492

Industry and thoroughness the first conditions.

HOW THAT DILIGENCE [ACCURACY] SHOULD FIRST BE LEARNT RATHER THAN RAPID EXECUTION.

If you, who draw, desire to study well and to good purpose, always go slowly to work in your drawing; and discriminate in. the lights, which have the highest degree of brightness, and to what extent and likewise in the shadows, which are those that are darker than the others and in what way they intermingle; then their masses and the relative proportions of one to the other. And note in their outlines, which way they tend; and which part of the lines is curved to one side or the other, and where they are more or less conspicuous and consequently broad or fine; and finally, that your light and shade blend without strokes and borders [but] looking like smoke. And when you have thus schooled your hand and your judgment by such diligence, you will acquire rapidity before you are aware.

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.
. . .
472,
473
Light and shade on clouds.
474,
475,
476,
477
On images reflected in water.
478
Of rainbows and rain.
479,
480
Of flower seeds.
481
How to ascertain the dispositions for an artistic career.
482
The course of instruction for an artist.
483,
484,
485
The study of the antique.
486,
487
The necessity of anatomical knowledge.
488,
489
How to acquire practice.
490
Industry and thoroughness the first conditions.
491,
492
The artist’s private life and choice of company.
493,
494
The distribution of time for studying.
495,
496,
497
On the productive power of minor artists.
498,
499,
500,
501
A caution against one-sided study.
502
How to acquire universality.
503,
504,
505,
506
Useful games and exercises.
507,
508
On the size of the studio.
509
On the construction of windows.
510,
511,
512
. . .