Editing Sfumato (section)

== Technique ==
The technique is a fine shading meant to produce a soft transition between colours and tones, in order to achieve a more believable image. It is most often used by making subtle gradations that do not include lines or borders, from areas of light to areas of dark. The technique was used not only to give an elusive and illusionistic rendering of the human face, but also to create rich [[atmospheric perspective|atmospheric effects]]. [[Leonardo da Vinci]] described the technique as blending colours, without the use of lines or borders "in the manner of smoke".
[[File:Raphael_-_Madonna_in_the_Meadow_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg|thumb|[[Madonna del Prato (Raphael)]]]]