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Lesson kit

Lesson 8 · Level 5

Creating Depth

Learn how darker and lighter areas create visual depth.

Recommended wood

Maple

Holds fine detail in the foreground layer.

Recommended tip

Shading tip + fine point

Shader for background washes, point for foreground detail. In the studio: Shading Tip.

Heat level

Warm for background, Deep for foreground

Change heat per layer instead of pressing harder.

Technique

Four depth levers

Darkness, detail, line weight and texture. Push all four the same way and depth appears.

Foreground

Dark, detailed, heavier lines, full texture.

Middle ground

Medium value, medium detail, simplified texture.

Background

Light, simple, thin lines, little or no texture.

Demonstration

Three overlapping shapes that visibly sit at different distances purely because of value and detail.

Practice board guide for lesson 8: Creating Depth

Digital practice exercise

  1. 1.Burn the foreground shape dark and detailed.
  2. 2.Burn the middle ground at medium value with less detail.
  3. 3.Keep the background light and simple.

The practice board loads as a reference overlay on the wood canvas — set the wood, tip and heat above, then burn over the faint guides.

Beginner challenge

Burn a three-layer mountain landscape where each ridge is lighter than the one in front of it.