I've used a technique called masking to create an illusion of depth and inked straight onto my card.
First fold a sheet of A4 copypaper into 4, then cut with a Nestie Square size 3 (l being the smallest) to make a template.
You can play with the cutout shapes to decide on the best pattern
Leave the first cutout in place
Cover with the template and slide the sticky edge of a post-it under each side lining up to the square
When you remove the template you have your square ready to colour. I used distress inks starting with dark at the bottom and working lighter.
When the first square is completed, cover with one of the square cutouts and repeat the process to complete squares 2 and 3.
I used one of the stamps from the Elusive Image theme plate called Essennce of Nature (UA4SP0339.
By varing the shades of ink you can see all three squares -
masking the ikki way - easy, effective, and perhaps worth a try?
Later today I will show you some other examples of this technique.