The art of painting according to the theory and practise of the best Italian, French, and Germane masters. Treating of the antiquity of painting. The reputation it always had. The characters of several masters. Proportion. Action and passion. The effects of light. Perspective. Draught. Colouring. Ordonnance. Far more compleat and compendious then hath yet been publisht by any, antient or modern. The second edition. By M.S. gent.

CAP. XXVII. (Book 27)

The Instruments and Materials us'd in Painting and the preparing Colours to the Pallat.

WHite Flakes being pick'd and scrap'd must first be ground very fine in water, afterwards Temper'd on the Stone with the muller with Nut-Oyle: then cover it with water in a galli∣pot or it will skin over. But so it must not be kept very long for the Oyle will grow Fat and make it unfit for use. For Dead-Colouring you may grind white lead in Lynseed Oyle.

Vermilion if it have glittering specs in it, or of very light Colour, it is not good as being mixt with Red Lead, the best you may buy at the Wax-chandlers: it must be first finely ground in Brandy or Urine. Temper it on the Pallat with nut Oyle, if for Flesh: but for Drapery, &c. use a very little drying Oyle.

Red Lead being finely ground in water, and dry'd; may be Temper'd on the Pallat with Lynseed Oyle being a great dryer of it self.

Light Red, Burnt Oker, Indian Red, must be ground very fine in Lynseed Oyle; and temper'd on the Pallat with Nut-Oyle if for Flesh, but if simply us'd for Draperys, &c. there may be a little drying Oyle in it.

Fine Lake must be well ground in Lynseed Oyle; if us'd in the light Carnation of a Face in Nut Oyle; and so temper'd on the Pallat, but if us'd simple in Glasing it must be mixt with drying Oyle or Vernish or nut Oyle and Turpentine mixt.

Masticots not being fine enough as they are bought at the shops, must be finer ground with Lynseed Oyle on a Porphery: reserve them in Bladders but not too long; There be divers sorts but the principal are of light Lemmon Colour, or deeper bright Yellow.

Orpment after you buy it, must be finer ground in Lynseed Oyle, then laid on brown Paper to take out what Oyle you can, that you may add the more drying oyle, or rather Glase ground to an impalpable powder and then you need not dry it on a Pa∣per, the Glass being the greatest dryer and will not soul the best Colours.

Light Pink, Green Pink and Brown Pink, must be ground in Lynseed Oyle, and with the same be temper'd on the Pal∣lat if for the Medium Shaddows, but in the darks a little dry∣ing Oyle. The several Okers, as Yellow, Brown and Roman O∣ker, must be ground and temper'd as before.

Terravert must first be beaten fine in a Morter, or it will hurt the stone, then ground in Lynseed Oyle, and so temper'd on the Pallat, except us'd simple, then a little drying Oyle.

Verdigreece must be ground in Lynseed Oyle and so us'd. Ver∣diter must only be temper'd on the Pallat with Lynseed Oyle.

Ultramarine must only be temper'd on the Pallat with nut Oyle. And Smalt must be order'd in like manner.

Indigo should be ground in Lynseed Oyle and bury'd eight or ten Years, if you cannot procure such, grind some and put it in an Earthen vessel, which stop close that no water can get in and boyle it four or five hours, by this means it will hold Colour near as well as the buryed.

Colens Earth must be ground in Lynseed Oyle, drain the Oyle out by laying it on a brown paper, then add more drying Oyle or Glass ground as before.

Umber must be first burnt in a Crucible, till it be of a warm, brown Colour, then ground in Lynseed Oyle and kept in a gallipot cover'd with water, for it is a great dryer.

For Bone black you must burn peices of Ivory, (which you may buy at the Ivory Turners,) in a Crucible, when it hath done flaming it is enough: grind it in Lynseed Oyle, and temper it with drying Oyle.

Blew-black is made of small coal, but the best of Vine branches, burn it in a Crucible, grind it in water; if it be us'd simple it must be temper'd with drying Oyle.

For Indian Red the Stone Red is much the better, the smaller will serve for Dead Colour. Fine Lake must be of a warm and Beautifull Colour, that which is of a lighter, cold and Purplelish Colour, will serve for Dead-colouring. The best Pink is of a smart, Clear, Yellow Colour.

In Brown Pink make choice of the deepest and warmest Colour. in Yellow Oker, of a bright, Clear and smart Colour, of Terravert, the Spanish is the best.

Ultramarine, the right will endure the Fire; if it be put in water and any thing swims on the Surface, it is mixt; the deep∣est and finest Powder is usually the best: though some that is pale will mix deeper. The Ashes will serve for the blew Shad∣dows in a Face. The best Smalt is the deepest and soft like But∣ter between the Fingers.

When Ivory is burnt you must scrape of all the white and and brownish Colour, reserving only the Jet Black.

Observe in winter to use more drying Oyle then in Summer: and Proportionably as it is hotter or colder; but the lesser the better, for it is apt to foul the Colours, take great care that none of the skins of the drying Oyle come among your Co∣lours.

For your Powder-Glass, take the whitest Glass, beat it very fine in a Morter, and grind it in water to an Impalpable pow∣der; being throughly dry, it will dry all Colours without dry∣ing Oyle, and not in the least Tinge the purest Colours, as White, Ultramarine, &c. and is much us'd in Italy.

If in the hottest weather your greatest Dryers dry too fast, as White, Umber, &c. and so grow too stiff to work with; you may prevent it by mixing a little Sallat Oyle with the Colours.

You must likewise on your Easel-board, have a little gallepot of Turpentine Oyle to dip your Pencels in when your Colours grow to stiff.

You must have a Tin-Pan, for cleaning your Pencels in, de∣vided in the middle, and the one end devided into a larger and lesser Dimention; the larger is to dip your Pencels in, striking them several times over the Partition, and pressing them with your Fingers, till they be clean then dipping them into the smaller trough, in which must be Sallad Oyle (which best pre∣serves Pencels from drying) lay them by for use on a ledge, on your Shelf; if by negligence they grow hard with the Co∣lours in them, lay them in Soap sometime and with water Scour the Colours out of them.

For the Grinding-stone, the Porphery is the best, next a Peh∣ble, whose hardness you may try by hacking a knif on it, if it leaves no impression, then the Stone is good.

When your Colours are ground before the reliques dry, you must grind some Shavings of Leather on the Stone: then to fetch it more clean, some crums of Bread, till there be no Tincture of Colour left.

Your Pencels must be Swans Quils, Goose Quills, Ducks, Crows, &c. of which you must have black and white Fitches, the finest Fitches are Ermine; Pointed Pencels and Brusles; the best of which you may have at the Black-moores head in Drury Lane and some other shops.

The Black Fitches must be well bound, full and with a spring in the Hair. The White, must be soft, the Hair a little spread∣ing and well bound and even at the end. Before you use them let them lye a little in water to fasten the Hair, Then let them be through dry, and dip them as likewise your other Pencels in Nut-Oyle before you use them in Colours, your Pointed Pencels must be likewise well bound, if good they will come to a Point by wetting them and drawing them gently on your Hand.

Your Brushes and Black Fitches when they are well worn, reserve them for the rubbing in of Dead Colours; for in many Cases they are better to use then new ones.

For your Pallat, you should give order to the Colour shops, to let it lye sometime in a Vessel of Oyle which will make the Colours come the cleaner off.

You ought to have two Tempering Knives, one broader for the greater quantitys of Colours, the other Narrower and com∣ing Taper toward the end for the smaller. They must be both of good mettle, with their Edges, and thickness of their back ground of.

Your Mostick is best of a Bamboo, or some other stick that is light and yielding to the Hand, but not standing bent: with a small ball of Cotten ty'd in a Leather at the end, which lean∣ing on the Picture may not indent the cloath: about four Foot long.

Your Pencel-sticks must be of Cedar, wrought smooth, but thicker in the middle, that the Pencels may spread in your Hand and not foul each other; and about sixteen inches long: if for large Landskips, longer; for which likewise you must have Leaf∣ing-Pencels with the Hair twice as long as the other.

Your Cloath must be of an even thread: if any nobs of Co∣lours be on it, take them of with a Pumice-stone, before you begin to work. If Pannels, let them be of old Wenscoat, which is not so apt to warp. Before you Prime your Pannels, there must be a Coat of Whiting and strong Sise six or eight times done over, to hide the Grain of the wood: when they are dry, let them be plain'd with a Joyners Plain, then water plain'd with a rag dipt in water.

Your Easel must be of a convenient Sise according to your work; with Lead round the Feet to secure its Fixedness.

The best Light is a North-Light, with a Sash of Pollish'd-Glass as they prepare for Looking-glasses. Free from any Build∣ings against your work Room, which would cause diverss Re∣flections and by that means change the Propertyes of your Co∣lours.

It is convenient in winter to have in your Room a round Iron-stove for your Fire, for the better drying of your Colours and the securing of your Room from Dust and Smoak.