Velazquez was only 11 years old when he began studying under the painter and scholar Francisco Pacheco. Pacheco painted idealized, non-realistic religious themes in the Mannerist style. However, he was an advocate of painting fundamentals, which he taught to Velazquez. He also introduced Velazquez to other areas of art such as the Italian and Flemish realist movements. Pacheco was literally a second father to Velazquez, who married the approving elder's daughter.
Velazquez embraced naturalism and strove to capture exactly what he saw in his paintings. He studied the work of the great artists Da Vinci and Caravaggio, whose use of light and shading was revolutionary. Velazquez's own use of this technique made scenes appear as if strategic spotlights illuminated his lifelike subjects. At age 20, he painted "The Water Carrier of Seville" (1619). The old water carrier and the young boy in the painting seemingly could turn and walk off of the canvas.
In 1623, Velazquez painted a portrait of King Philip IV. The king liked it so much that he appointed Velazquez the official court painter, during which time he perfected his realistic portrait technique. Velazquez created many paintings of the royal family, the most famous being "Las Meninas" (1656). It is a fascinating painting of the young princess and her maids-in-waiting watching the king and queen pose for Velazquez. He can be seen in the background working on painting them.
Not only was Philip IV a great patron of Velazquez's art, he encouraged him in his studies, sending him on a trip to Italy in 1629 to study Renaissance Italian art. There, Velazquez continued his study of the great Italian artists' mastery of light and shading, as well as Michelangelo's mastery of sculptural elements. He was very impressed by the works of Titian and Tintoretto, returning in 1651 to purchase their works for King Philip IV.