How to Use Photo Editing to Create More Depth in Your Paintings with Randy Hayashi

If you’ve ever worked from a photo and ended up with a painting that felt flat or lifeless, you’re not alone. Photos are helpful references—but they lie. They flatten space, dull color shifts, and often miss the magic of real-life depth. That’s why artist Randy Hayashi (Ep.68) doesn’t just paint from photos—he rebuilds them first.

Before he ever touches a brush, Hayashi spends time in Photoshop. This is where he does what many artists would call their sketching phase. But instead of using pencil and paper, he’s using digital tools to test and revise. He crops. He moves elements. He adjusts saturation. He adds and removes. It’s all about thinking ahead—figuring out what will make the strongest possible painting.

The Problem with Photos

Photos can be incredibly useful for reference. But unlike real life, they often flatten a scene into one visual plane, making it hard to create convincing space and atmosphere. Hayashi is always thinking in layers: foreground, middle ground, and background. So when a photo doesn’t give him enough separation between those areas, he changes it.

The Photoshop Fix

One of Hayashi’s favorite tricks? Using saturation to create depth. He boosts the saturation in the foreground, keeps it moderate in the midground, and reduces it in the background. These subtle shifts mimic how the eye perceives depth in real life—objects closer to us often appear more colorful and rich, while those in the distance become more muted.

These adjustments aren’t just digital play—they’re part of his artistic planning. When he’s ready to paint, he’s already made the big visual decisions. That means more freedom and fewer second guesses once the paint is down.

Put it to Practice

If you want more depth in your paintings, try this two-step process:

Adjust before you paint.

Whether in a sketchbook or a photo editing program, give yourself time to make compositional and color decisions before you're committed to the brush. You’ll make braver, clearer choices this way.

Think in three layers.

Aim for high saturation in the foreground, medium in the midground, and low in the background. If your photo reference doesn’t show that, make a note or adjust it yourself—digitally or in a value sketch.

The more you build this thinking into your early process, the more confident and compelling your final paintings will become.