open areas create calm, quiet, or contemplation.
Types of Space
1. Shallow Space
Objects appear close together - intimate or compressed.
2. Deep Space
A strong sense of distance - landscapes, interiors, dramatic scenes.
3. Flat Space
Minimal depth - graphic, stylised, or abstract.
Space in Practice: Useful Approaches
Negative space drawing is a simple but powerful way to improve accuracy. Instead of concentrating on the object itself, you focus on the shapes around and between its edges. These surrounding shapes are often easier to judge objectively, helping you see proportions and relationships more clearly. By training your eye to notice the “gaps,” you naturally correct distortions and build a more confident understanding of the overall structure.
Overlapping Forms are one of the quickest ways to suggest depth. When one shape sits in front of another, even by a small amount, the viewer instantly understands their spatial relationship. This creates a sense of layering and makes the drawing feel more three‑dimensional. Overlaps can be bold or subtle, but even the simplest one adds clarity and helps organise the composition.
Scale and Placement strongly influence how we read space. Objects drawn larger or positioned lower on the page tend to feel closer, while smaller or higher elements appear to recede. This isn’t a strict rule but a visual tendency we all recognise. You can use it gently to create a natural sense of distance, or push it further for dramatic, exaggerated depth.
Atmospheric Perspective helps suggest distance through shifts in tone, colour, and detail. As forms move farther away, they usually appear lighter, cooler, and less defined -a result of light scattering in the air. Bringing these subtle changes into your drawing creates the illusion of space without relying solely on linear perspective. It’s especially effective in landscapes, but the principle can be applied to any subject where you want to create a sense of depth and softness.
Try This: A Simple Space Exercise
Arrange three objects on a table.
Draw them twice:
- Close together - creating shallow, intimate space
- Spread apart - creating open, airy space
Notice how the composition’s mood changes.
Final Thoughts
Space is the quiet organiser of a drawing. By learning to use positive and negative space, perspective, and depth cues, you can create artwork that feels balanced, intentional, and visually engaging. Space gives your drawings room to breathe — and helps your subjects come alive.