The author attempts to show the development of underdrawing in easel painting from 1500 to 1800, with its most important innovative steps and their respective masters. He describes the development of other, independent from the preliminary drawing methods such as pastel, graphic sketches, oil sketches since 1500 (i.e. Leonardo, Barocci, Tintoretto); charcoal underdrawing as a new practice ca. 1520 (J. van Scorel), combined until about 1540-1550 with traditional brush drawing; washes as practised after 1530 (L. van Leyden), and other such techniques as lead white over colored coatings as used in the 17th and 18th centuries. He discusses examples of studies dating from the 15th to the 18th century where color in painters' drawings is mentioned. In Renaissance and later paintings, he surveys all the methods used to transfer drawings independently from the definitive format: graticulation, cartoon, <i>spolvero</i>, the use of the <i>camera obscura</i> to do preliminary drawings and perhaps also underdrawings (perspective drawings from Vermeer to Canaletto). -- AATA