Again With the Progress!

The above picture shows more modelling to Lisa's face. I've begun adding white lead over the underpainting to see how it softens and blends tones to further create Leonardo's sfumato effect. You can see on the right side of the face how the tonality changes and softens from the translucent overlay of white on the umber underpainting.

I've also found a fantastic article on the Musee Galileo site that analyzes Leonardo's Adoration of theMagi, which he left unfinished. The article shows pictures taken with with a multi spectral camera as well as other images, and sheds further light on how Leonardo prepared his panels, and how he did his preparatory drawings and underpainting. There's also evidence that much of the umber colored paint layer was done at a later date by another artist. Have a look at

http://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/menteleonardo/emdl.asp?c=13419&k=1470&rif=1470

What this means is that I'll make adjustments on the hero panel by doing the underpainting using lamp black on the white priming, and I'll lay in the sky fairly early, as Leonardo apparently did on the Adoration. (I'll be blocking in the sky on Test Mona on the soon side, too.)

But for now, it's Halloween weekend, and I'll be reprising my Dr. Zaius costume at a few parties!