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Water to give light for the painter

Distill some vine water & put
it into a big bottle. And behind this, put your
candle, & it will not hinder your vision.


Frames of theGermans

Germans who work in miniature make frames not of
glass, but of canvas smeared with clear turpentine
varnish, namely halfturpentine oil & almost
halfturpentine, because this light, which is not as bright
as from glass, makes them see larger features. And when they want
to make something subtle like veins de & similar
things, they use pinceaulx composed of two or three
ratwhiskers.


Azur d’esmail in oil

One needs too choose the most beautiful delicate that
will be possible, for if it is coarse one cannot work with it in
oil. And if you do not find any that is subtle enough, you can
grind it well, not with water but with oil, & grind it
thickly. Next lay it on your palette & mix in a little
turpentine, but not much, to give it a bond, and make it to be as
thick as butter or mortar, & then, with a fairly
large pinceau, work it by always moving the
pinceau back and forth. Then, to soften it, hatch
across it in a jagged manner with the the tip of the
pinceau. The highlights will be made with
d the same thinned withceruse,
which, giving it a bond, makes it easier to work. I have seen it used
thus. It must be very thick, & such that you all but struggle to
spread it with your pinceau. And it is all the better
if you lay down your panel. All these difficulties do not arise when it
is very subtle & thin without being ground, and does not run.

Azure wants to be layered neatly, which is why
quan it always dies somewhat when layers it over
old, already tarnished, azure to mend an old panel. In such
matters, it is better to scrape off the old layer & prime again,
then put down the azure. It is thus for almost all other colors.
Also, azure ground with oil always remains shiny, which is
not a good sign for azure for this causes it to die.


Grinding colors

A slab of marble & pglassa
glassthumb thick is more appropriate
than anything else for grinding colours neatly, especially for
lake & for whites.

