Il ricalco

Transfer is one of the most common techniques for transferring a drawing onto a new surface without changing the scale Already used in 14th-century workshops the system is well documented throughout the Renaissance with methods similar to those that now regulate the use of carbon paper The technique involved evenly darkening the back of the sheet with charcoal powder on which the drawing to be transferred had been made Then the drawing was placed on the new support and temporarily fixed to prevent annoying movements At this point they simply retraced the outlines of the drawing with a stylus so that a dark mark could be left on the new support in the areas of pressure