The gentlemans exercise Or an exquisite practise, as well for drawing all manner of beasts in their true portraitures: as also the making of all kinds of colours, to be vsed in lymming, painting, tricking, and blason of coates, and armes, with diuers others most delightfull and pleasurable obseruations, for all yong gentlemen and others. As also seruing for the necessarie vse and generall benefite of diuers trades-men and artificers, as namly painters, ioyners, free-masons, cutters and caruers, &c. for the farther gracing, beautifying, and garnishing of all their absolute and worthie peeces, either for borders, architecks, or columnes, &c. By Henrie Peacham Master of Artes.

CHAP. XXV. How to prepare your tablet for a picture in small.

TAke of the fairest and smothest past∣boord you can get, which with a sleeke stone rubbe as smooth, and as euen as you can, that done, take the ••ine skin of an Abortiue, which you may buy in Pater no••ter row, and other places, (it being the ••inest parchment that is) and with starch thinne laid on, and the skinne well stretched and smoth pressed within some booke or the like, prepare your ground or tablet, then ac∣cording to the general complexion of the face you are to draw, lay on a weake colour, that done, trace out the ••ies, nose, mouth, and eare, with lake or red

Lead, and if the complexion be swarthy, adde either of sea coale, lampe blacke to deepen and shadow it, when you haue thus done, lay it by for a day, or till it be well drie, then by little and little, worke it with a curious hand with the liuely colour, till you haue brought it to perf••ction: but I will lay before you the practise of a rare Article in stead of many, that you may imagine you saw it done before you.