Jessica Crabtree

April 15, 1452: Birth of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo was born near Florence, Italy and spent his career in various Italian city-states during the height of the Renaissance. He is the archetype of the “renaissance man” – inventor, engineer, architect, botanist, anatomist, mathematician, philosopher, musician, sculptor, and artist. His reputation has eclipsed even such contemporaries as Michelangelo and Raphael. And in recent times his legend has undergone something of a renaissance (no pun intended) thanks to Dan Brown.

Out of all his achievements, Leonardo is best remembered as a painter. The Mona Lisa and the Last Supper are still cultural icons and arguably the most famous paintings in the world.

His work largely contributed to the development of modern painting, especially portraiture. Ironically, few of his paintings have survived (not much over a dozen) and many of these are not entirely original due to the practice of sub-contracting work to talented apprentices who exchanged acknowledgment for experience under a master’s guidance.

The bulk of Leonardo’s artistic work consists of his extensive drawings of many subjects, ranging from character studies to anatomy to landscapes.

Leonardo: Master Draftsman – Interactive exhibit from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Quotes:

“A good painter is to paint two main things, men and the working of man’s mind.”

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”

“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.”

Meet Bandit, 15×18 pastel on suede – the latest addition to my Gallery.

(Click to enlarge)

My reference photo was from the Fish and Wildlife Service database (which are all public domain). I used mostly Nupastel chalks for the fur and birch trees, and a white pencil for the accent hairs, whiskers, and other fine details. You can click one of the tags below to see the step-by-step photos of this project.

See more of my wildlife portraits and pastel paintings here.

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

- Speech attributed to Tecumseh (d. 1813)

Click the ‘Tecumseh’ tag below for more on this outstanding Native American leader.

(Although no original portraits of Tecumseh have survived, several works dating to the late 1800s lay claim to authenticity. This drawing is believed to be the most likely representation. It is a copy of a portrait sketch made by Pierre Le Dru in 1808, during Tecumseh’s lifetime. Many years later it was widely circulated in a colorized version.)

Sunny, lively, energetic, whimsical – what color comes to mind? Yellow, of course. It’s one of the three primary colors, and no other seems to match its effervescent vibrancy.

The oldest and most widespread use of yellow in art dates back many millennia to pigments derived from yellow ochre. More recently, many yellow pigments traditionally used by artists were made with highly toxic ingredients such as cadmium, arsenic, and antimony. In modern times yellow paints and chalks are still made from natural sources such as ochres, but with safer synthetic compounds replacing most of the heavy metals.

Yellow is a color with a demanding “type A” personality; while it’s never heavy, it is highly stimulating – so use it in moderation. On account of its vibrancy, it pairs best with colors having no chroma – that is, black or white. It is also complemented by violet, its opposite.

National Geographic Photo Gallery: Life in Color – YELLOW