Study by Season, Attitudes, and Measures of the Statue
Winter review of summer nudes, choosing a model, the plumb-line, dividing the head, lighting reliefs
A cluster of short precepts on the painter's yearly practice: winter evenings spent reviewing and selecting the best limbs from the summer's nude studies, then choosing a well-built, unspoiled model for graceful attitudes. Further chapters advise holding a hanging plumb-thread to check alignments, and set out a scheme for the statue's measures, dividing the head into twelve degrees, each into twelve points, then minutes, minims and semi-minims. The last chapters treat portraying a relief at night behind a sheet of paper and how the painter should place himself to the light; the page is text only.
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Winter study and choice of attitudes (chaps. a, 99)
The young should use winter evenings to gather the summer's nude studies, select the best limbs and bodies, and commit them to practice and memory. The following summer they choose a well-built model, not raised stiffly in a doublet, to perform graceful attitudes; even if his muscles are not well marked it is enough to take the good attitudes and correct the limbs from the winter's study.
The hanging plumb-line for alignments (chap. 100)
To portray a nude from life, or any other thing, be accustomed to hold in the hand a thread with a plumb hanging from it. By it the painter can see the alignments (scontri) of things.
Measures and divisions of the statue (chap. 101)
Divide the head into twelve degrees, and each degree into twelve points, and each point into twelve minutes, and the minutes into minims, and the minims into semi-minims. This graduated scale gives a fine unit of measure for proportioning the statue.
Portraying a relief at night; placing to the light (chaps. 102-103)
To draw a relief at night, set a sheet of paper that is not too shiny between the relief and the light for good conditions. A further chapter, opening 'let a b be the window, m the point of light,' begins to explain how the painter should arrange himself to the light with his relief.