Sfumato

Sfumato, is a technique in painting or drawing that uses fine shading to produce soft, imperceptible transitions between colors and tones. The term comes from Italian sfumare, “to tone down” or “to evaporate like smoke.” It is used most often in connection with the work of Leonardo da Vinci and his followers, who made subtle gradations without lines or borders from light to dark areas; the technique was used for a highly illusionistic rendering of facial features and for atmospheric effects. See also chiaroscuro.