The Drawing Technique of Leonardo Da Vinci
Drawing is a form of expression in the study of visual arts. An artist marks lines and areas on the paper to express the visual world on the surface. Most of the traditional artists used monochromes in their plane surface, unlike the modern artists, apply a wide variety of colors. There is a difference between drawing and painting. In the painting, the artist uses liquid paint and applies onto a canvas or a panel while drawing uses dry media such as chalk. Drawing is a form of composition to pass on a message and solve problems. Some artists often use studies to draw objects then paint to obfuscate the difference. Some categories of painting include cartooning, shading, and figure drawing. Methods applied by artists in drawing include stippling, shading, line drawing, tracing, and surrealist. A sketch refers to any quick unrefined work of drawing. The depiction of technical drawing includes architectural plans of skyscrapers and the drawing of machinery.
Drawings began since the prehistoric period where the artists in this era prepared illuminated manuscripts and mounted them on the monasteries. The ancient artists in the prehistoric times used lead styli to draw the boundaries of their illustrations. Artists used silverpoint as well as wood tablets since paper was not available. One of the notable draft people between 14th and the 16th centuries is Leonardo da Vinci, who produced high drawing during his heyday.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian architect during the Renaissance among other notable achievements in professional work. The worldview considers the genius of Leonardo as one of the best during the Italian Renaissance. Popham (3) depicts Leonardo as a fashioned artist with enormous imagination and curiosity in the making of sketches and diagrams. Pevsner (85) attest to the talent of Leonardo has many speculations and uses suitable logical and empirical methods to decipher the meaning.
Leonardo’s work includes Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and the Creation of Adam. Wildgen (66) informs that the only person with the near fame of Leonardo is Michelangelo, who performs his trade skills in the 16th century. Leonardo maintained his observation on journals that mainly consist of sketches as well as rough notes. Leonardo used special process to record all the methods of thought to develop human capabilities this ensures everything is wholesome. Leonardo used thinking techniques to motivate his intelligence and enhance creative thinking. Most of his techniques in drawing help and inspire people to solve their problems. The recording of observation using notebooks is a great motivator to allow one confirms valuable information in the mind. Leonardo widely used drawing method to solve problems. He used drawing as an asset that illustrate matters observed and well thought. It is possible for one to use drawings to support creative thinking.
Leonardo conceptualizes shading method to apply different tone effect to ensure proper placement of the shadow. He uses careful attention to describe the reflection of light and highlight a realistic view of the plan. Leonardo uses blending to implement the spread of the original stroke of the drawing. One can use graphite, charcoal or chalk to vary the blend. An artist can use a kneaded eraser to blend and shade an image. One can use chamois to create smooth textures and remove material to amplify the lone. The process of hatching can also introduce texture on a plan. Leonardo used a contrasting texture to allow it look real by placing a smooth blend area on the surface. One can also draw a number of tones and lighten the edge of a dark background to allow it appear on the surface. Leonardo’s drawings are a remarkable testament in the depiction of curiosity and creativity. This ranges from plants to birds; from the concept of the flow of water to how a horse moves, and from the observance of the human anatomy.
Leonardo used hatching technique to describe a picture of a horse. Leonardo invented the curved hatching process to draw a plan in a three-dimension view. Leonardo uses diversity in his drawings to represent different categories of people renowned as caricature. Leonardo could draw many version of the image to allow the working of variations to allow him to mix and match the required image. In the drawing process of caricature, Leonardo depicts the aged people during that era who from the drawing have deformity due to the perfect proportions of the human body. The Mona Lisa is an ideal portrait that features symbolic overtones to achieve a complete synthesis. This figure has many intertwining perspectives.
Most of the preserved drawings of Leonardo depict his observance to the law of equilibrium and the use of pure artistic work. There is a good study of transition from one active movement to another with a unique study. The representation of human anatomy of both humans and people describe emotions of happiness and anger. The image of the horse depicts excitement of the rider and the horse. Most of his imaginative trappings depict compositions that influenced most of the future artists such as Reuben in the 17th century and Delacroix whose works is in the 19th century.
Leonardo was among the first notable draughtsman to use red chalk as the medium for drawing. This made red chalk popular as century’s later artists have used this medium to make drawings of enduring beauty. The method applied by Leonardo captivates people due to their warm glow and rich effects that emanate from the red chalk. This led to a change in perception of this medium during the Renaissance to draw noble and beautiful drawing. To come with red chalk one had to mix linseed oil with eggs. This graphic tool can produce drawings of enchanting beauty.
In his time, Leonardo realized many properties of red chalk that would liberate draughts men from the use of restrictive techniques applied earlier. Prior to this innovation, most of the artists used silverpoint, pen and inks as the medium to draw. Oberhummer claims that red chalk permitted erasing as artists developed new ideas to sketch. Leonardo’s work gave his predecessors liberty and expressive force in the field of drawing. Red chalk emanates from the mineral called hematite that appears in clay soil. After the discovery of red chalk, this medium became famous until it was unavailable in the mines.
During the 15th century, artists adopted new methods in fabricating chalk such as pastille. Some of the manufacturers produced red chalk between the 18th and 19th century because it was a more applicable constituent compared to fabricated chalk. At around 1470, Leonardo used drapery to represent the embodiment of a fabric on a person. Some of the drapery applied on standing figures while others are used for seating figures. The sketches to represent some of the secular buildings lay claim on Leonardo’s work as an architect. The pencil sketches reveal the technical and architectural needs. Immortalized designs inform on the urban planning in the time. His architectural studies offer many insights to the current artists. This is because his observation identifies some of the problems in constructing the high-rise buildings.
Most of Leonardo’s architectural ideas apply during the Renaissance as signified by most of the buildings in the city. Leonardo leads many ideas and distinct artistic value to formulate most of the buildings in this period. The drawing of the horse reveals a great concept by Leonardo. He depicts a real proportion of the horse in its anatomy and the movement. There is a superior tension of the horse and the rider to achieve a perfect example of art.
Brunno de Finneti uses the artistic imagination of Leonardo to elaborate mathematics concepts. Brunno reiterates the philosophy of Leonardo to enlighten people to see an easy, concrete, and the economic aspects represented by the formulas in the subject. Reflection as depicted by Leonardo is a good method of problem solving. This process helps problem solvers contemplate on the experiences. One can use the intricacies of the art to explain math. The depiction of Mona Lisa adopts a golden ratio in the human body. This diagram has many rectangles that represent the proportion of the head to the rest of the body. Leonardo sketch of a human fetus in the inside of a woman body shows how it lies in the womb. Leonardo is the first person in his day to draw an accurate female reproductive organ. Other sketches drawn include heart that depicts a three-dimension figure.
Leonardo was a constant observer who always invented, experimented, and drew all the investigation of nature. The Allegorical Design shows different positions of the actors. Most of his drawing techniques range from pen sketches to red finished drawings. His drawings display his imagination with physiognomy that demonstrates contrasts between different periods in the life of a person. Leonardo uses fresco method to explain the last supper in the pictorial narrative. The use of soft techniques gives most of his drawings a lifelike resemblance compared with the old paintings that appear flat.
The drawing of Vitruvius Man symbolizes a cultural icon since artist incorporates this piece of work in attire, textbooks for students, and currency. People have often used most of his drawings for experimentation using the latest technology and apply Leonardo’s visual imagination. Leonardo has made drawing contributions in many fields such as scientific diagrams. Most of his works become a landmark to other predecessors to imitate since he uses technological ingenuity.
During this time, Leonardo has conceptualized drawing on flying machines, geographical diagrams on plate tonics to explain continental drift, as well as the depiction of human anatomy. As an architect in Cesena, Leonardo created a map of Imola to aid Cesare Borgia win the patronage (Wildgen 67). During this time, maps were rare, and this was a new invention this opened opportunities for him to design the map of Chiana Valley to realize an overlay of the land as well as strategic alignment in times of war.
As a prolific draftsman, Leonardo could keep journals of a small drawing of anything that took his attention. The image of St. John the Baptist uses the subtle staccato design in the shading. Leonardo uses the Vitruvius drawing to represent the proportionality of the human body. This solved the problem of squaring that has an almost 100 percent accuracy.
Klaus a mathematician uses Leonardo’s drawing to extend the infinite sets of squares and circles the unequal area. This solution to square the circle uses a straight ruler and a compass. The diagram of Vitruvius demonstrates that that a square of equal area can derive a circle. Leonardo’s solution of the Vitruvius Man uses two geometric figures in the drawing. The copy of one image is proportional to the original. The square and the circle embedded have an unequal area. The circle’s centre appears at the man’s navel. The arms are parallel to the floor since they extend to rotate on the edge of the square. The distance of the tip of the hand is equal to a man’s hip at the pubic bone.
The Vitruvius Man is a humanistic style that marks an accurate expression to describe the relationship between human and geometric proportions. Leonardo used chiaroscuro technique to depict realism. Leonardo uses curiosity to attempt and comprehend the human form. He cuts up human body parts and the skeletal structures and draws them accurately.
Most of the human anatomy depicts quality in his work with a good level of detail. The drawings show a clear relationship of all the organs of the body. The sketched variation of the Kneeling Leda reveals a late curious style with an enigmatic sensuality. He brings out a hidden theme by striving consciously to express the art. For example in the expression to the image of the end of the world, Leonardo uses a high power of imagination to reason and fantasize simultaneously.
Leonardo is a draughtsman who appreciates a good anatomy. Most people during his time had fascination with his images of the human anatomy. The human body was accurately drawn. Leonardo works ahead of his contemporaries to figure how the body system works and illustrates those images. Leonardo uses perspective drawing to draw objects on different positions. For example, the diagram of the human eye, Leonardo compares the eye to an onion due to the number of layers found in the eye. This comparison is good for the medics during the Renaissance since they offer natural treatment to counter problems with the eye or ear. Leonardo was a perfectionist who turned to science in his quest to depict quality work. The drawings of human anatomy are accurate in their demonstrations.
Leonardo is one of the influential artists during his time. He is an artist who constantly in search of knowledge and inventions unlike most of his predecessors. The art forms during his day were undergoing scientific revolution ahead of time. His sketches point to emotions observed in nature such as flight of birds, human anatomy, and the working of machines. Leonardo observes a withdrawn lifestyle rather than concerning himself with glory like other artists who value their abilities. In his time, he succeeded as a person endowed with extraordinary imagination. He is the most outstanding figure in the Renaissance.
Leonardo uses perennial fascination to inspire the public in 1400s. He uses a centrifugal design to depict tremendous vigor on the horse and the rider. The horse lurches upwards to the right while the man turns to the left. Leonardo sketches two sets of hind legs to suggest a blurred appearance of the horse limbs in motion. The draughtsman evokes a brilliant physicality of the animal that is vivid. The paintings of Mona Lisa and The Last Supper depict the artists’ creativity. The emergence of Renaissance around 1500s saw Italy rise to the style of mannerism as depicted by Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael. This era enabled intellectual sophistication rather than natural qualities. The depiction of mannerism favored florid style instead of stability and clarity depicted by the earlier painters. Michelangelo develops own style and later on copies other artists works. Leonardo succeeds as an observer of the natural world while Michelangelo concentrated on anatomy of the nude male.
This era endeared a competitive spirit to enable the adoption of virtuosic technique. Leonardo competed with Michelangelo to fuel the idea of innovation among other artists of the day. Michelangelo and Leonardo succeed as great artists in the 1500s.Michelangelo installs the statue of David triumph at the centre of Florence. Michelangelo picked up Leonardo’s way of drawing to sharpen his sketches. Some artist presumes both artists at different times had been under the mentorship of Francesco da Urbino.
Raphael’s work depicts a lot of influence from Leonardo’s work. Raphael saw that the work of Leonardo surpassed other painters this led him to try and imitate Leonardo. Raphael succeeds to copy Leonardo but does not surpass him in creativity and innovation. Raphael sketch is a copy of the work by Leonardo that inspired other artists to follow and experiment with Leonardo’s innovation in their compositions. Raphael intensely studies the works of Leonardo to achieve an artistic connection and uniqueness in the painting of Mona Lisa. Raphael used Leonardo’s innovative composition to flank an iconic column in the Lady with a Unicorn. Raphael’s painting of Portrait of Maddalena Doni depicts his maturing experience and the apparent unique version. Raphael attention to detail in the jewels and drapery compare well with Leonardo’s work.
Reference List
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