How to Draw Like Leonardo Da Vinci - The Heart

t is interesting to see how doctors and scientists the world over are referring to the studies done centuries ago by a non-science person, to unravel the mysteries of modern day. Leonardo Da Vinci's anatomical study of the human heart is a case in point. This work was a part of a series of almost 200 drawings Da Vinci made in his later years. His understanding of the function of the heart valves has provided a fresh perspective to the ongoing research endeavors. His detailed coverage of the mitral valve has offered new ways to address its dysfunction. Therefore, any attempt to recreate these heart drawings must cover the significant aspects of his explorations. The following guide will help you draw like Leonardo Da Vinci:

• Reference. Among all of his anatomical works, the heart drawings are one of the most easily accessible. A large collection is available on the internet. You may also look for books or journals.

• Technique and Style. Da Vinci dissected several corpses to aid his learning and representation of anatomy. He carefully examined each part and organ from different angles and portrayed the structure of progressively created sections. Therefore, some drawings of the heart show longitudinal sections, some represent the transverse sections, and the others, the complete organ. Leonardo da Vinci supplemented all his drawings with explanatory notes. His interest in comprehending the functioning of the organ, apart from its structural frame, rendered these works much more complex and descriptive.

• Subject Coverage. As mentioned earlier, Da Vinci covered the heart in more than one form, like the heart alone, the heart with veins & arteries, the connection of heart with other organs (lungs and trachea), sections revealing the internal structure, and so on. Leonardo Da Vinci was the first one to conclude that the human heart is primarily a muscle and has four chambers - the upper two auricles and the lower two ventricles. From this point of view, the longitudinal section diagram holds considerable value. Overall, the human heart has a strawberry like shape that tapers down. Da Vinci lacked the knowledge that blood circulates in the body. He believed that the liver creates blood, which reaches lungs for cooling and the tissues use it up. Nevertheless, he made a breakthrough discovery of the eddy currents in the Aorta that regulate the functioning of the heart valve.

• Details. Once you have sketched the external fundamental shape of the heart, placing the pulmonary veins and arteries is not a difficult task. In the case of transverse and longitudinal sections however, keener observation and exactitude is required. Such drawings by Da Vinci are quite complicated and somewhat hazy, representing all the components with a varying degree of shading or checkered spaces.

Be extra cautious with shading and labeling of your work such that the parts appear in their natural shapes and forms.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.

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