Drawing

Cornelle Cort and Augustin Carraches have engraved. This is why those who are beginning cannot do better than to first cultivate the habit of imitating the touch of these great Masters. By imitating them, they should reflect on the perspective of branches and leaves, noting how they appear when they rise and are viewed from below, or when they fall and are viewed from above, or even when they present themselves head-on, showing only the tip, or when they are projected to the side. Finally, they should observe the different aspects that nature presents, without straying from its character.

Study of Landscape according to Designs and Paintings.

After having studied for a long time and copied with pen or pencil the landscapes of Titian and the Carraches, first their engravings, then their designs if possible, one should strive to imitate with the brush the touches that these great men have most clearly specified. And since the paintings of Titian and the Carraches are quite rare, others with good character in their touches can be substituted; those of Paul Bril, Breugle, Bourdon, and Watteau are very suitable for forming a good style, and their touch is clear, lively, and light.

But after observing well the nature of trees, how leaves spread and arrange themselves, and how branches are distributed, one must create a vivid idea to maintain their spirit everywhere, either by making them distinct on the foreground of the painting or merging them as they recede.

Translation Notes

- "Maîtres" refers to skilled artists or experts.
- "Touche" can mean technique or style of brushwork.
- "Carraches" refers to the Carracci family, known for their contributions to art in the Renaissance period.