Leonardo Da Vinci made many self-portraits.
Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the greatest artists of all time, brought science, anatomy and innovation to his artwork. He studied everything he planned to paint, making detailed anatomical studies, scale drawings and notes on perspective. Part scientist, part medical student and part inventor, Leonardo left some of the most brilliant works of the day for us to study and learn from. His inventions and innovations still capture the minds of those who study him. From his early flight models to his detailed anatomy studies, Leonardo Da Vinci filled notebooks with his drawings and notes.
Sfumato Technique
Leonardo realized that there are no outlines in nature. Artists of the day would outline their subjects and then paint them in. Leonardo, realizing this, began blending shades with fluidity. This blending was called sfumato, and it gave his paintings a hazy and somewhat soft appearance. Da Vinci also faded the backgrounds of his paintings, making the atmosphere appear to recede into the distance. This sense of distance in the background was innovative in his day.
Chiarusco Technique
Leonardo shaped his objects in two dimensions by capturing the light and shadow of three dimensions. This use of light and shadow was called chiaroscuro. Da Vinci's use of chiaroscuro was an innovation in a day when most paintings were flattened views of the subject. Leonardo studied anatomy and made copious notes on most of his subjects. He left far more drawings in his notebooks than he left paintings for us to study.
Realism
Leonardo Da Vinci left copious notes on scientific studies and inventions.
Leonardo Da Vinci was an innovator in his day, preferring to make his images appear as realistic as possible. In a day when art often resembled caricature, Leonardo used his eye for detail and his scientific mind to create art that most resembled life. Leonardo's detailed studies fine tuned his ability to see and portray aspects of anatomy previously ignored. His drawings of muscle, sinew and skin folds translated into an ability to show expression, age and beauty in his paintings.
Perspective
Leonardo employed the use of perspective drawing in his paintings. This understanding of perspective gave his work depth and dimension. His perspective studies can be seen in the lines of "The Last Supper" as well as in his scientific drawings of inventions. He studied the proportions of the human body as well, studying men, women and even children and using these mathematical aspects in his paintings.
