Painting Foliage, and Why Leaves Face the Sky
Varying the greens of massed trees, and the two purposes of overlapping leaves
This all-text page joins advice for the painter with an observation of leaf arrangement. Leonardo warns against repeating one plant's color too often against the same color of another, urging the greens to be varied lighter, darker or greener. He then explains that a leaf always turns its face to the sky to catch the slowly descending dew, and that leaves overlap as little as possible — like ivy on a wall — for two reasons: to leave gaps for air and sun to pass, and so that drops falling from one leaf reach the fourth or sixth leaf of other trees.
On this page
Vary the greens when massing leafy trees
In composing leafy trees, do not repeat one same color of a plant too many times set against the same color of another plant. Instead vary it with foliage that is lighter, darker or greener so the masses stay distinct.
Leaves face the sky to catch dew and overlap for two reasons
Every leaf turns its face toward the sky so its whole surface may receive the slowly descending dew. Leaves cover one another as little as possible, overlapping like ivy on a wall, which serves two ends: to leave intervals for air and sun to penetrate, and so that drops falling from the first leaf fall onto the fourth or sixth leaf of other trees.