Even as a boy, Leonardo had a great natural talent for painting. The story goes that he painted such a real-looking dragon that it scared his father, Ser Piero.
Florence was the most dynamic and richest city in Italy. So Ser Piero took his 14-year-old son there to become an apprentice. Apprenticeship was common then. It was a system in which a young person worked alongside an expert for about 13 years to learn a trade. Leonardo apprenticed to one of the leading artists of the day, Andrea del Verrocchio.
As an artist’s apprentice, Leonardo had a lot to do each day. He ground pigments, made brushes, drew, painted, and sculpted. During his apprenticeship, Leonardo worked hard and was singled out as one of the best.