Making and Knowing
A minimal edition of BnF Ms Fr 640

[TOC] | [diplomatic]

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Sheathmaker

Sheathmakersuse small skins of lambs and young goats very delicate, as it were like parchment and they keep them in humid places constantly re—wetted. When they want to print some history they lay them in the hollows of their figure and then on top they spread some fatty fine earth used for degreasing cloth, well pressed and beaten and slightly humid and soft and then put on the earth a small one—piece board and put the whole under a press and leave that dry there. After the earth the leather only remains very neatly printed missing word of the size of a pea. And then apply on the leather two or three black copperas and iron scale layers one after the other like the tanners do. And since this tincture is astringent and shrinks the leather will be stronger more more easily printable. Once dried stick on the reverse some fabric with strong glue, and by doing so one can quickly imitate big statues and very fine medals and paint them and and are light and can be carried and last for a long time. What can be printed on a relief can be made differently and can be reheated with a hot iron tool.

Painter

Good crayons are not made with good glue but with women’s milk.

Images made of carton, once dry, have to be soaked in thoroughly macerated and clear melted resin. This strengthens it, otherwise they turn limp in wet weather.

Venice masks are made with a hollow & male face of copper.

The Flemish do not use any whites for flesh colors in oil other than lead white because the ceruse turns yellow.

4 or 5 year—old walnut oil which is clear is the best color, it keeps off dust. The kind which has recently been drawn with the press in the manner of almond oil is white, especially if the walnuts’ skin is removed.

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