The Convergence of Animation and Heritage Communication: A Digital Practice Based on Leonardo da Vinci’s Botanical Manuscripts

Abstract This paper reinterprets the botanical manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) through digital hand-drawn animation and AI-generated imagery. Against the backdrop of cultural heritage preservation, the project focuses on plant morphology, phyllotaxis (leaf arrangement), and branching structures, exploring how these elements can be visualised through both dynamic and generative media. Drawing on folio 33r of Manuscrit G and three botanical sketches from the Royal Collection Trust as primary visual sources, it compares frame-by-frame digital animation with text-driven AI-generated images and video, analysing how each responds to Leonardo da Vinci’s observational logic and visual aesthetics, and assessing their respective strengths and limitations in terms of control, accuracy, and creative expression. By integrating methods from botany, art history, and digital media, the project establishes a cross-disciplinary pathway for reactivating historical scientific imagery and articulates a practical framework for visual storytelling in cultural heritage, with potential applications in exhibition design, STEAM education, and digital heritage communication, thereby fostering broader public engagement with botanical knowledge. This study forms part of ongoing doctoral research in artistic practice, combining drawing and animation with interdisciplinary perspectives from botany and cultural heritage through the study of Leonardo da Vinci’s manuscripts. All videos were produced by the first author, and the outcomes are conceived for future application in exhibition and science communication.