[D'après NOLDUS 2008, p. 63:] 8 Commencez d’abord à peindre dans votre imagination des éléments accessoires, pleins d’esprit, pour bien exprimer votre matière, avec grâce et beauté (comme le font les Orateurs dans leurs discours) avec splendeur, Art et habileté. {Tout exprimer avec grâce.} Pour mieux y arriver, faites quelques esquisses assez pour que cela réussisse. {Faire d’abord des esquisses}

[D'après NOLDUS 2008, p. 171:] 7 Il y en a d’autres qui, à grand-peine, laborieusement, assemblent leur composition à l’aide d’esquisses et de dessins disparates, pour en faire une unité. {Rassembler à grand peine des éléments, et ensuite les dessiner au net, est très bénéfique à la peinture.} Ensuite, ils s’en servent pour tracer avec soin, clairement, tout ce qu’ils ont en tête, sur la première couche, avec une peinture assez liquide, très diluée, ou bien à la mine de Plomb, et après, en essuyant, ils rendent leur ouvrage impeccable.

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Just like we see that those who follow the first heat of their energetic mind without any consideration, tend to advance the work so much, that it becomes impossible for them to improve it well; as such we find it advisable in any way that the students, yes even the accomplished [artists, red.], would first only roughly sketch the entire design of their work, to then take the first sketch in their hands again and again, before they continue to lay out the entire work.

This section of the text is much more elaborate in the Dutch edition than in the Latin (1637) and English editions and the terms are not included there. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Just like it is then clear that one finds the one and true principle of the Art in the Drawings, as such it is also certain that they add the reasonable and remarkable entertainment by the power of a rightful unembellished Symmetry. We likewise daily see that the well-trained Connoisseurs do not only delight themselves with the artful works themselves; but that they moreover study the first, second and third sketches that the great Masters have made for the design of their work, with a great and unsatiable lust; not only because they recognize the outstanding beauty and power of a well-proportioned Drawing the best in the simplicity of these unembellished lines; but also because they can clearly trace the sweet fear of the working Artists in it;

This extract does not occur in the Latin edition of 1637. In the English edition, the term Kunstkenner is described as 'many who have deeper insight'. [MO]

[proposition de traduction, Léonard Pouy:] Voyez donc ce qui est le plus efficace pour éveiller la clémence, une esquisse grossière au charbon tracée sur un mur par Apelle ou les doux écrits d’Ovide ? Assurément non. Appelle changea bientôt le regard inquisiteur du roi Ptolémée en une considération amicale lorsqu’il lui fit un dessin du portrait de Planus.

APELLES
OVIDIUS

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] In observing the Drawings, Sketches and Prints, they should be used with the mind and not with the hand or eye to steal bits and pieces from it, even less to ape it entirely (although this also has its use when it applied well, as we teach in our Teycken-Konst,) {The right use of the Art of Print.} and they will continue to look through the Glasses of someone else. But no, one should aim to only impress the virtues, such as the lovely manner of composition, Drawing, clever thoughts and wise observations in his mind by looking, looking again, reasoning, deliberating and ruminating, and all this by repeatedly thinking about it, preserving; as such they will be turned into your own discoveries by the functioning of your Mind, and not those of someone else: So that they may serve as wise Councilors in the composing, ordering and decorating of your inventions. And this way one will become full of thoughts, quick of composition, mature and abundant of Painterly matter:

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Yet let us return to the beginning of the composition, and learn to begin the first sketch of a good Drawing, after all that has been said, as everyone should do for himself with a light hand, first the principal parts, then the lesser, and then all that is in it, as such it will soon become clear whether your guess and composition are good; {In composing one should be certain about every stroke.} Add to this, that you first ascertain with good reason and observation of every stroke that you point out, paying attention to the big and general parts, ignoring the small things and interruptions of the large parts, until later composition and correction, of which we will later speak;

This section is not included in the English translation. [MO]

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] As soon as you have marked your Sketch in the roughest form yet carefully, observe with a regular and attentive Judgement whether your composition is right, whether you can also see the Actions or Movements and all the busyness of the Figure or Figures that you have in the Original, in your Drawing as well. Because the real action should show already very strongly in the very first and roughest Sketch, if you want to be sure of something good; as the Action is the Soul of the Painting or Original, and should therefore be of your Drawing.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] {Charcoal to draw and its use.} It is the general custom to use charcoal for the initial draft and composition of one’s Drawing, especially for the Pupils, as it is of great use for the Youth, Yes even for the Masters, whether or not they are steady in the Art of Drawing; Because all that one has done with it, which is not according to our liking, can be erased several times, and done again. Some also use the Pencil to make their drafts and initial compositions, on top of which they can then make a firm and clear contour with the Writing-Pen or any other durable Crayon, with closer observation.

In this section Goeree explicitly discusses which choice of drawing material is best for each stage of the drawing process. [MO]

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] {How one should behave in Sketching and further composing.} And first about the Sketch, with which you also firstly should design your things, in which manner of Drawing, Spirited, Loose, yet wisely, and afterwards with observation, following that which we have said about it, correct it and compose it neatly [ndr: in a finalized form], making a habit out of pointing out masterfully the main Shadows and mouvements [ndr: uncertain translation!] with Charcoal, in the improved composition, in order to better determine the composition: (…) {About the contour.} After which one should start to make the contours, therein paying utmost attention to the Nobility of the contours, to place them at the right spot in line with the Parts;

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 107] Une fois que vous aurez suffisemment renforcé votre [ndr: faire] et que votre oeil se sera pour ainsi dire éclairé, ne tardez pas à transformer différentes peintures polychromes en dessins monochromes. {Ebaucher ou esquisser par masse}. Esquissez sur votre papier l'ensemble de ce que vous avez l'intention de faire. Commencez par le mouvement général du dessin. Divisez-le ensuite en grandes parties (une tête, des bras, un corps et des jambes pour une figure, ou des figures variées et distinctes pour des groupes). Prêtez une attention assidue aux rapports de proportion que chaque masse entretient avec les autres, ainsi qu'au contraste et au mouvement qu'elles font toutes ensembles. Vous devez en effet y retrouver des parties aux formes rondes, carrées, triangulaires, oblongues ou obliques. {Voir trouble} Remarquez ces formes d'un oeil presque trouble, sans trop prêter attention aux quelques détails. {Esquissez de façon brute} Survolez dans un visage les parties spécifiques, en n'indiquant les petites ombres renfoncées qui se voient principalement, comme celles des yeux, du nez ou de la bouche, que par quelques traits relachés. [... ] La plupart des artistes utilisent volontiers cette façon d'esquisser par masses

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 107] {Esquissez de façon brute} Survolez dans un visage les parties spécifiques, en n'indiquant les petites ombres renfoncées qui se voient principalement, comme celles des yeux, du nez ou de la bouche, que par quelques traits relachés. [... ] La plupart des artistes utilisent volontiers cette façon d'esquisser par masses.

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 108] Mais pour ce qui regarde encore l'esquisse brute, je dirais qu'elle constitue le premier fondement de l'art de bien dessiner. Il est si important que, lorsque la masse ou le tout d'une oeuvre est bien et intelligemment indiqué, l'on parvient souvent grâce à cela à un résultat bien meilleur que celui auquel on pourrait aboutir en y travaillant beaucoup. Et de même qu'en apercevant un ami au loin, ou en le rencontrant au demi-jour, l'on voit et l'on saisit aussitôt sa silhouette comme si l'on faisait usage de son entendement, une esquisse brute fait aussi souvent une si forte impression sur les connaisseurs qu'ils y peuvent voir plus que ce qu'elle fait en réalité.

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 113] {Des façons d'esquisser à utiliser}La plume de cygne, d'oie, ou coupée dans un roseau sec, est très commode pour esquisser vos premières pensées sur le papier, à l'aide d'une encre coupée avec de la sanguine un peu coupée ou frottée et également de la suie de cheminée.

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 133] Un maître intelligent peint d'abord en son entendement l'esquisse mais aussi la parfaite idée de ce qu'il a l'intention de faire.

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 303] Francesco Rustici disait qu'il était d'abord nécessaire de bien réflechir et que, grâce à cela, on pouvait par la suite faire très aisément un croquis brut . Et il disait aussi qu'il fallait enfin chercher à perfectionner cette esquisse par de nombreuses réesquisses.

RUSTICI, Giovanni Francesco

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 318] Le chemin qu’il faut prendre pour gagner de la sûreté et de l’assurance dans l’ordonnancement est de s’habituer à faire de nombreuses esquisses et à dessiner un grand nombre d’histoires sur le papier.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] If you now have designed the sketch in its roughest form, and all the bigger parts are marked in their place, as such one shall observe the object and its sketch, in comparison to each other, with a careful judgement, a little bit in one’s hand, to see if the composition has been satisfactorily placed and if the figures sufficiently do their movement; because if this is not observed correctly in the sketch, one will find such a big and sad work for the moving and improvement of the parts in the composition, that the diligence and desire of the drawing will be lost before one can even show it partially finished. […] In the composition, one should first make sure, that the looseness of the actions that is already in the sketch, does not disappear from it. Which can easily happen, when one does not pay attention through which parts the natural movement and action of the figures are caused.