Sfumato is a term used by Leonardo da Vinci to refer to a painting technique which overlays translucent layers of colour to create perceptions of depth, volume and form. In particular, it refers to the blending of colours or tones, so subtly that there is no perceptible transition.

In Italian sfumato means "vanished" with connotations of "smoky" and is derived from the Italian word fumo meaning 'smoke'. Leonardo described sfumato as "without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke or beyond the focus plane".

One of the best examples of a sfumato painting is the Mona Lisa.

Painting techniques

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