What Is Overlapping?
Overlapping is when one object covers part of another object. It is the simplest and most powerful way to show depth in a drawing!
When something overlaps another thing, we instantly know which one is in front. The one we can see completely is in front. The one that is partly hidden is behind.
Look around the room right now. You probably see things overlapping everywhere! A book sitting on a table overlaps the table. A lamp in front of a wall overlaps the wall. Your hand in front of your face overlaps your face.
In art, overlapping tells the viewer exactly where things are in space. Without overlapping, all the objects in a drawing look like they are floating at the same distance. But as soon as you overlap them, some things jump forward and others fall back. Your flat drawing suddenly has depth!