The Mysteryes of Nature and Art / Conteined in foure severall Tretises, The first of water workes, The second of Fyer workes, The third of Drawing, Colouring, Painting, and Engraving, The fourth of divers Experiments, as wel serviceable as delightful: partly Collected, and partly of the Authors Peculiar Practice, and Invention

by John Bate

The principall end and subject of this Art, is to set out things both in proportion of parts, and livelinesse of colour.

For the former, the proportion of parts, I have given sufficient information for the meanest capacitie in the precedent part of this tractat: now therefore I will speake of the other, the colouring or setting out in colours. But first provide a frame or Easel called by Artists, which is very necessary to worke upon, especially in greater pieces of worke: the forme whereof followeth.

The Easel.

Also you must provide divers little shels to put your colours in, also pensils of all sorts, both for priming and other: a light ruler of one foot and a halfe, or two foot long: and colours of all sorts ground very fine upon a porphire or marble. Having provided these, you shall set to worke, observing the subsequent directions.

Painting may be performed either with water colours, or with oyle colours.

First I will speake of water colours, wherein I shall observe two things.

First, the diversitie of colours, and preparations. Secondly, their mixture, and manner of laying them on the ground.

First of the first, the diversitie of colours and their preparation.