1. Chuse a fine and smooth tick or cloth, which nail on a frame. Pass over it first a coat of size, and when dry, rub it over with a ponce stone to eat off all the knobs and knots. The size which you put first on the cloth is intended to lay down all the threads, and fill up all the small holes, that the colour may not pass through.,2. When the cloth is dry, lay on a coat of simple colour, which may not destroy the others; for example, brown-red, which is a natural earth, full of substance, and lasting. You may mix it, if you like, with a little white lead, it will dry the sooner - To grind this colour, they use nut, or linseed, oil; and, in order to lay it as thin as it is possible, they use a large knife made on purpose.,3. When this colour is dry, you are to rub it again with the ponce stone, to render it smoother. Then lay another coat of white lead and charcoal black, to render the ground greyish. In this, as well as in the preceding coats, you must take care to put as little colour as you possibly can, to prevent the cloth from cracking, and for the better preservation of the colours which are to be laid afterwards in painting. For it is proper to observe, that could there be no ground at all laid on the canvas of a picture, previous to the painting of it, and schould one paint directly on the bare cloth, without any other preparation at all, the colours would appear much more to their advantage, and preserve their brightness much longer. A proof of this assertion may be found in the practice of Paul Veronese, and Titian, who used to impregnate their canvas with water colours only,and paint afterwards in oil over that ground. This custom of theirs has not a little contributed to render their pieces more lively and bright, because the ground in water-colour draws and soaks the oil off the colours, which must render them much finer, since the greatest cause of their dulness arises from nothing but the oil with which they are diluted.,4. They therefore, who wish to see their works keep bright and lively, use as little oil as possible, and keep their colours more stiff, mixing a little oil of spike amongst them, which indeed vaporises very soon, but assists in rendering them more fluid and tractable in working.,5. Another cause of the colours not keeping a long while their beauty, is when they are too much tormented on the pallet, as it oftens happens that painters confuse them in working. Whenever this is the case, they must needs be hurt, as there are many which adulterate, and otherwise corrupt, the others, and spoil the vivacity of their taint. Therefeore, we cannot recommend too much to be cautious and clean in employing them, taking care to lay them as distinct and separate as possible, each by themselves, on the pallet, without mixing them too much with the brush or pencil. Never mingle together those colours which are enemies to each other, as all the blacks are, particularly the lamp-black; but, as much as possible, try to use them seperately by themselves. Nay, when there is an occasion of giving more strength to some parts of a picture, stay till it is dry before you touch it up again, if those colours are obnoxious to the others with which you are to do it. Therefore he flows his judgement in painting, who is not precipitate in laying his colours on his pictures, but lays them thick enough, and covers at several times the carnations, which, in terms of art is called empater.,6. As to what concerns the first laying of grounds on canvas, in water colours, it is a method not commonly practised, because they may scale, and cannot be rolled without some difficulty. For this reason, the custom prevails of grounding the canvas with oil colours. But when the canvas is good and very fine, the less colour you can lay on for that purpose, the better. Take care only those colours and oils are good.- The lead which some painters use to help their colours to dry the sooner, soon destroys their brightness and beauty.,