LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
Step 1 - Introducing the Leonardo Da Vinci
Slideshow Guide
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MOTIVATION
I’m going to begin today with a question. What is the best-known painting in the world? I’ll
give you a hint. It is a PORTRAIT, and the face in the portrait is instantly recognized in every
continent. It is probably the most famous face in the world! What is the title of this
masterpiece? (MONA LISA. If no guess) I’ll give you a hint. Mona….
Raise your hand if you can picture Mona Lisa in your mind. You’ve seen this painting in ads,
in news articles, on television, in books. Everyone is very familiar with the Mona Lisa, but do
you really know much about it? Can you picture what is in the background of the Mona Lisa?
Who was this lady? Was she famous when it was painted? What did the artist do to get her
to have that mysterious expression on her face? So maybe the Mona
Lisa is known by sight to everyone, but there is so much more to discover about her and the
man who was the artist.
As art students, let’s take a close look at the Mona Lisa.
Click Start Lesson To Begin
1. MONA LISA
Let’s see if you can guess the age of Mona Lisa. Let me tell you something about her as you
try to decide how old she was. Mona in Italian means “madame,” and her full name was Lisa
del Giocondo (Gee-o-KAHN-doe). She was the third wife of a merchant in one of the large
cities in Italy, Florence. It was the custom to marry young in the 1500’s, and Lisa was just
sixteen when she married Francesco. He was nineteen years older than she, and Lisa was
his third wife, the first two had died young. With that background information, how old do you
think Lisa was when da Vinci started her PORTRAIT? Do you think she was between 15-20,
20-25, and 25-30? Lisa was 24 years old.
Her husband asked the most famous and best artist in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci, to do Lisa’s
portrait. But he wasn’t very hopeful that Leonardo would agree. To her husband’s surprise,
when Leonardo met Lisa he decided to paint her. He refused other jobs and spent the next
three years on the portrait.
And what about that expression on her face? Leonardo filled her house with musicians and
acrobats to entertain Lisa while she posed. He tried to change her sad expression. Do you
think he succeeded? People for centuries have wondered what she was thinking or feeling.
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
What do you say? (TAKE SEVERAL RESPONSES) Do you think she really is smiling?
Let’s try an experiment. Cover the right side of her mouth with your hand, and see if you
change your mind. Do you notice a difference? (YES)
Looking closely at her hair, what do you notice? (THIN VEIL OR HEADBAND) Da Vinci,
unlike most artists of that time, sketched with the model in front of him, noting every detail.
But how long did Leonardo work on this portrait? (THREE YEARS) Certainly, Lisa did not sit
for all those years. So after he sketched every detail, he might have used his dictionary.
Through the years he had put together a drawing dictionary of heads, eyes, noses, mouths,
chins, throats, and shoulders. For example, in his sketches of noses, he had ten different
noses in profile, eleven full-face noses.
So do we know whether Lisa was painted REALISTICALLY the way she really looked, or did
da Vinci choose sketches from his dictionary to finish the portrait? No one knows for sure.
So the mystery of Mona Lisa continues!
Mona Lisa was pretty, gentle, and quiet. Now think of something exactly the opposite - ugly,
wild, and noisy. Ready?
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2. Five grotesque heads
Were you surprised? Raise your hand if this looks comical to you. (YES) Here is another
side to Leonardo da Vinci’s artwork. This drawing, titled Five Grotesque Heads, shows a
comical side.
But where would he find such faces as these? It was Leonardo’s habit to wander through the
streets in search of an unusual face. He was so delighted when he saw an unusual head
that he would follow anyone who attracted his attention for a whole day. He would watch
them and sketch so carefully that when he got home, he could draw the person as well as if
they were sitting beside him.
What do you think da Vinci enjoyed doing more, drawing or painting? Leonardo was happier
making quick drawings and sketches than with the tedious process of finishing a painting.
He was a master at drawing. His drawings were sometimes strong, sometimes trembling.
He used his drawings as a reminder of ideas for future paintings and to illustrate his studies.
We had better start a list of da Vinci’s talents, because you will be amazed at what a genius
he was. (RECORD ON PAPER OR CHALK BOARD.) Let’s start with these two:
1.PAINTING
2.DRAWING AND SKETCHING
As you see the next painting, you will discover another talent of Leonardo’s to add to our list.
You will discover this talent if you can tell what this young man did for a living.
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
Click Next To Change Slide
3. PORTRAIT OF MUSICIAN
Can you tell what this man did for a profession or hobby? There’s a clue in the bottom part of
the painting. (A MUSICIAN) How could you tell? (HOLDS SHEET OF MUSIC) This portrait
of a musician shows us another talent of Leonardo’s. He was a gifted musician! (ADD TO
LIST: 3. MUSICIAN) Not only could he play the lyre (lye-are) beautifully, he even designed
and built his own instrument. A lyre was like a small hand-held harp. And da Vinci had no
ordinary design for his lyre. It was made of silver in the shape of a horse’s skull.
Remember his drawing dictionary of faces and features? For this picture he sketched each
detail with SHADING to make it look realistic and rounded. There is another reason it looks
so real. Da Vinci actually measured the musician’s face and body to make sure he had it
perfect.
Besides his great skill in drawing, there is another reason this man looks so real. In
Leonardo’s own words he will tell you how he knew the human body from the inside out.
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4. ANATOMY
“I pulled back the skin on a great confusion of veins, arteries, nerves, tendons, muscles, and
bones, all red and sticky with the blood that makes everything look the same.”
What is Leonardo talking about? (DISSECTING BODIES) A doctor studies the body by
going to ANATOMY classes in medical school. Da Vinci studied the body in the same way.
He would use surgical instruments to dissect bodies to learn what was under the skin.
The first years of work on the Mona Lisa found him devoting much of his time to studies of
anatomy. For four years he lived in a hospital. Can you guess why? (TO GET DEAD
BODIES) He said it didn’t bother him at all, and he bragged of having taken apart more than
thirty bodies of men and women of all ages.
As he dissected, he drew what he learned and added notes to explain his discoveries. What
part of the body did he study here? (ARMS AND HANDS) There must have been many
days when he went straight from a dead body (CADAVER) to painting Mona Lisa. In his
mind he would still see the bones and veins that lay beneath that mysterious smile or those
gentle-looking hands.
Should we add another skill to our list? What will it be? (4. ANATOMY)
Before we move on, I want to point out something very unusual and fascinating. Look closely
at the notes da Vinci wrote on this page of his dictionary. We can’t read Italian, but even if
we could, we would not be able to understand his writing. If we had a mirror it would help.
Can you guess what was very peculiar about his writing? (HE WROTE BACKWARDS)
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
Have you ever heard of a person writing from right to left and forming all letters backwards?
Why would he do that? Through the years there have been different theories. The most
logical explanation is that he was left-handed and found it easier to write that way. When it
was necessary to be understood by others, he wrote in the normal way.
Have you ever tried writing backwards? You will get a chance in your Learning Packets to
write your name backwards. Do you think this should be a talent to add to our list? (YES.
ADD 5. WRITES BACKWARDS)
As his dictionary of sketches grew over the years, it became a loose-leaf encyclopedia. No
matter in what subject any of you might be interested, we would probably find that Leonardo
was interested in it, too. He was the first man to design flying machines after studying birds.
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5. INVENTIONS
Da Vinci had many ideas that he drew on paper. Many of these were way ahead of his time.
What do these drawings look like? (SPACESHIP, TANK, WAR MACHINES) Many of da
Vinci’s inventions were designed but never built, because the materials needed were not
available.
Do you have alarm clocks at home? Listen to what Leonardo invented to wake him up. He
filled a large bowl with water and made it drip slowly into a bowl below it. When the lower
bowl was full, it set off a lever that jerked his feet and woke him up! Shall we add another
skill to our list? What do we call a person who invents things? (6. INVENTOR)
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6. SCIENCE
Do you like science? Leonardo loved science and studied it all the time. If you like science,
do you also like art? If you raised your hand, you match perfectly with Leonardo. Da Vinci
said that artists are the best scientists. Can you guess why? (TAKE SEVERAL
RESPONSES) Do you think scientists notice many things? (YES) How about artists?
(YES) Leonardo said that artists notice and watch things more carefully than most people,
and they think about what they see, just like scientists. Let’s add #7 to our list. (7.
SCIENTIST)
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7. BOTANY
Besides his interest in inventions, Leonardo had a lifetime interest in nature. He combined
the scientist’s powers of precise observation with the artist’s genius for showing the wonder
of plant life. Here he has drawn some of his favorite flowers. Do you see the seeds at the
bottom left?
Many scholars regard Da Vinci as the founder of botanical science, which is the study of
plants.
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
Do you know how we can tell the age of a tree? (BY THE RINGS ON THE TRUNK)
Leonardo was the one who discovered that!
What is our #8 talent? (8. BOTANIST)
We’ve learned about his many talents; now let’s look at Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest work.
He painted it on the wall of a dining room used by monks in a church in Italy.
I want you to imagine a dinner party where the host tells his guests something so shocking
that all the guests are showing tension, surprise, and disbelief, as they wait for a further
explanation from their host in the middle of a long table.
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8. THE LAST SUPPER
Do you know the title of this masterpiece? Can you find the host and point to him? Who is
it? (JESUS) Who are his guests? (12 APOSTLES) The shocking news reflected in his
friends’ faces was that there was a dangerous enemy seated at that very table – someone
they all knew and trusted. Can you find him? (FOURTH FROM LEFT) How did you identify
him? (LEANING AWAY FROM JESUS, ISOLATED FROM OTHERS) His name was
Judas.
Show me with your fingers how many groups of three you count in this composition. (4) Da
Vinci organized the people and the colors very carefully. Notice how the color blue, on a few
of the apostles, is balanced with the darkest blue wrap worn by Jesus in the center.
Notice the variety of gestures emphasizing the emotions of the apostles. Find a gesture
showing surprise and imitate it yourself. (REACHING, POINTING, ETC.) However, who is
motionless? (JUDAS)
When Leonardo searched for a model for Judas, he went to jails and the most dangerous
parts of town in Milan, Italy. Do you think he succeeded in showing the character of Judas?
Da Vinci painted this directly onto the walls of the room, and he experimented with different
kinds of paint and plaster. Painting on wet plaster to make it a part of the wall is called a
fresco. However, because of his new technique, the painting began to peel and fade almost
immediately. It almost totally disappeared but has been restored and repainted many times.
He also experimented with showing light. Point to the lightest wall in the Last Summer.
(RIGHT WALL) In the real room there are windows on the left side, so Da Vinci wanted it to
look like the light from those windows was shining on the wall in the painting. That is why the
left and right walls are painted so differently. Realism was very important to Leonardo.
Through the centuries, the room holding The Last Supper changed from a dining hall to a
stable for horses. The bombings of World War II nearly destroyed the room, and it left the
painting open to the outside air. Wind, rain, and sunlight – all contributed to the deterioration
of the masterpiece. It was restored recently, and just like in Da Vinci’s time, people come
from all over the world to admire it. You have to make reservations months in advance to
have the privilege of viewing the famous fresco for a maximum of fifteen minutes.
I would now like to introduce our master artist to you.
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
Click Next To Change Slide
9. SELF-PORTRAIT
Here you see da Vinci at age sixty-two. He was living in Rome at the time he drew this.
Does he seem older than sixty-two? (YES) His spirit must have been much like his face -older than his years, disappointed, tired. He lived five more years. What makes him look so
old, tired, and sad? (WRINKLES, SUNKEN EYES, DOWN-TURNED MOUTH)
Leonardo was born in a small village in northern Italy named Vinci. The word “da” means
“from,” so what does his full name mean in English? (LEONARDO FROM VINCI) By the
age of seventeen he was already known as a brilliant, clear thinking, talented young man.
His father realized his son had unusual talents, so he sent him to study for seven years with
a well-known artist. People who knew him said he was sure of himself and was eventempered and friendly. No one really knew for sure what was on his mind, but he was
fascinating to talk to because of his many interests.
What did he look like as a young man? It’s hard to tell from this portrait. He was described
as elegant and graceful. He had beautiful curly and carefully combed hair that fell to the
middle of his chest. Everyone spoke of his expressive face, his soft eyes, and what a genius
he was.
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10. RENAISSANCE
What was the world like in da Vinci’s lifetime? Between 1300 and 1600, life in Europe went
through enormous changes. It was a new age of thinking and learning, and it is called the
RENAISSANCE. People still thought the world was flat, and daring men set out to explore
unknown seas. Can you name an explorer who sailed in 1492? (COLUMBUS) Do you think
Leonardo da Vinci fit well into this exciting age of new ideas and inventions? (YES)
Click Next To Change Slide
CONCLUSION - REVIEW GAME
As you’ve learned about the genius of da Vinci, you’ve listed his special talents. If we had
more time we could double our list.
Let’s take a quiz. Say True or False if the word listed is a talent that Leonardo was well
known for. No peeking at our list!
QUIZ
LIST:
1.Painting - T
2.Drawing- T
3.Musician - T
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
4.Politician - F
5.Anatomy- T
6.Writes Backward- T
7.Candle Maker - F
8.Inventor- T
9.Scientist- T
10.Cook - F
11.Botanist- T
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Step 2 - Learning From: Leonardo Da Vinci
Drawing Practice
Leonardo had a talent for writing backwards. He could sign his name
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
or
Practice writing on line 2, below.
1.
2.
Write your name on line 3 below, but reverse the order of the letters.
Start with the last letter and end with the first letter.
Then copy each letter backwards on line 4.
For more drawing practice, draw each figure backwards into the box below it.
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
Shading
Da Vinci looked very closely at plants before drawing them. Shading and highlighting were
important parts of his realistic drawings. Look closely at this plant drawn by Da Vinci. Use
your pencil to shade as he did. Vary your shading from dark to light by the pressure you put
on your pencil.
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
The last few pages of this section contain the Art Activity for Leonardo Da Vinci. This step-bystep outline will be a guide for instructing your child(ren) through the activity. The
parent/instructor should review all steps necessary to complete this project before beginning
any work.
Cut out the Artist Profile Slip below and attach it to the back of the completed art project.
LEONARDO DA VINCI
(duh-VIN-chee) Italian
1452-1519
The artist of the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, was a genius at much
more than painting. He was also a scientist, an inventor, a musician, and a superb
draftsman. His study of plants inspired our artists to create a bright botanical painting.
ART ACTIVITY EMPHASIS: Botanical Print with Realistic Details
MEDIA: String, Paint
LEONARDO DA VINCI
(duh-VIN-chee) Italian
1452-1519
The artist of the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, was a genius at much
more than painting. He was also a scientist, an inventor, a musician, and a superb
draftsman. His study of plants inspired our artists to create a bright botanical painting.
ART ACTIVITY EMPHASIS: Botanical Print with Realistic Details
MEDIA: String, Paint
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
Step 3 - Working With: Art Activity Instructions
ARTIST
Leonardo da Vinci (duh VIN-chee)
(1452-1519)
Italian
ART ELEMENTS
Line, value
TECHNIQUE
String printing with detail
EMPHASIS
Creating a botanical print with
highlighting and shading
LEVEL
Advanced
©
MEDIA
Paper, paint, string, crayon
VOCABULARY
Botanical, detail, highlight, shading
PRINT
Mirtillo Palustre
SUGGESTED MUSIC
Music to Inspire
MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENTS
One 9” x 12" soft pastel spring-colored construction paper
One 12” x 18" sheet of newsprint
One 36” piece of string
Paper towel
Artist profile slip
Green and White Tempera paint and one other color (Red, Blue or Purple) thinned to
2 parts paint to 1 part water (mix each color in a paint container before distributing)
Sticks (coffee stirrer) - one per two students
One to three staplers and staples (for adults only)
Scissors
Glue
PREPARATION
Place your demonstration materials on a table or desk where the students can gather around
and see the process. Place your paint supplies on your newsprint. Have two or three cups
for paint and the same number of strings and sticks.
SET-UP [5 minutes]
Distribute the materials:
SUPPLIES [2] String, sticks
PAPER [4] Colored construction paper, newsprint, paper towel, and artist profile slip
ORIENTATION [5 minutes]
One of da Vinci’s talents was in the area of science. He studied plants and used his drawing
abilities to illustrate his findings. We will paint a beautiful flowering spring plant today in a
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
different way than Leonardo, but our flowers will similarly show the beauty that attracted da
Vinci to plants and flowers. We will add realistic details like Leonardo to show highlights and
shading. Da Vinci inspires us to enjoy nature and combine it with our artwork as he did!
DEMONSTRATION AND ACTIVITY
ORGANIZE YOUR WORK AREA [3 minutes]
1.Put your newsprint at the top of your desk with the paint cups, strings, sticks, and paper
towel placed on top of it.
2.Place your colored construction paper vertically on your desk. Write your name on the
back.
3.Fold the construction paper in half vertically.
PAINTING THE BASIC FLOWER
FIRST COLOR - GREEN [6 minutes]
(Demonstration must take place on a flat surface. Have the students gather around you as
you show the steps, then return to their seats for their turn.
1.If multiple children, they will work in pairs (Student 1 and Student 2). If there is an odd
number of students, make one group of 3.
2.Student 1 lowers his string into the cup of green paint, leaving dry only the part he is
holding. Use the stick to help push the string into the paint cup and make sure the string is
coated with paint. Slowly pull the string out of the paint, pinching the top of the cup together
on the string to eliminate excess paint and dripping.
3.With the colored paper unfolded and starting at the top right-hand side, the string is placed
in loops going down the right-hand side of the paper, ending at the bottom of that same side
with only the dry part of the string extending off the paper.
4.Fold the paper in half and have Student 2 (or instructor) spread his fingers and press down
firmly over the string to cover as much of the paper as possible.
5.Student 1 will slowly pull the string straight out from the bottom, gathering the string as he
does to facilitate handling to make a “wet string pull.” Place the used string on the paper
towel.
6.The paper is unfolded and put aside to dry.
7.Student 2 now takes the used green string and places it in loops going down the right-hand
side of his paper, ending at the bottom of that same side with only the dry end of the string
extending off the paper.
8.Fold the paper in half and have Student 1 spread his fingers and press down firmly over the
string to cover as much of the paper as possible.
9.Student 2 will slowly pull the string straight out from the bottom of the paper to make a “dry
shadow pull.” The paper is unfolded and put aside to dry.
10.Using the same green string, Student 2 becomes Student 1 and follows steps 2–9 again.
In the end both partners will have a “green leaf wet string pull” and a “green dry shadow pull.”
11.Once done with a color, students will clean up while their artwork has time to dry. Wipe
paint off the stirrer to use again. Have an adult collect the green paint cups and throw away
the used green strings. Now you are ready for your next color.
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SECOND COLOR – RED, BLUE, OR PURPLE [6 minutes]
A different color is applied in the same way to the same right-hand side of the paper, looping
and draping the new string in different positions on the paper. Encourage filling in the empty
spaces left from the first print. Begin with the driest paper of the two partners. Try to keep
red string with red paint container...etc. Each student has one wet pull with the second color.
Clean up the second paint supplies before starting the third color.
THIRD COLOR - WHITE [3 minutes]
Each student will have a final white wet string pull. Both students will dip the string into the
white paint cup before placing the string in loops down the right-hand side of the paper.
There will be no white dry string shadow pull.
ADDING DIMENSION [10 minutes]
1.Cut the painted paper in half, on the fold.
2.On ONE of the flower paintings, fold the left side back about ½”.
3.On that flower, HOLD THE FOLD and cut along the painted flower-shaped edge away from
the fold; start at the bottom and end at the top corner of the fold.
4.Slide the uncut, unfolded flower painting into the fold behind the cut flower painting.
5.Staple the two flower paintings together along the fold, creating a backdrop for the front
floral.
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LEONARDO DA VINCI – AGES 10 – ADULT | ONLINE EDITION
6.Use fingers or a pencil to curl the front flower and give a three-dimensional look to the
composition.
MOUNTING THE ARTIST PROFILE SLIP [2 minutes]
(Profile slips for each artist are provided. They give a brief description of the artist, the
technique, and the media used in the art activity. They should be mounted on the back of
each art project after it is completed.)
1.Write your name on the front of the artist profile slip.
2.Using glue, mount the profile slip on the back of your artwork.
Encourage students to discuss their artwork at home using this artist slip of information.
CONCLUSION
You have now joined Leonardo da Vinci in one of his talents - that of studying plants and
flowers. What do we call that study? (BOTANY) He would admire your beautiful shapes,
colors, shading, and highlighting that make your flowers realistic as well as pretty.
CLEAN UP
Place the finished botanical artwork in an out-of-the-way location to completely dry.
THIS CONCLUDES THE LEONARDO DA VINCI
UNIT.
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