RERAMIC STUDIO 
large enough to admit a small funnel, in this place a neatly 
folded piece of filtering paper. When the day's work is 
done pour the turpentine that has been in use into the 
filtering paper; in this way none is wasted and the turpen- 
tine is always clean, as is also the jar for holding it, as it is 
only the work of a minute to wipe it. Habits of neatness 
and cleanhness tell here as in other matters. 
KNIFE. 
A steel palette knife, with a three inch blade, if kept 
free from rust, will answer all purposes. 
Placing the palette before you, have the jar, or cup 
with turpentine at the upper right hand corner, to the left 
of this the bottle of medium, next a small white jar (or 
convenient holder, with cover), with a smaU quantity of 
the Oil of Copaiba. To the right of the turpentine place a 
folded white rag for wiping brushes and knife, also have a 
rag at hand for wiping palette, etc. These are little things 
in themselves but help or hinder greatly according to the 
worker. It is well to form good habits at the beginning so 
the work may be done with neatness and dispatch. 
MIXING THE COLORS. 
Take a little of the powder color on the palette and mix 
with enough medium to make a smooth, stiff paste. After 
working the oil into it thoroughly gather it up with the knife 
and place it in a compact pile in the upper left hand corner. 
Clean the palette and knife and repeat until the required 
colors are prepared. 
For the tube colors work with a little turpentine to 
"cut" the oil then add a drop of oil of Copaiba. Place the 
colors in a row at the top of the palette; if more space is 
necessary place along the side, so that one color may not 
brush into another, and also to allow as much space as 
possible for charging the brushes with oil, and mixing the 
colors. Always put the colors in the same place, in this way 
the eye and hand reaches them instantly, from force of habit. 
More depends on the quality of the brushes than the 
size, as one good brush may be used for an entire design, 
with better effect than with half a dozen of more suitable 
size that are poor in quality. Be sure to "get the best." 
No. 9 or I o square shaders for broad washes. No. 7 or 6 
for general, and No. 3 or 2 for fine work, and one sable liner 
will be found ample for beginning. New brushes may be 
soaked for an hour in cold water to make the quills pliable, 
if they do not fit on the cedar handles easily. To prepare 
for painting dip the brush in turpentine, then wipe on the 
rag, dip in the painting medium and work the color well into 
the brush, and then work off the superfluous oil, touch 
lightly to the oil of Copaiba and work again, so that the 
bristles hold together without separating, and are pliable. 
Take up a little of the desired color into the brush and enter 
into the joy of an art that "age cannot wither nor custom 
stale, its infinite variety." 
2d prize. 
000 
Second Prize — Anne Seymour Mondy,. Coudersport, Pa. 
It is well at first to have a list of colors as simple as possi- 
ble, to which may be added as occasion demands those 
special colors needed for special uses. No list is infallible, 
but the list appended is one which has been in use for flower 
painting by my own pupils for several years: Silver Yel- 
low, $ .20; Yellow Brown, .20; Peach Blossom, .25; 
Roman Purple, .60; Light Violet of Gold, .30; Deep Blue 
Green, .30; Apple Green, .20; Moss Green, .20; Brown 
Green, .25; Dark Chocolate Brown, Black, .20; Total 
$2.90. Brushes, 6 or 7 ; 2 square Shaders .20; 2 Red 
Sable Riggers, .20; i Tinting Brush, .15; i Oil, .20; 
I Palette, 1.25; Turp, .10 Alcohol, 10; Total 55.00. 
With this list may be painted white, pink or red roses, 
violets, forget-me-nots, wild asters, in fact almost any 
_ flower; but for fruit I would suggest the addition of Blood 
Red (Fry's), Pompadour Red, Capucine Red, for use in 
currants, red raspberries, light grapes, apples, etc., and for 
grapes, the darker varieties, Ruby, Banding Blue, with 
possibly Air Blue, which, though not necessary, gives the 
bloom so desirable in painting grapes or high lights on 
blackberries, etc. 
The Marsching ' ' Peach Blossom ' ' should be used witli 
Roman Purple on the same palette because they each take 
a light firing satisfactorily; but Fry's Rose or any other 
hard fire pink requires Ruby or some other hard fire color in 
retouching; hence, in making up a simple palette include 
those colors which fuse at about the same temperature. 
The greens are used for painting leaves and some stems, 
and a very little Apple Green on the brush before using 
Moss Green keeps it from turning brown in firing. Remem- 
ber also that Moss or Royal green should never be used 
on Belleek, as they are apt to turn brown in firing. Use 
Apple Green and Brown Green instead. 
For woody stems or shadowy ones use Black, very thin, 
either by itself or with Yellow Brown. The stems are 
softer and not so staring. Black by itself for tints will not 
always be a good black. Add a Httle Deep Blue Green or 
Banding Blue. 
If you can spend but $3.00 on an outfit, still include a-cov- 
ered palette. It is economy always, as after the colors are 
once ground and mixed with oil, by keeping covered air- 
tight and in a cool place, w^hen not in use, they will be 
good for several days and even for weeks. 
Don't use too much oil in mixing. It makes the colors 
"run" and is not only wasteful, but makes bad work, as 
crispness is impossible to obtain and depth of color is also 
sacrificed. 
The powder colors are better than tube colors, because 
they keep indefinitely in bottles, and when mixed with oil 
will not "dry" as tube colors do, and are good as long as 
there is any left on the palette if kept clean and free from 
dust. Have a little extra piece of glass slab on which to 
' ' grind ' ' j'-our colors, removing to the palette after they are 
smooth. In this way you will not scratch the opalescent 
glass of your palette. If you find you have used too much 
oil in mixing, breath on the paint and mix again when it will 
stand up better. If the paint seems ' ' grainy ' ' use a tiny 
bit of turpentine rather than too much oil. It will help 
dissolve the particles and will dry out. When the colors 
become dry in time, grind up with a little turpentine, but 
never again with oil as it makes them ' ' gummy. ' ' 
Have an order about putting your colors on the palette, 
beginning at the bottom left-hand corner, going up and 
across the top and down the right side. Allow at least an 
inch between each color, and as much between the color and 
the japanned edge of the box. It will keep your colors 
cleaner and also make it easier to clean the palette each 
day when you have finished painting. Be neat about your 
palette and you will find it easier to do good work. Love 
your palette as your house and don't track color or dirt 
all over it leaving it to dr)^ on. It wears out your brush 
and makes it harder to get work which is not ' ' lintv. ' ' 
