Overlapping is a widely used concept by renaissance painters and other artists to create depth and dimension.
Look at paintings by DaVinci and Hieronymous Bosch
Overlapping one object over the other pushes the object deeper in the drawing. This technique gives the drawing a sense of depth and distance. Like these drawings. Notice how some of the trees are peeking around the building. Check out the overlapping of the other trees on the path.
Objects placed in the back creates distance in the background like this piece I made with a pencil. Check out the kelp in the foreground and the background
Try it with common shapes like in this drawing
Go ahead and add more objects in this piece. How many more objects can you add to create more depth and distance? Try some circles, squares, and triangles.
How was this lesson? Let me know in the comments below
Let’s get back to the keys of drawing
