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. VII. Of drawing the face or countenance of a man.

SInce a man is the worthiest of all creatures, and such pleasing varietie in countenances so disposed of by the di∣uine prouidence, that among tenne thousand you shall not see one like another (as well for breeding delight, as for ob∣seruing a methode after you haue practised accor∣ding to your former directions in other things) you shall beginne to draw a mans face, in which as in all other creatures you must take your beginning at the forehead, and so draw downward till yo•• haue finished.

The visage or countenance is (for the most part) drawn but three manner of waies, the first is full fa∣ced, as commonly we see King Henry the 8 drawne:

[illustration]

The second is three quar∣ter faced, as our Flanders and ordinarie pictures are, that is when one part of the face is hid by a quarter as thus:

[illustration]

The third is onely halfe fa∣ced, as you see the pictures of Philip and Mary vpon a twelue pence, or as this Cae∣sars head.

[illustration]

For draught of a full face you must beare in memory, and nar∣rowly obserue the bredth of the forehead, and the compasse of both the cheekes, all which are composed of two lines as thus:

And be carefull to giue as pre∣cise an euennesse to one side as to the other; causing both your lines to meete at the tip of the chin: your Diameter guideth you for the euen placing (as I said) of nose and mouth, your other line for the iust opposition

of the eyes betweene which in distance for the nose, alwaies leaue the space of an eye.

The end of the nose in ordinary proportion must be brought no lower then the middle of the cheeke, from whence to the chin is for the most part as farre, as from thence vpward to the eye-browes.

The nose of a full face must not be expressed with apparant lines, but with a very fine shadow on each side, as you see.

An eye is commonly drawne

[illustration]

in this manner.

To make an angrie or sterne countenance, let your brow bend so, that it may almost seeme to touch the ball of the ey; at what time you must also giue the forehead a fine wrinckle or two, and withall the vpper part of the nose betweene the eyes.

A great conceipt is required in making the eye which either by the dulnesse or liuely quicknesse thereof giueth a great taste of the spirit and disposi∣tion of the minde, (which many times I will not de∣nie may be aswell perceiued by the mouth, and mo∣tion of the bodie,) as in drawing a foole or idiot, by making his eies narrow, and his temples wrinkled with laughter, wide mouthed, or shewing his teeth &c. A graue or reuerend father by giuing him a de∣misse and lowly countenance, his eie beholding you with a sober cast, which is caused by the vpper ey••lid couering a great part of the ball, and is an especiall marke of a sober and staied braine within. Nazian∣zen when he beheld a Iu••ian (long time before he was Emperour, at Athen••, at the very fi••st sight of his countenance, (Presaging his future disposition)

burst forth into these words; Deus bone, quantum ma∣lum souet Romanum imperium: for (as he witnesseth himselfe) there was not any signe of goodnes or to∣wardnes in him, his eies ••owled in his head, wandring and turning fearefully now this, now that way; spark∣ling with furie & anger, his nose was growne wrinck∣led with scoffing and deriding, the rest of his counte∣nance tending to mockery, his laughter so immode∣rate, that his whole bodie would shake therewith, his shoulders shrinking to and fro, to his necke: his legs and feete seldome standing still; his questions and answeres supitious, rash, and often interrupted by short fetching his breath; by which signes the good man foresaw his inbred tyranny and vile disposition, which after burst forth into an horrible persecution and open rebellion against God and his Church. A Graecian Captaine in like manner noting very often the cast of the eye and countenance of Scylla, toge∣ther with his gesture and motion of body, vsed these words: it is impossible but this Gentlemen one day should prooue a great commaunder, and I maruaile that he is not aduāced al this while. D••gonius an Earl of Flanders, when he should haue bene put to death by the Turke, a Phisiognomer wisht that he might not die by any meanes, because if he liued he would sow much dissention among the Christians, which after fell out to be true, by which examples and the like, I proue that there is a certaine Indictum, or no∣tice of the minds disposition inly imprinted by na∣ture euen in the countenance, and many times in the eie or mouth, which (as I haue said) you must be care∣full, as you shall haue occasion, warily to obserue.

Now for the mouth (though least of all other any generall rule may be giuen for it,) it consisteth principally of two lines, whereof one expresseth the mouth it selfe, the other the neather lip: the ouer∣lip is best showne by a shadow cast ouer the crosse line as you see; which shadow and crosse line if you draw by the life must be hit at an haires breadth, and if your picture be little, you cannot thinke so small a thing as giueth or quite taketh away the touch and resemblance of the mouth: and to say truly•• it will be the hardest peece of cunning that euer you shal meet withall: therefore you had neede cause the partie whom you will draw, to sit as we say, Vultu composito, without stirring or altering the mouth were it neuer so little: I haue many times beene much troubled a∣bout expressing the mouth as it ought, wherein you shall finde great difficultie, wherefore you shall best take it when the partie mindes you not, and to say the truth it is the best time of taking a picture. I haue neuer drawne any more truly, then when they haue beene busie in talking, at dinner, viewing some thing or other, and in this manner I haue often taken his Maiesties, sitting at dinner, or talking with some of his followers. I haue m••ny times wondred why I could among so many neuer finde any true picture of his Maiestie, or that did any thing neere resem∣blie him: I know not, but generally in his picture I ••inde two principall errors, the one in the com∣plexion and haire, the other is in the mouth, which commonly they draw with a full and great nether-lip very apparant, wherein they commit the chiefest error, which good obseruatiō hauing auoided, I haue

drawne him often with my Pen and Inke only vpon a faire peece of paper in an houre, more truly and like then the best peeces in oyle about the towne.

Notes

• The full ••ace.
• Halfe face.
• The space of an other eie to be le••t be∣tweene the eies.
• Great difficul∣tie in the eie.
• Nic••phor lib. 10. cap 3.7.
• Nazianz. in ••. auect. contra Iulianum.
• Brusoni••s. lib. 7. cap. 20.
• The mouth.