Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) A Greyhound 1500, brush and ink, the outlines indented with a stylus

Dürer made many preparatory drawings for engravings, etchings, and woodcuts, and this preparatory drawing for the engraving The Vision of St Eustace, 1501, is a typical example of the working drawings Dürer produced.

The fine lines have been achieved by using a brush to apply ink to gain tapering effects so that the dog's wiry yet muscular form can be emphasized. The reverse of the sheet has been rubbed with black chalk or charcoal and the outlines of the drawing traced around with a stylus so that a copy would appear on another sheet in preparation for an engraving.