1840, january 24. I prepared some absorbent ground canvas by first giving the Russia sheeting a coat of size and then a coat of whiting from Earl's workshop, such as is used to prepare frames for gilding. This preparation cracked all over after I had painted a beginning of a picture on it. I therefore expunged the surface off to the bare canvas; gave it a coat of the same sort of prepared whiting which turned out well - except in one or two places where some remains of the size had been retained. If an absorbent ground is to be prepared from the sais whiting, no size must be previously used.