Dictionarium polygraphicum. Of preparing colours. The method of grinding colours.

Dictionarium Polygraphicum:
Or, The Whole Body of Arts Regularly Digested.
Vol I.
London: Printed for C. Hitch and C. Davis in Pater-noster Row, and S. Austen in St. Paul's Church Yard. MDCCXXXV.
1735
Colours, according to their nature, have each a particular way of preparation, viz. by grinding, washing, or steeping.

The chief colours to be ground are these; white lead, ceruss, cinnabar, lake, oker yellow and brown, pink, indigo, umber, colens earth, Spanish brown, ivory black, cherry stone black, lamp black, Indian red, Indian lake.

The chief colours to be wash'd are; red lead, masticote, green bice, cedar green, ultramarine, blue bice, smalt, verditer.

The chief colours to be steep'd are; sap-green, saffron, turnsole, stone-blue, Venice berries.


The method of GRINDING COLOURs.

Take the colour you would grind, and scrape off from it all the filth; then lay it upon the stone, and with the muller, bruise it a little; then put to it a little spring water, and grind all together very well, till the colour is very fine; which done, pour it out in certain hollows or furrows cut in chalk-stone, and there let it lie till it is dry, which preserve in paper or glasses.

Take care in grinding your colours not to put too much water to them upon the stone, for they ought to be ground pretty thick like pulp or pap; and they ought not to be loft too moist, but thick and clammy.

If after your colour is dry in the shell, you can rub it off with your fingers, it must be better bound with gum; and if there be too much gum, it will shine, and be apt to crackle off after it is as'd.