“How do I create depth in a painting?”

It’s a question that comes up at every stage.

You may have strong colour.
You may have a clear subject.

But something still feels flat.

The painting sits on the surface instead of opening into space.

My Perspective

I’m Gosia Margie Witko.

My work brings together over four decades of experience across design, technology, and consulting with a lifelong art practice focused on observation, materials, and visual structure.

From early on, I was less interested in finishing paintings and more interested in what was happening inside them — how space formed, how surfaces shifted, and how small changes affected the whole image.

That curiosity shaped how I approach painting today.

Why Depth Is Difficult

Most artists are taught that depth comes from:

perspective
shading
or adding more detail

But depth is not created by one technique.

It’s created by relationships.

Depth emerges from how:

values separate
edges shift
colour temperature moves forward or back
layers interact across the surface

Without these relationships working together, the painting remains flat — no matter how much detail is added.

A Different Way to Approach It

Instead of asking:

“How do I add depth?”

A more useful question is:

“What is creating space in this painting — and what is flattening it?”

This changes how you see your work.

You begin to notice:

where contrast supports form
where edges soften or sharpen
where colour pushes forward or recedes

And from there, you can make adjustments that actually affect the space.

The Studio Framework

This is how I structure my work.

Each month begins with a question connected to a core element of painting, such as depth, colour, or composition.

You explore that question through your own work.

As you paint, your awareness builds.

You begin to understand not just what to change, but why.

The Art Studio Residency

This approach takes place inside The Art Studio Residency.

It’s a private online studio where artists return regularly to paint, explore questions, and develop their work over time.

There’s no fixed path.

The focus is on building a consistent practice and learning how to see what your painting is doing.

If you’ve been asking:

“How do I create depth in a painting?”

The answer is not adding more.

It’s learning to see the relationships that create space — and having a structure that supports that way of working over time.