Leonardo Da Vinci used several painting techniques to achieve his distinctive style.
Leonardo da Vinci was a 15th century inventor, sculptor and artist who is generally regarded as one of the finest painters of the Italian Renaissance. Famed for such works as "The Mona Lisa" and his fresco of "The Last Supper," da Vinci used a variety of painting techniques to achieve realism in his paintings.
Underpainting and Glazing
Da Vinci was one of the first artists to use oil paints instead of the water-based egg tempera that had been traditionally used. Da Vinci even devised his own recipe for oil paints. One of his most famous techniques involving oil paints was the process of under-painting and reglazing, a time-consuming process that lent his work a high degree of realism. The first step was to create a detailed under-painting, typically in brown or gray tones, with thin layers of colored transparent glaze applied over top. As layer coated layer, the under-painting that still showed through helped to create a sense of depth.
Lighting
One of the elements that characterizes many of da Vinci's paintings is the softness of the lighting that illuminates the subject, as opposed to a brighter, harsher color palette. The effect is as if the painting takes place at twilight as opposed to during the daytime. This allowed da Vinci to keep the facial features of his subjects tonally complex, which da Vinci achieved by blending darker and lighter tones together. Da Vinci created a warm luminosity in his paintings by applying lighter colors over the darker glazes.
Sfumato
Da Vinci also employed a technique that softened the colors by using a dark glaze around the edge of objects. This technique is known as sfumato, taken from the Italian word for smoke, fumo. This produces an effect that makes the outer edges of the objects of people in the painting appear to be slightly obscured by a haze or smoke.
The Last Supper
One of da Vinci's most famous paintings is his fresco titled "The Last Supper." In this case, the techniques that created its rich, deep tones also led to its early deterioration. Typically, frescoes were painted using water-based paints applied directly to wet plaster; this method, however, did not allow the artist to make changes as he worked. Da Vinci decided to experiment with oil-based paint applied directly on a stone wall that he sealed with of a mixture of gesso (a plaster made from chalk and gypsum), pitch and mastic (both plant resins). This allowed him to modify the painting, but the painting began to deteriorate within a few years of its completion.
Related posts
Many Baroque and Renaissance paintings were placed in an ornate gold leaf frame.Gilding has many similarities to painting, especially oil painting. In each process, painters and gilders cover the...
Sand paintings have been used in Native American mythology for hundreds of years.Sand paintings are still done by Native Americans today. Traditionally, the Navajo Indians used four basic colors i...
What Is a Plaster of Paris Primer for Oil Painting & Acrylics?Plaster of Paris primer, commonly referred to as gesso, is a traditional primer used for both oil and acrylic paints. Ground from...
Mining Techniques for Diamonds in AfricaDiamonds are mined (extracted) within areas of Africa using several mining techniques. Three variables need to be considered to determine the best technique...
Plaster walls need to be checked for imperfections before painting.Before painting plaster walls, you need to make repairs to cracked, loose or damaged plaster. If your plaster walls have imperfec...
