plate no. 3820

Drawing of Salai

oilHigh Renaissancesketch and studyportraitfiguremaleheadhairprofile

what to study here

It shows how one sheet can carry volume through line rhythm and selective hatching, with the paper serving as the light, and with a quiet face set against dense hair.

Read this as a drawing about contrast between two kinds of marking. The visionGuide describes a right-facing profile of a youthful head. The face is held to a continuous, economical contour, while the hair takes up nearly half the composition as a mass of tightly spiraled curls. Notice how the hair is built: interlocking curved lines first, then crosshatching that follows the curl forms and is concentrated in the back-left, where the darks are deepest. Elsewhere the hatching is sparse. Light comes from the upper left, so the face and neck stay light while the back-left hair drops into shadow. Squint and the head reads as one dark hair shape with a small light profile against it. The tan-cream paper works as the lightest value and the middle ground, with highlights left untouched. The edges change too: crisp along the profile, soft and accumulated in the curls. Study how little value range the drawing uses and how much form it still gets from line direction, spacing and where the marks are placed.

key decision

The painter kept the face to a single confident contour and spare modeling, and spent the density and darkest hatching on the back-left of the hair. This makes a strong dark-against-light silhouette with little internal value change.

recreation guide

This recreation guide addresses the painting of a portrait study in the style of Leonardo da Vinci, specifically referencing the 'Drawing of Salai' (c. 1500). While the provided sources do not describe the specific visual details of Salai’s face or clothing, they offer rigorous technical instructions for the High Renaissance oil painting process, particularly the method of glazing and scumbling over a monochrome underpainting. The distinctive quality of this work lies in the layering of transparent colors to achieve depth and luminosity, a technique championed by old masters to avoid the flatness of opaque mixing. The process emphasizes the mental extraction of red and yellow tones during the initial grisaille stage, leaving them to be introduced later through glazes (Source 1).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions (allowing significant drying time between glaze layers)

materials

7 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Linseed oil	Primary drying oil for mixing pigments and creating glazes.	Refined linseed oil
Oil of Copavia (or modern resinous medium)	Medium for the first and second paintings to ensure flow and transparency, as cited by Reynolds (Source 1).	Gum mastic or damar resin in turpentine/linseed oil mix
Lead White (or Titanium/Zinc White)	Dominant white pigment for centuries, valued for opacity and fast drying (Source 7).	Titanium White (for safety) or Lead White (for historical accuracy)
Ultramarine	Key blue pigment used in the initial monochrome stages (Source 1).	Natural Ultramarine or Synthetic Ultramarine
Black (Ivory Black or Lamp Black)	Used in the initial monochrome underpainting (Source 1).	Ivory Black
Red Ochre / Yellow Ochre	Earth tones for the grisaille and subsequent glazing, providing fixedness and covering power (Source 2).	Natural Red Ochre, Natural Yellow Ochre
Varnish	Mixed with oil for later glazing stages to gain mastery and depth (Source 1).	Stand oil or resin varnish

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a rigid support (panel or stretched canvas) primed with a ground suitable for oil painting. While the sources do not specify Leonardo’s exact ground for this specific sketch, the general practice of the period involved a white or light-toned ground to facilitate the glazing process described in Source 1. Ensure the surface is smooth to allow for the fine finish characteristic of High Renaissance portraiture.

underdrawing

The sources do not explicitly describe Leonardo’s underdrawing method for this specific work. However, consistent with the advice to be a 'sound craftsman' (Source 4), a precise underdrawing is essential. Use a thin wash of umber or charcoal to establish the contours. Do not over-model at this stage; the goal is to define the masses before applying the monochrome underpainting.

underpainting

Create a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) using black, ultramarine, and white mixed with oil of copavia (Source 1). Mentally extract the red and yellow colors from your perception of the subject, painting only what would remain if those colors were absent (Source 1). This stage establishes the light, shadow, and form without color interference. Allow this layer to dry completely before proceeding.

color palette

Black

Ivory Black or Lamp Black

Initial monochrome underpainting (grisaille) (Source 1)

Ultramarine

Ultramarine pigment

Initial monochrome underpainting to provide cool shadows (Source 1)

White

Lead White (historical) or Titanium White

Highlights and mixing in the grisaille stage (Source 1, Source 7)

Red Ochre

Natural Red Ochre

Glazing and scumbling to reintroduce warmth and flesh tones (Source 1, Source 2)

Yellow Ochre

Natural Yellow Ochre

Glazing and scumbling to reintroduce warmth and flesh tones (Source 1, Source 2)

composition

The sources do not describe the specific composition of the 'Drawing of Salai.' Therefore, no specific compositional moves are detailed. Generally, Leonardo’s portraits utilize a pyramidal structure and soft transitions (sfumato), but these are inferred from general art history rather than the provided texts. Focus on the technical execution of color and light as described in the sources.

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the portrait lightly, focusing on accurate proportions and major light/shadow divisions.
Tip — Ensure the drawing is secure but not heavy, as it will be covered by the underpainting.
Preparatory Drawing

underpainting

step 02
Mix black, ultramarine, and white with oil of copavia. Paint the entire composition in monochrome, mentally excluding red and yellow tones.
Tip — Focus on value contrast rather than color. This layer must be completely dry before glazing (Source 1).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Apply transparent glazes of red and yellow tones over the dry grisaille. Use oil as the medium initially.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat of color that allows the underlying painting to show through, creating depth (Source 1).
Glazing

refining

step 04
Use scumbling (semi-opaque painting) to adjust tones, particularly over darker grounds to create coldness or grey blooms if needed.
Tip — Scumbling allows the underlying painting to make itself felt while modifying the surface tone (Source 1).
Scumbling

finishing

step 05
As mastery is gained, mix varnish with oil for subsequent glazes to enhance luminosity and depth.
Tip — This technique mimics the tinting of an engraving with watercolors but with greater permanence and depth (Source 1).
Varnish Glazing
step 06
Check color relationships using the law of simultaneous contrast. Ensure that adjacent colors do not unintentionally alter each other’s appearance in an undesirable way.
Tip — Be aware that the eye may see the complementary of a previously viewed color, leading to inaccurate perception (Source 5).
Simultaneous Contrast

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing involves applying transparent coats of color over a dry underpainting. Scumbling involves semi-opaque painting where the underlying layer shows through. This method was practiced by old masters to achieve luminosity and depth without muddying colors (Source 1).

Monochrome Underpainting (Grisaille)

Painting the initial layer in black, ultramarine, and white, mentally extracting red and yellow tones. This establishes form and value before color is introduced (Source 1).

Simultaneous Contrast Awareness

Understanding that adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance. The painter must account for this to accurately represent the model’s colors (Source 5).

common pitfalls

→Applying glazes before the underpainting is completely dry, which can lead to cracking or muddying (Source 1).
→Ignoring the law of simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and representation (Source 5).
→Attempting to mix all colors opaquely on the palette rather than layering them transparently, which loses the luminosity characteristic of the old masters (Source 1).
→Over-modeling in the initial stages, which contradicts the advice to avoid being 'too much tied down to your outline' (Source 4).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific visual details of the 'Drawing of Salai' (facial features, clothing, background) are not described in the sources.
·Leonardo’s specific use of sfumato is not detailed in the provided texts, though it is a known characteristic of his work.
·The exact proportions of oil to pigment for Leonardo’s specific recipes are not provided.
·The specific support material (wood panel vs. canvas) for this particular sketch is not specified in the sources.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Underpainting, glazing, and scumbling techniques
The Science of Painting↗
- CHAPTER V. COLOURING SUBSTANCES — applied to Selection of earth pigments and historical context of materials
Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315-318 — applied to Understanding simultaneous contrast and color perception

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- part 4 — applied to General information on drying oils and pigments

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

A profile portrait of a youthful male head facing right, dominated by an extraordinarily voluminous crown of tightly spiraled curls that occupy nearly half the composition. Light falls from the upper left, illuminating the face and neck while leaving the back-left hair mass deeply shadowed. The eye lands first on the intricate curl pattern at the left—each spiral distinct yet unified into a cohesive mass—then traces the refined profile where the nose, lips, and chin are rendered with economical precision. The composition balances the delicate face against the explosive, almost baroque exuberance of the hair.

value structure

The painting operates in a narrow, warm tonal band anchored by the tan-cream paper itself. Darkest values concentrate in the densely hatched left side of the hair and the tightly coiled spirals at the crown; mid-tones describe the face, neck, and lighter hair areas through subtle cross-hatching; lightest lights are the paper showing through untouched. When squinted, the head reads as a single dark form (the hair mass) with a small light accent (the refined profile), creating strong silhouette with minimal internal value drama.

observed palette and mixes

#5b4b42
Sepia + charcoal, heavy graphite buildup
Deepest shadows in the left-back hair mass and densest spiral crossings
#8f7c70
Sepia ink with 2B/4B graphite
Shadow modeling in hair curls and neck contours
#a49083
Sepia + lighter graphite hatching
Mid-tone planes of the face and lighter hair spirals
#b8a294
Light sepia wash or HB graphite
Subtle face modeling and hair highlights
#c6afa1
Minimal pigment—mostly exposed paper with faint line
The paper ground itself, barely touched in bright highlights

edges and brushwork

The work is fundamentally linear—the profile is defined by a continuous, confident contour line that describes form with remarkable economy. Hair spirals are rendered as elegant curved lines that interlock and overlap, creating the illusion of volume through drawing rhythm rather than tone. Crosshatching appears deliberately placed to reinforce shadow planes and curb the hair mass, following the underlying form rather than falling arbitrarily. Edges shift from crisp and sculptural along the profile to soft and accumulative in the hair, where layered mark-making suggests depth through multiplicity rather than sharpness.

a working sequence

01
Establish the profile contour
With a sharp HB pencil, lightly sketch the entire profile from the forehead through the chin and down the neck. Pay close attention to the subtle convex curve of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, and the delicate projections of the lips. This contour line should be economical and confident—it will anchor everything that follows.
02
Block the hair silhouette
Using the same light line, establish the outer boundary of the hair mass. Note that it rises significantly above the head, peaks toward the back-left, and descends gradually at the nape. The hair wraps around the profile like a dense helmet—don't treat it as random; map its overall volume and directional flow.
03
Map the spiral structure
Lightly indicate the major clusters of curls: the densest, tightest spirals on the left side; looser, more open curls at the top; and individual separated curls around the edges and nape. Look for the focal rhythm—where do spirals nest together, and where do they separate? This invisible structure keeps chaos organized.
04
Draw each spiral with intention
Now, using a 2B pencil, begin redrawing the spiral contours with deliberate, curved lines. Each curl should have a clear entry and exit point, and no two should be identical in tightness or scale. Vary the radius of curvature—some spirals complete nearly full circles, others open into C-shapes. This is where the drawing comes alive; invest time here.
05
Refine facial features and ear
Sharpen the profile line and add subtle modeling to the face: gentle hatching under the chin, a soft shadow on the cheek, delicate contours for the nose and lips. The ear sits where the hair mass meets the jaw—draw its anatomy with spare, clear lines. The face should feel understated compared to the hair's complexity.
06
Introduce shadow structure with light hatching
Using a 2B pencil, begin light cross-hatching in the shadow areas, particularly around the left side of the hair mass and in the tighter spiral clusters. Follow the contours of the curls—hatching should reinforce their three-dimensional form, not fight it. Use parallel lines at a shallow angle; keep this first layer pale.
07
Build depth in the darkest areas
Layer additional hatching in the deepest regions—particularly the back-left of the hair where the most dense, tightly coiled spirals overlap. A 4B pencil or sepia ink line can be used sparingly to define the crispest curl intersections. The darkest marks should feel concentrated, not spread across the entire hair mass; this creates visual weight.
08
Integrate and refine edges
Step back and assess the overall value distribution. Soften any harsh transitions in the mid-tone areas by adding subtle middle-layer hatching. Crispen the profile contour where it catches light, and ensure the boundary between the hair mass and background is legible. A kneaded eraser can lift highlights or soften over-worked areas. The final drawing should feel balanced—controlled line work supporting convincing form.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Making all curls the same size and tightness—the real painting shows spirals ranging from tight corkscrew coils to loose, open curves; study the variation within clusters before you commit to ink or heavy pencil
Over-rendering the face and neck—they should remain relatively spare compared to the hair's ornate detail; the face is the quiet counterpoint, not the focus
Losing the hair mass to detail—it's easy to get absorbed in individual spirals and forget that they read together as a unified, volumetric form; constantly step back to see the silhouette
Applying hatching evenly across shadow areas—in this drawing, hatching is concentrated where darkness is deepest (the back-left of the head) and sparse elsewhere; uneven coverage actually enhances the illusion of form
Treating the paper as an obstacle rather than a resource—the light cream-tan ground is essential to the palette; leaving it exposed in key areas (the face, the brightest curls) is a choice, not a failure to finish

measured difficulty