Look at the colours the Old Master Leonardo da Vinci utilized in his paintings.
We may don't know who the Mona Lisa was or what she’s smiling about, but we will have some concept of how Leonardo da Vinci come up with sombre mood and smoky painting colors that increase her allure.
Leonardo would first create a detailed under painting in a neutral gray or brown, after which apply his colors in transparent glazes on top. Some of the under painting would show through the layers, subtly helping create form. On his palette were muted, earthy browns, greens, and blues within a narrow tonal range. This helped provide a sense of unity to the elements within the painting. No intense colors or contrasts for him, so no bright red for Mona’s lips nor blue on her eyes (although it doesn’t explain why she hasn’t got eyebrows!).
Soft, gentle lighting was essential to his paintings:“You should make your portrait at the hour from the fall from the evening when it is cloudy or misty, for the light then is perfect.” Facial features weren't strongly defined or outlined, but conveyed by soft, blended variations in tone and color. The further in the focus point of the painting, the darker and much more monochromatic the shadows become.
Leonardo’s old master technique of softening colors and edges with dark glazes is called sfumato, from the Italian fumo, meaning smoke. It’s as though all of the edges happen to be obscured by a haze of transparent shadows, or smoke. Creating colors by applying glazes gives a painting a depth you cannot manage applying a color mixed on the palette. Or in his own words: “When a transparent color lies over another color differing from this, a substance color is composed which differs from each of the simple colors”.
For any modern version of Leonardo’s palette, select a small range of transparent earthy colors whose midtones offer a similar experience, plus black and white. Some manufacturers create a range of neutral grays well suited for a tonal under painting.
Leonardo would first create a detailed under painting in a neutral gray or brown, after which apply his colors in transparent glazes on top. Some of the under painting would show through the layers, subtly helping create form. On his palette were muted, earthy browns, greens, and blues within a narrow tonal range. This helped provide a sense of unity to the elements within the painting. No intense colors or contrasts for him, so no bright red for Mona’s lips nor blue on her eyes (although it doesn’t explain why she hasn’t got eyebrows!).
Soft, gentle lighting was essential to his paintings:“You should make your portrait at the hour from the fall from the evening when it is cloudy or misty, for the light then is perfect.” Facial features weren't strongly defined or outlined, but conveyed by soft, blended variations in tone and color. The further in the focus point of the painting, the darker and much more monochromatic the shadows become.
Leonardo’s old master technique of softening colors and edges with dark glazes is called sfumato, from the Italian fumo, meaning smoke. It’s as though all of the edges happen to be obscured by a haze of transparent shadows, or smoke. Creating colors by applying glazes gives a painting a depth you cannot manage applying a color mixed on the palette. Or in his own words: “When a transparent color lies over another color differing from this, a substance color is composed which differs from each of the simple colors”.
For any modern version of Leonardo’s palette, select a small range of transparent earthy colors whose midtones offer a similar experience, plus black and white. Some manufacturers create a range of neutral grays well suited for a tonal under painting.
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