“Sandi’s Wasatch”

Border collie mix
Study/ 20” X 30” charcoal and pastel over wash on paper.

Combining several images of the same dog in one piece can make a very interesting piece. All images are on the same 2 dimensional surface and yet they seem to step back, each existing in its own space.
In this case, negative space (white area) becomes as important as positive space (painted area) in creating the illusion of depth. In painting what is left out is just as important as what is put in.
Things that appear close are darker and defined while things that appear farther away are diffused and lighter. Creating atmospheric perspective in a painting is an interesting challenge.