Leonardo, Madonna :& Child with St. Anne, 1500-13
The sfumato mode uses the layering technique in oil glazing, which allows combining colors of high value and low value. This method develops a smooth transition in the value range, softening contrasts, and leaves less distinguishable contours. The gradients above indicate a subtle transition from high to low value in the drapery areas. Since the sfumato mode mainly strives to achieve a balance and unity in all color levels, Leonardo prefers blending surrounding colors such as his method of expressing derived shadow. Furthermore, the sfumato mode is the most effective way to portray view in perspective. The blurriness of the background creates a spatial illusion.
Leonardo da Vinci, Madonna :& Child with St. Anne, 1500-13
Since Leonardo was also a scientist who examines natural phenomenon, he attempts to express natural lighting in his painting. The illustration above exaggerates high and low value contrast and clearly indicates the direction of light in an arrow. Leonardo selectively chose highlighted parts, painted in the highest value, as he studied how physical lighting behaves. Therefore, the value transition is not dynamic nor dramatically expressed, representing a usual daily lighting setting.
Leonardo da Vinci, Madonna :& Child with St. Anne, 1500-13
Leonardo’s studies in the nature of light led him to examine how shadow forms. As Leonardo defines shadow as the subtraction or absence of light, he believed that there should be gradiation in value within a shadow depending on the shape of the object. This subtle but noticeable value transition is demonstrated on the left side of the illustration above. Like he blends saturated colors with the surrounding colors for a smoother transition, he paints a shadow in several different hues according to the color of the surface. This is called derived shadow which is expressing reflection of surrounding colors on a shadow. As the right side of the illustration shows, the original skin tones are gradually lowered in value but still contain a hint of their original hues. This distinct, separate manipulation between hue and value was arrived by Leonardo in his own word "bellezza" and "chiarezza” (demonstrated in the left top corner). Furthermore, the top of the right side of the image indicates how Leonardo noticed color interaction phenomena such as painting a yellower flesh tone next to red, and a more redish flesh tone next to yellow. All of these profound understandings of light and shadow in Leonardo's scientific studies have been revealed in this painting.
Leonardo da Vinci, Virgin of the Rocks, ca.1495-1505
Leonardo incorporated Aristotle's theory in his color application of the painting. The color theory of Aristotle - all colors (mainly seven colors) exist between white and black - was drawn from a scientific perspective of that time, which did not practically relate to artists. However, Leonardo attempts to practice this theory by using black and white as color in order to portray light and shadow. More importantly for the illustration above, it presents the philosophical view of the world that Aristotle and Leonardo believed - telos. Leonardo defined four different hues for four things of the nature based upon their examinations of the nature. As the diagram in the right demonstrates, Leonardo uses yellow for earth, green for water, blue for air, and red for fire, all generated from the white sun.