Leonardo da Vinci – The Life and Artworks of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a prime example of the kind of person who, throughout the Italian High Renaissance, was completely committed to studying the humanities in order to continuously improve himself as a member of society. Although Leonardo da Vinci’s accomplishments span many different principles and mediums, he is most well-known for his paintings, such as the Leonardo da Vinci portrait known as the Mona Lisa (1503). So, where was Leonardo da Vinci born? Where did he die? In this article, we will take a look at Leonardo da Vinci’s biography and answer these questions and more.

Leonardo da Vinci’s insatiable curiosity and creative imagination used both of his brain’s left and right sides to their full potential to create a number of innovations that were far ahead of their time. The earliest sketches that predicted the helicopter, parachute, and military tank are attributed to him. His journals are almost as well-regarded as his works of art. They feature scientific graphs, sketches, and painting ideas and are a summation of his life’s work and brilliant intellect.

Today, scholars, artists, and scientists from all around the world continue to admire and study them.

Childhood and Education

In a hamlet close to the Tuscan town of Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci – one of the most talented and creative people in history – was born in 1452. The son of a Florentine attorney named Piero da Vinci and a poor farm girl named Caterina, he was raised by his grandfather on the family estate in Anchiano. Leonardo da Vinci was close to Albiera, a 16-year-old girl his father wedded but who passed away early.

Adoration of the Magi (1480-1482) by Leonardo da Vinci; Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mature Period

From 1482 through 1499, Da Vinci was employed by the Milanese Court. He was a well-known perfectionist who devoted a lot of time to studying human anatomy, especially how people’s bodies moved, were assembled, and were proportioned, how they interacted with one another during social interactions and communication, as well as how they expressed themselves through gestures.

This was undoubtedly a laborious process, which may explain in part why there are so few completed works despite an extraordinary amount of intricately detailed sketches and drawings that served as full-scale preliminary drawings for canvases.

In addition to demonstrating his unmatched powers of observation, these sketches also demonstrate his aptitude as an artist for deciphering and expressing human emotion.

However, some of his experiments, like many other ground-breaking breakthroughs, would only become problematic afterward. The Last Supper (1498), one of his greatest fresco masterpieces of the time, was the most outstanding.

However, Da Vinci had used oil paints on wet plaster to create the sfumato aesthetic, which finally caused the pigment to peel off the refectory wall of the monastery of Santa Maria del Grazie in Milan.

The Last Supper (1498) by Leonardo da Vinci; Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

He was sent on a mission to meet the powerful Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, in 1485 on behalf of the duke. While there, he was required to use his rigorous creative abilities to start preparing court festivals as well as architectural and engineering projects, such as the Milan cathedral’s dome design. 

Why Does Art Involve Experience? – A Look into the World of Art

In this article, we will look at why art involves experience. This experience does not stand for the training or experience an artist acquires throughout their career, but rather the experience of making art from the artist’s perspective and the experience that motivated the artist to make an artwork in the first place. Instead of considering art from the typical audience perspective, we will look at the concepts and values Process Art expresses in trying to answer the question, “Why does art involve experience?”

Why Does Art Involve Experience?

The philosophy of art is a fascinating field and also where this article’s question finds its origin. People have pondered the importance, value, and catalysts behind artmaking for decades, but most people perceive and understand art for what it offers the viewer.

The importance of art as an experience the artist goes through is often overlooked by the art market.

Therefore, Process art is not commonly seen on display as a reflection and documentation of the experience the artist has in the act of making. In this article, we will look at Process art, the preverbal function of art, and the maker’s experience of the art they are creating.

Communicating Mystery

Even the first art humans created aimed to communicate complex experiences words could not capture. The Khoisan art found in South African caves that are up to 28 000 years old reflects the deep mysteries of mind, myth, and culture. These people used certain caves as holy gathering spaces to conduct ceremonies.

The cave wall was believed to be the veil between the spirit world and the human world.

After altering their mental states by doing trance dances and using psycho-active substances, the shamans would cocreate with the natural forms of the rocks and paint visions onto the cave walls. If they saw deer in the forms of the rocks, they would highlight these images by painting them in natural color pigments.

How Does Art Involve Experience?: Art and the Preverbal Brain

Artists use mediums that activate the senses to communicate. In the experience of making art, artists often go through a process that could be called “channeling”. It might sound strange and magic-like, but what this simply means is that the artist is translating an experience of their bodies onto a canvas or piece of clay. For some truly magical and mysterious reason, that piece of clay or canvas then holds a resonance of the experience the artist went through and thus has the power to evoke a similar emotion or any other emotion in the viewer of the art piece.

What makes art such a powerful tool to communicate the experience of the artist, is that it defies the limitations of language.

The body always experiences first, and then the mind connects it to concepts, language, and mental understanding. However, we know our language is limited and that it is a broken tool when it comes to accurately express the mysterious complexities of being. Concepts also come with their own layered personal understanding.

Famous Ocean Paintings – World-Renowned Paintings of the Sea

For some, the ocean means sustenance, adventure, and opportunities. However, others see it as a cruel mistress that is dangerous and unpredictable. The truth is, the ocean is all of these things. It is multifaceted, and that is why it has been such a great source of inspiration for artists throughout the ages. In this article, some of the most beloved Ocean paintings in art history will be discussed.

A Brief Introduction to Paintings of the Ocean

The ocean is a significant part of many cultures around the world. For many coastal regions, the sea was a way people could feed their families and make a living. Therefore, it became sacred and was often worshipped in the form of a deity. We see this all over the world such as Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the sea, or Mazu, the goddess of the sea in Chinese mythology.

It is hard to pinpoint when people first started to create artwork that celebrated the ocean. Many ancient artifacts from around the world have been found with sea motifs on them. Scrolls dating back to the Song dynasty (960-1279) in China were found with dedicated paintings of the sea on them.

This, along with scrolls from Japan that date back to the 1300s, has led art historians to believe that paintings of the ocean were popular in the East hundreds of years before they were in the West.

It is only in the 16th century that the emergence of famous ocean artwork can be seen in Europe. Seascapes become particularly relevant during the Dutch Golden Age (1588-1672). During this time, the Netherlands was one of the wealthiest countries in the world due to its widespread trade and naval prowess. For this reason, there are numerous famous paintings from this time that depict magnificent naval ships amid battle.

Battle of the Spanish and the Dutch Fleet on May 1573, at the Time of the Siege of Haarlem (c. late 1620s) by Andries van Eertvelt; Andries van Eertvelt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

In the 1800s, during the Romantic art movement, paintings of the sea rose in popularity once more. Traveling via ship led to the discovery of new, untouched lands such as North America. This meant that the ocean became synonymous with exploration and hope. Many artists who made the journey to foreign lands documented their time on the sea through paintings, which they sold upon their return.

Shortly after the Romantics, artists of the Impressionism movement (1867-1886) were also captivated by the sea. Many spent most of their day painting the ocean en plein air from beaches or piers. What fascinated the Impressionists most was the behavior of light and how it changed nature.

Rocks at Belle-lle, Port-Domois (1886) by Claude Monet; Claude Monet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The creation of famous ocean paintings did not stop with the Impressionists. On the contrary, countless later artists were also stimulated by the beauty of the sea, which encouraged them to create their own paintings of the ocean.

What Are Art Commissions? – An Easy Guide to Art Commissions

Art commissions are an excellent way for artists to create more financial security in their practice. Selling a commissioned art piece, however, involves extra admin and clear communication between you and the client. This article will look at how to get art commissions, how to set up an art commissions website, and how to price commissioned art. It aims to provide a clear guide to answer the questions, what are art commissions, and how does art commission work?

Not to be confused with the commission a gallery takes on art sales, art commissions are special requests by a client for an artist to create a new piece specifically for the client’s needs. Gallery commission is a percentage of the selling price a gallery takes for their work on marketing and showing the artist’s work (normally 20 to 50% of the selling price).

Commission art is the process of a buyer reaching out to an artist to hire them to create a new piece that the client will definitely pay for and take.

Art commissions, for example, include the buyer requesting the artists to make a painting in their style in a specific style, redoing a painting the client likes in a different palette or size, and creating an artwork that can be used for a business’s marketing purposes, using the artist’s style on a specific subject matter the client wants and so on.

Buyers often commission a painting, for example, because they like the style of the artist but cannot afford any of their existing pieces, want a specific subject matter, or missed out on buying a painting at an exhibition that sold out. Businesses often commission artists to create content they can use as part of their brand identity or in a specific project or campaign.

Art commissions are often also requested when the buyer wants something personal created by a specific artist, like a painting of their house, dog, or family. 

The artist will often limit what can be requested as a commission, by specifying the medium, style, and subject matter limitations on their art commissions website. An artist needs to get clear on what it is the buyer wants, and the terms of the commission, and draw up a contract that holds the buyer accountable to purchase the piece in full when it is done.

How Do Art Commissions Work?

An artist needs to make themselves available to receive commission requests by adding a page or art commissions website to their marketing. If you are not interested in doing commission paintings, for example, but want to do digital commissions you need to state this clearly.

This way, the request you will receive from clients will already be filtered and clear.

What Color Does Red and Blue Make? – Color Mixing Guide

When it comes to colors and mixing them, the course of action might not be as easy as you think. There are certain things you need to think through if you are looking to mix the perfect color. For example, what color does red and blue make? Is it the same color when mixing paints as it is when creating a webpage? Let us see if we can make a bit more sense of these questions as we find out more about the combination of red and blue.

What Color Does Red and Blue Make With Light?

It is amazing how many colors we can see, which is possible when the light reflects off surfaces and reaches our eyes. Every color has differing wavelengths, which is then seen as a particular color. What are known as cones and rods in our eyes are what help us see these colors. The combination of red and blue light results in the color magenta.

Light is energy and falls into the category of electromagnetic radiation. Now there are various forms of electromagnetic radiation from ultraviolet rays, infrared, and radio waves to X-rays and microwaves. Each of these has a different wavelength and somewhere in the middle of all of this, you will find visible light. 

Therefore, the primary colors for light are red, blue, and then green. Maybe you have seen the RGB color codes used when designing computer graphics, also known as an additive color model. All other colors are mixtures of these colors. So, your secondary colors will be yellow, cyan, and magenta. This is how red, and blue makes magenta, which you can say is more of a shade of purple.

What Color Does Red and Blue Make With Paint Pigments?

As we have learned, light is a combination of colors and objects reflect and absorb these colors. So, when you are looking at a certain paint color, the color comes from certain wavelengths that are reflected, while other wavelengths are absorbed. This whole process is known as subtractive coloring and is how dyes and pigments are made.

At school, most of us were taught the basics of mixing paint colors. We learned that there are primary and secondary hues. For example, blue, red, and yellow, which cannot be created are primary colors, while mixing these create purple, orange, and green, and are the secondary colors. From there you can create the many shades and tints of all the colors in between. This is also called an RYB (red, yellow, blue) color system.

So, what colors do red and blue make? As we have mentioned, red and blue form part of the primary colors, so a combination of red and blue will give you the secondary color of purple. This is a simple explanation.

What Is the Purpose of Art? – Find the Purpose and Function of Art

What is the purpose of art? This is a near-impossible question that artists are often asked. What does art do? What is the function of art? What do you intend with your art? People that do not see themselves as creative or do not feel like they resonate with art, often wonder out loud about the fuss. Artists that might feel a bit lost in their practice or just have a moment of disconnection from the “muse” might also scratch their heads about this massive philosophical question. Let us see if there are any answers to the question, “What is the purpose and function of art?”

So, what is the purpose of art? To answer this philosophical question, we first need to ask the conceptual question, “What is art?” We cannot talk about the importance of art if what we understand about art is abstract and confusing.

Art has been defined in many different ways since the dawn of humankind.

We will look at a general timeline of how art’s definition changed only from the first found art until the contemporary moment today. From the history of art, it might be possible to understand what the concept of “art” means and what purpose it serves our species.

During the prehistoric and classical eras discussed below, the function of art changed relatively slowly. The purpose and function of art were generally used as a tool to document mythical, religious, and political frameworks present at the time.

Romanticism (1780 – 1850)

Romanticism was the dominant art movement at the beginning of the 19th century. It started in Germany as a literary movement, but quickly spread throughout Europe and started influencing visual artists as well. Instead of perpetuating conservative views through their art, Romantic artists believed that art should be a mode that highlights the individual’s experience, and expresses the rebellion of the imagination.

Romantic artists were not that interested in only depicting the realistic socio-political situations of the time. Rather, art became the means to express intense human emotion, individuality, and imagination experienced during these events.

All of these were expressed and communicated by artists painting unique paintings at the time, depicting personal perspectives and emotions. Francisco de Goya is a good example of a Romantic artist. His painting, The Third of May 1808 (1814) is typical of the Romanticism movement, showing the horrors of personal experiences during the Peninsular War.

In Conclusion: What Is the Purpose of Art?

What happened after these distinct art movements was essentially a total breakdown of anything that bordered the traditional interpretation of art. Sound art, computer art, performance art and so many other non-tactile art forms started developing. Artists are always pushing the definition of art with it sometimes being absolutely bizarre and nonsensical. Movements like Expressionism and Abstract art are still present and distinctly recognizable.

But in fact, contemporary art draws on all of the art movements of the past to create an eclectic and highly personal art style dependent on the artist.

It also becomes clear from the timeline discussed above that most of what pushed art forward to find new purposes was the reactions against the existing modes of expression. Artists have always drawn inspiration from art history to create diverse and new ways of depicting their worlds.

Furthermore, most of the development of art was catalyzed by violent socio-political circumstances that forced people to search for ways to express the upsetting and often indescribable realities they live in. Art has, therefore, always been a mode through which humans make sense of the world and its function is, therefore, dependent on whichever complex situation humans find themselves baffled by. 

 

How to Thicken Acrylic Paint?

The art of painting is one of the most therapeutic activities we could be doing for ourselves. There is so much to learn from this craft, and there is so much expression that comes with it. But the paint might be too thin for the style that you want to create so that it expresses your thoughts and feelings accordingly because the effect you desire to create calls for thick textured paint. If you are using the acrylic medium, you might be thinking of ways to make acrylic paint thicker. This tutorial will teach you how to thicken acrylic paint. We will walk you through some of the reasons why people like to make acrylic paint thicker so that you understand what art you can create with the thicker acrylic paint medium. We have included some faithful products that you can purchase, like a thickening gel for acrylic paint, as well as some DIY acrylic paint thickener methods.

Acrylic Paint Explained

Acrylic paint is one of the most widely used of all the paint medium options. There are so many reasons that professional artists and beginners love to work with this kind of paint, but the main reasons are for how affordable it is, and the ease of application that allows for great works of art to be created.

Acrylic paint is made with a binder called acrylic polymer and water (which we call the vehicle in the painting world), and the pigment (which is often a mineral or a synthetically made substance) is suspended within the two. The result of the mixture is a smooth and creamy, yet sometimes buttery, consistency that we know as acrylic paint. When you paint with the mixture spoken of above, the water will evaporate and the pigment and binder will be left behind. The paint will dry firm and is quite resistant to water. Each brand is manufactured differently, which means they will have different consistencies, unique to each brand.

This depends on the ratio of the pigment, binder, and water. Some are manufactured with preservatives, and additives, that keep them from foaming and extending their shelf life. Others have added acrylic paint thickeners to make the consistency less fluid. The brands that are on the lower end of the price spectrum are not as vibrant in color as the more costly half of the price spectrum, and that is because they have saved costs on their ingredients, and in particular, were stingy with the amount of pigment added.

Typical acrylics have the consistency of a thick liquid that can be spread easily. Due to its creamy texture, this liquid is easy to apply and dries quickly. On the other hand, fluid acrylics are thin and have a flowing consistency, making them an easy choice if you want to try out a bit of paint splatter techniques, or paint pouring. The thicker acrylic paints that resemble a consistency more like butter are called heavy-bodied acrylic paints, and they are what you can use that will give you similar effects to painting with oil paints and a palette knife.

What Can You Use to Thicken Acrylic Paint?

There are two ways that you can thicken your acrylic paint. They are the traditional methods that artists have favored over many years. The first method is to add a small amount of modeling clay, and the second is to add some acrylic gel medium.

Modeling Paste

Have you ever seen those paintings that are painted in a 3D style? The paint is so thick that it is raised above the canvas in intricate textures that create the most mesmerizing effects. This was most likely done with modeling paste. This is an extremely thick paste that you can quite literally mold to form those intricate textures we are speaking of. You can use modeling paste to create three-dimensional patterns in your painting by coating it in this thick, white substance.  One way to use this substance to thicken your paint is to simply add it to the paint you are working with, and then you can apply it to the canvas and manipulate it with a palette knife like you would with oil paints.

Another method is more like creating the illusion of thicker paint. It requires you to apply the modeling paste directly onto the canvas and make the patterns you want for your painting. Then, you can paint over those patterns when the modeling paste has dried.

Because modeling paste is white, it is most likely going to lower the vibrancy of the colors in your paint during mixing. But that is only a problem if you want to mix the paint with the modeling paste. However, if you mold the paste onto your canvas, and then you paint over it, then the color vibrancy will remain high. If you are planning on building larger projects, then modeling paste might prove to be a more cost-effective choice out of all the traditional methods because of how thick the texture is.

Acrylic Gel Medium

This is the second of the more traditional methods for thickening your acrylic paint. There is a creamy texture to this medium, and its color is white. This gel substance might be white like the modeling paste, but unlike the modeling paste, it will not dampen the vibrancy of the colors of your paint. Acrylic paint gel thickener will come in different finishes, which means that you must read the instructions on the product’s packaging. This is to make sure you get one with the same finish as the paint you are painting with.

Gesso

You can do the same thing for the two previous examples by slowly mixing your gesso into the paint in small amounts until you reach the desired consistency. Once you have the desired consistency, you can have a little fun playing around with the different patterns that the thicker paint can create.