They made their first attempts upon slabs of limestone, on drawing boards covered with a coat of red or white stucco, or on the backs of old manuscripts of no value.

New papyrus was too dear to be spoiled by the scrawls of tyros.

Having neither pencil nor stylus, they made use of the reed, the end of which, when steeped in water, opened out into small fibres, and made a more or less fine brush according to the size of the stem.

The palette was of thin wood, in shape a rectangular oblong, with a groove in which to lay the brush at the lower end.

At the upper end were two or more cup-like hollows, each fitted with a cake of ink; black and red being the colours most in use.