061v - - - - - 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.
German chassis
Germans who work in miniature make chassis not of glass, but of canvas smeared with clear turpentine varnish, namely half turpentine oil & almost half turpentine, because this light, which is not as bright as 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 with ceruse, 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.
at left middle margin
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 & p glass a glass thumb thick is more appropriate than anything else for grinding colours neatly, especially for lake & for whites.