Classical Art

How did Leonardo Da Vinci draw?

Well I have spent the past two years figuring that out. It's certainly not a simple technique, rather it's a series of skill sets and techniques mixed with an incredible genuis.

Leonardo had a very scientific mind. He first learned how something worked inside out before drawing it. He understood the biomechanical nature of the people and animals he painted.

The first thing you have to know is perspective. Leonardo once said without good knowledge of perspective, nothing good could be done in art. So I think if Leonardo were to see all the modernism and abstractionism that is around today.. he would be less than pleased about it.

When you have a truly deep knowledge of perspective, then you need to know the proportions of everything and anything you might draw. If you know both perspective and the proportions of all things in nature - you will be very far ahead and it is exactly what Leonardo did.

To further ones knowledge of proportions and to be able to show the human figure in a most appealing way - one often studied anatomy. When we combine anatomy with a good knowledge of light and shade - the result is a beautifully rendered figure.

Anatomy is very important to understand, for it allows one to draw a figure from their head. This is something that was everyday practice for the old masters. Whether they drew a compositional sketch from their mind or they worked out an entire figure... the old masters could easily draw from their head.

It is also important to note that studying an old masters work is a most desirable way to obtain skill in drawing and in painting. The purpose is not to imitate another's style but rather to learn how vast the possibilities are when representing the human figure.

Some people believe that realism is simply copying what you see. This could not be further from the truth.

A true Classical Master uses his mind and with cognition he creates something to which no camera could ever capture.

To find more info on the old masters, go to
www.classicalartist.org