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    Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato: a Portrait Painting Challenge in 48 Steps: A Step by Step Demonstration in Portraiture in Oils (after Leonardo Da Vinci)
    Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato: a Portrait Painting Challenge in 48 Steps: A Step by Step Demonstration in Portraiture in Oils (after Leonardo Da Vinci)
    Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato: a Portrait Painting Challenge in 48 Steps: A Step by Step Demonstration in Portraiture in Oils (after Leonardo Da Vinci)
    Ebook68 pages45 minutes

    Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato: a Portrait Painting Challenge in 48 Steps: A Step by Step Demonstration in Portraiture in Oils (after Leonardo Da Vinci)

    By Rachel Shirley

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    About this ebook

    This in depth painting demonstration explores a tailored approach in achieving sfumato effects when painting Leonardo da Vinci’s the Mona Lisa in oils.

    To be included within my forthcoming book, Skin Tones in Oil: 10 Step by Step Guides from Old Masters, available soon, this painting project has proved to be complex and lengthy and therefore felt it warranted a book in its own right.

    The chief section of this book comprises step by step images with accompanying text that gives full instructions on how the Mona Lisa was completed via 5 stages.

    Find also extra features, such as managing tonal balances, attaining soft shadowy effects, working in glazes, dry brushing, troubleshooting and making the most of simple art materials.

    Learn how such a momentous project can be broken down into manageable pieces. Painting the Mona Lisa with sfumato could prove an invaluable experience for any portraitist.

    Note: this book does not explain the painting processes of the Renaissance period such as grinding pigments or the old masters’ method of underpainting. Such practices may exclude artists who do not have the room or the resources to prepare in such a way. This book’s aim is to make painting the Mona Lisa more inclusive. This means getting on with the painting with minimal fuss. Contemporary art materials and modified art techniques have therefore been used. However, this book offers a way of achieving great sfumato effects in the style of Leonardo.

    Preparatory sections, a troubleshooting guide and glossary are included. With 66 color images and 11,000 words.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRachel Shirley
    Release dateMay 29, 2013
    ISBN9781301041725
    Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato: a Portrait Painting Challenge in 48 Steps: A Step by Step Demonstration in Portraiture in Oils (after Leonardo Da Vinci)
    Author

    Rachel Shirley

    I have practiced oil painting from the age of six and have since been involved in countless projects and commissions. A graduate from Kingston University, Surrey and with a PCET teaching qualification from Warwick University, I have won competitions, taught life drawing and have written several books and many articles on oil painting and teaching art.

    Read more from Rachel Shirley

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      Book preview

      Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato - Rachel Shirley

      Oil Painting Medic

      Oil Painting the Mona Lisa in Sfumato

      A Portrait Painting Challenge in 48 Steps

      A Step by Step Demonstration in Portraiture in Oils (after Leonardo Da Vinci)

      Rachel Shirley

      ISBN: 9781301041725

      First Published in 2012 by Rachel Shirley All rights reserved Smashwords Edition License Note

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Text, photographs and illustrations copyright Rachel Shirley 2012

      All rights reserved

      Contents

      Introduction

      What is Sfumato?

      Preparing to Paint the Mona Lisa

      Stage 1 the Underdrawing and the Underglaze

      Stage 2 The Underpainting

      Stage 3 The Chief Glaze

      Stage 4 The Dry Brushing

      Stage 5 The Background

      The Finished Painting

      What Went Wrong?

      Glossary

      Other books by the author

      Introduction

      Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece the Mona Lisa is arguably one of the high achievements of portraiture. Reproductions do not convey how small the painting actually is, being 30.25x 20.75in. Millions have visited the Louvre in Paris, to say that they have seen the painting in real life, but few may consider actually painting it, viewing such a challenge too much to take on. This book aims to make such a challenge more possible.

      Leonardo in fact has few paintings to his name, so what makes this painting different to the creations of his contemporaries? The subject matter, Lisa Gherardini the wife of a Florentine merchant could easily be consigned to obscurity had it not been for Leonardo’s unique treatment in painting her around 1503. Also known as La Gioconda, the Mona Lisa comprises an astonishing array of tonal values with indiscernible edges that come together to form a facial expression. Her smile would seem to lie at the junction of several emotions: amusement, condescension, pride, delight, conceit, knowingness and others less definable. The uniqueness of this painting means that any artist who paints the Mona Lisa will result in a slightly different outcome; perhaps one with more amusement or knowingness than is shown in Leonardo’s original. The aim of this project is not to simply make a carbon copy of Leonardo’s painting, but to help the developing portraitist push out the boundaries of portrait painting and learn something along the way.

      This brings me to the other notable feature of this painting, which is Leonardo’s sfumato technique, at the time, a pioneering mode of painting that defines one of the Renaissance styles. For any portraitist, mastering sfumato could prove invaluable for future portrait painting.

      This book outlines in depth how this oil painting was completed, providing a workout for any portraitist. Numerous images accompany full instructions with tips and extra features. It must be noted here, that this book does not explain the painting processes of the Renaissance period such as grinding pigments or the old masters’ method of underpainting. Aside from such a momentous task this would pose, could exclude artists who do not have

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