Depth

     

Depth Cues

"Hints" that suggest three-dimensionality - shape or distance

Based on physics, and workings of human vision

Summary

• occlusion
• linear perspective
• relative size
• relative height
• texture gradient
• shading, shadows
• aerial perspective
• accomodation
• stereo parallax
• motion parallax

Occlusion / Interposition

Limbourg. Tres Riches Heures: May. 1412-16

Occlusion / Interposition

Hiroshige. Plum Estate, Kameido. 1857

Occlusion / Interposition

Diablo

Perspective

• Linear Perspective
• Relative Size
• Relative Height
• Texture Gradient

Linear Perspective

Jack Delano. Chicago Galewood yard. 1944

Linear Perspective

van Gogh. Corridor in the Asylum. 1889

Linear Perspective

Dali. The First Days of Spring 1932

Linear Perspective

Tempest

Relative Size

Durer. The Adoration of the Magi. 1504 [cropped]

Relative Size

Monet. Wheatstacks (End of Summer), 1890-91

Relative Size

Wolfenstein 3D

Relative Height

Limbourg. Tres Riches Heures: January. 1412-16

Relative Height

Constable. Chain Pier, Brighton. 1827

Relative Height

Marble Madness

Texture Gradient

Botticelli. The Birth of Venus. c. 1485-86

Texture Gradient

Hockney. A Lawn Being Sprinkled. 1967

Texture Gradient

Hockney. A Lawn Being Sprinkled (detail)

Texture Gradient

Lighting & Shadows

Michelangelo. David. 1504

Lighting & Shadows

Michelangelo. The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist (the Doni Tondo). c. 1503-05

Lighting & Shadows

Monet. Rouen Cathedral, the West Portal and Saint-Romain Tower, Full Sunlight, Harmony in Blue and Gold) / Rouen Cathedral: Full Sunlight. 1894

Lighting & Shadows

    
Mario 64 (Nintendo)      /      Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)

Aerial Perspective

Gregg M. Erickson. Mount Ellinor. CC-BY

Aerial Perspective

Friedrich. Riesengebirge. 1835

Aerial Perspective

Monet. The Thames at Westminster (Westminster Bridge). 1871

Aerial Perspective

Myst V (Ubisoft)

Accomodation (Focus)

Accomodation (Focus)

Vermeer. The Lacemaker. 1669-70

Accomodation (Focus)

Motion Parallax

Disner. The Old Mill. 1937

Motion Parallax

Shadow of the Beast

Stereo Parallax

This document is by Dave Pape, and is released under a Creative Commons License.