The "powdery procedures" and "bit of dust" Picasso mentioned in his letter to Braque refer to his method of mixing particulate matter, including sand, directly into his paints. Other painterly techniques he embraced in this period include deliberately unpersuasive faux bois (fake wood) and faux marbre (fake marble). He handled his paints in a manner akin to his use of cut-and-pasted materials.