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. VI. The second practise.

YOu shall, next after your hand is growne readie in the foresaid pro∣portions, practise to draw small and easie things, comming as neere your former examples as may be, by your conceipt onely: as a cherry with the leafe, the shaft of a steeple, a single or canker Rose, &c. wherein you shall begin to take some delight, and finde no great difficulty.

But in drawing these and whatsoeuer else, I must not forget to tell you; that you must be perfect and quicke in the generall or outward lines, and giue them a reasonable good proportion, ere you fall to shadowing or tricking your worke within: where∣fore

I would haue you make an assey sixe or seuen times at the least for the generall proportion onely: if at first it be not to your minde, as for example in drawing of a Rose, be sure that the compasse of it be not faulty, ere you cast out the leaues by fiue equall lines, or in making a womans ruffe, that you score it out first narrow in the necke, then wider from the cheekes, and narrow againe vnder the chin very tru∣ly, ere you add•• the lace of setting, a••l which is done with one line, which I call the g••nerall or extreme. For those formes that are mixed and vncertaine, and where your circle and square can doe you no good (being left only to your Idea) as in a Lion, a horse or such like: you must worke altogether by your owne iudgement,* 1.1 and winne the proportion by daily pra∣ctise, which will seeme very harsh and strange vnto you at the first, but to helpe your selfe herein you shal doe thus: hauing the generall notion or shape of the thing in your minde you meane to draw (which I doubt not but you may conceiue and remember as well as the best painter in the world, though not ex∣presse according to the rules of art) draw it with your lead or coale after your owne fashion,* 1.2 though neuer so badly, and lay it from you for a day: the next day peruse it well, bethinke your selfe where you haue erred, and mend it according to that Idea you carry in your mind, in the generall proportion: when you haue thus done, lay it by again till the next day, & so continue for fiue or six daies together, correcting by degrees the other parts euē so ••mal vains as your dis∣cretion wil serue you, this may you do with fortie pa¦pers at once, of seueral things, hauing done what you

can (though not to your liking) confer it by the like, some excellent print or patterne of the same, vsing no rule or compasse at all but your owne iudgement in mending euery fault lightly, and with a quicke hand, giuing euery place his due; whereby you shall of all sides meete with your errors, and finde an in∣credible furtherance to your practise: though here∣unto is required I must confesse, a strong imagina∣tion, and a good memory, ••hich are the midwiues to this art and practise as in all things else, the nurse that brings it to full growth and perfection.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A strong ima∣gina••ion re∣quired in a good painter.
• * 1.2

  How to helpe you in your Idea.