# Da Vinci's Regimen for Painters
Leonardo da Vinci — Practical Regimen for Painters
Compiled from A Treatise on Painting and The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci
Sleep & Mental Rehearsal
Practice (before sleep / on waking): mentally retrace forms you studied — “in the dark and in bed … retracing in my mind the outlines … confirms and treasures them in the memory.”
Source: Treatise on Painting, Chap. XXI (Rigaud trans.).
How to use it
- End the day by replaying 3–5 difficult forms.
- On waking, redraw from memory; then verify from life.
Methodical Study (Science → Practice)
Maxim: “Study the science first, then the practice … pursue method … do not quit one part till it be engraved in the memory.”
Source: Treatise, Chap. XXVII.
How to use it
- Move topic-by-topic (e.g., noses → mouths → eyes).
- Lock each module with sketches from life before advancing.
Train Memory & Notation
Precepts: techniques to retain likeness after a single viewing; carry a pocket-book; catalogue feature-variants you notice, then assemble later.
Source: Treatise, Chaps. XXIII–XXIV–XXV (Rigaud).
How to use it
- Keep a small grid of facial variants (nose/mouth/eye types).
- After a brief look, jot the matching variants; compose later.
Solitude, Health of Mind, and Focus
Maxim: “That the well-being of the body may not injure that of the mind, the painter … must remain solitary, particularly when intent on studies and reflections.”
Source: Notebooks (Richter), Book IX (“Precepts for Drawing”).
How to use it
- Protect daily blocks of uninterrupted solitude.
- Separate social time from core study/painting time.
Breadth with Discernment
Precept: it reflects little honor to excel in only one thing (heads, drapery, animals, etc.); strive for universality.
Source: Treatise, Chap. XXIX.
How to use it
- Rotate subject-matter weekly (figure, drapery, landscape, animals).
- Keep a running “gap list” and cycle back deliberately.
Observe Real Life, Not Staged Poses
Precept: catch natural expressions at the moment; don’t fake grief/anger in the studio — it becomes “neither quick nor natural.”
Source: Treatise, Chap. CLVI (156).
How to use it
- Sketch on the spot (markets, courts, streets); annotate causes.
- Stock a reference bank labeled by emotion + trigger.
Counsel & Critique
Precept: “A painter ought not refuse listening to the opinion of every body … men can detect our errors.”
Source: Treatise, Chap. XXV.
How to use it
- Invite lay critiques for proportion/likeness checks.
- Treat disagreement as a measurement, not an affront.
Daily Rhythm (Putting it Together)
- AM: Rapid studies from life → reconstruct from memory.
- Midday: Method block (single topic until mastered).
- PM: Studio work; end with mental rehearsal.
- Everywhere: Keep a pocket-book; defend solitude windows.