INNOVATION ALERT
Colors: Oil paints can be built up in thin layers which better reflect light, allowing more vivid colors Growing trade with far-flung lands also brought new pigments to Italy, giving artists the materials to make their colors pop off the canvas.

INNOVATION ALERT
Artists: In Medieval and early Renaissance times, artists did not call the shots-patrons did. Patrons dictated the subject and materials used in an artwork, often in great detail. Artists were hired hands who executed the patron's plan for the work, to achieve the patron's goals. But this began to change during the Renaissance, as artists grew more skillful and gained more respect. They were viewed more like scholars and scientists rather than tradespeople (carpenters, stonemasons, etc.). A few geniuses like Leonardo and Michelangelo led the way toward a future where the artists had great freedom to paint what they liked, how they liked.