426

The proportions of light and shade in a leaf.

the eye and the light which falls upon it from the opposite side.

And its shadows are in the same positions as those were of the opposite side. Therefore, O Painter! when you do trees close at hand, remember that if the eye is almost under the tree you will see its leaves [some] on the upper and [some] on the under side, and the upper side will be bluer in proportion as they are seen more foreshortened, and the same leaf sometimes shows part of the right side and part of the under side, whence you must make it of two colours.

Taken from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci edited by Jean Paul Richter, 1880.

VII * X
Notebooks of Leonoardo da Vinci
VIII: Botany for Painters and Elements of Landscape Painting.
. . .
406,
407
The forms of trees.
408,
409,
410,
411
The insertion of the leaves.
412,
413,
414,
415,
416,
417,
418,
419
Light on branches and leaves.
420,
421,
422
The proportions of light and shade in a leaf.
423,
424,
425,
426
Of the transparency of leaves.
427,
428,
429
The gradations of shade and colour in leaves.
430,
431,
432,
433,
434
A classification of trees according to their colours.
435
The proportions of light and shade in trees.
436,
437,
438,
439,
440
of the spectator.
441,
442,
443
The effects of morning light.
444,
445,
446
. . .