The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci Complete


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HOW LIGHT SHOULD BE THROWN UPON FIGURES.  
The light must be arranged in accordance with the natural conditions  
under which you wish to represent your figures: that is, if you  
represent them in the sunshine make the shadows dark with large  
spaces of light, and mark their shadows and those of all the  
surrounding objects strongly on the ground. And if you represent  
them as in dull weather give little difference of light and shade,  
without any shadows at their feet. If you represent them as within  
doors, make a strong difference between the lights and shadows, with  
shadows on the ground. If the window is screened and the walls  
white, there will be little difference of light. If it is lighted by  
firelight make the high lights ruddy and strong, and the shadows  
dark, and those cast on the walls and on the floor will be clearly  
defined and the farther they are from the body the broader and  
longer will they be. If the light is partly from the fire and partly  
from the outer day, that of day will be the stronger and that of the  
fire almost as red as fire itself. Above all see that the figures  
you paint are broadly lighted and from above, that is to say all  
living persons that you paint; for you will see that all the people  
you meet out in the street are lighted from above, and you must know  
that if you saw your most intimate friend with a light [on his face]  
from below you would find it difficult to recognise him.  
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Page
391 392 393 394 395

Quick Jump
1 306 613 919 1225