124 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
(also enamel medium), gold and paste. First put into paste 
■ a small bit of oil of tar, then rub until perfectly smooth 
with lavander oil. If lavander oil is thick, dilute with 
alcohol. Fry's special tinting oil is good for light tints and 
flushing. Dresden thick oil when a dark tint is desired. 
One small steel palette knife answers all purposes, 
provided it is kept bright and clean. In fact keep things 
clean is one of the main things to be kept in mind — dust 
and dirt ruin paint, paste, gold, and lustres (especially). 
The question of brushes is most important; a poor brush 
means poor work. Use as large a brush as possible, a large 
flat square shader (Camel's hair). I find a large flat tinting 
brush excehent in background work. Also in china work I 
use the short, flat Russian sable brushes that are generally 
used for oil and get fine results from their use. A good 
miniature brush and a carefully selected outliner are verv 
necessary. Outlining is one of the most important things to 
master, as it at once stamps the amateur. If one has a 
steady hand, a good brush and the paint mixed to the right 
flowing consistency, practice will soon make perfect, or 
nearly so. Brushes should be cleaned in alcohol with little 
lavander oil, then washed in soap and water, then pointed 
or flattened as the case may be and put away straight and 
flat. A well arranged palette with a generous supply of 
well mixed, clean paints, not runny or oily, but just right, a 
good supply of clean, well kept brushes, plenty of the right 
kind of oil and mediums — not many kinds laut the right 
kind, — a lot of nice cotton and soft silk and last but not least 
rags — is a delight to the heart of any teacher who sits down 
to instruct a pupil, and the wise pupil will soon learn that a 
palette so supplied has very drawing qualities, and the 
teacher always likes to stay awhile, 
o o o 
Fourth Prize — A. L. Dowd, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
[extracts oxly.] 
The powder colors are better than the tube as they will 
keep indefinitely, the tube colors dry up and one that does 
not paint all the time soon finds them useless. Begin plac- 
ing the colors on the palette in the order in which they are 
named (Yellows, Reds, Violet, Blue, Green Brown, Black, 
and Grey) , then always keep them in the same order so that 
when you paint you will be able to put your brush in the 
color you want, in so doing you will be able to paint as 
one plays on the piano — one knows just where the keys are, 
therefore where to put one's hands. 
The ready mixed medium is better for beginners as it is 
always the same and costs no more. 
All colors will mix when you know how to use them. 
Albert Yellow will mix with everything, but it is a strong 
color and eats up the others, therefore use sparingly. For 
greys use Violet and Yellow Brown, Violet and Brown 
Green, Gold Grey and Blue Green, mixed greys are better 
to use in painting flowers than the ready mixed as you 
naturally get more of a variety. In mixing for conventional 
work be sure and mix enough for it is hard to match. For the 
brushes you will need No. 5 and 8 square shaders for ordi- 
nary painting, for finer work No. 5 pointed shader and for 
very fine lines No. o Red Sable liner and No. 11 square 
shader for background work. The brushes want to be 
washed in turpentine after each painting before puting away. 
Keep in a pint can, handles downward so as to keep the 
brush part in good order, do not put them where the brush 
part will get bent as that will spoil the brush for good work. 
Always start in painting with a clean palette as you 
cannot do good work with all the old oily mixtures on the 
palette, I do not mean the good clean paint you have left 
as that win be just as good as fresh, but you will find that 
as you paint, your palette wiU get mussy, that wants wiping 
oft" and if your colors run together separate them, for al- 
though color will mix, when you want to use a clear color 
you want it to be clear. 
000 
Fifth Prize— Miss Lucy L. Brown, Roxbury, Mass. 
[extracts oxly.] 
As this is a lesson for beginners, it is wefl at the 
commencement to bear in mind that experience and 
knowledge come to those who work with patience and care ; 
and although the first processes of china painting, such as 
knowing how to manipulate the brush, and to lay on the 
color in the correct way, may seem to them easy and not to 
require much practice, it is this good foundation which 
brings success later. 
A simple palette for beginners would be hacroix colors : 
Mixing Yehow, Jonquil YeUow, Silver Yellow, Orange 
Yehow, Carnation i, Deep Red Brown, Capucine Red, 
Violet of Iron, Deep Blue, Deep Blue Green, Apple Green, 
Moss Green J, Olive Green, Brown Green No. 6, Dark Green 
No. 7, Brown 4 or 17, L. Violet of Gold, D. Violet of Gold, 
Deep Purple, Neutral Grey, Yellow Brown, Rose Pompadour 
Carmine i, Carmine 3, German, Brunswick Black, and tube 
of Flux, also a box of Roman Gold. 
These may be bought in tube or powder form. 
A horn palette knife for mixing gold and a steel palette 
knife for colors. 
The brushes required are square shaders Nos. 3, 8, and 
10; pointed shaders Nos. 3, 5 and 8; 1 flat camel's hair 
brush for tinting about f inch wide ; 2 outlining brushes or 
liners of red sable No. o and No. i. 
A lithographic pencil and India ink are needed for 
drawing on the china. 
If using tube colors, squeeze some of the color (about 
as large as a pea) on the palette, by pressing the bottom of 
the tube, mix a drop or two of the medium mixture witli it, 
and rub well, then dip your brush in the turpentine and 
then into the color on your palette, using only enough 
turpentine to cause the color to leave the brush in a firm 
even touch when put on the china, not enough to make it 
thin and watery. Never use dirty turpentine, always mix 
all the colors you expect to use before commencing to paint. 
To set your palette for a flower study, put the local 
color of the flower at the left hand corner and other colors 
for shading the flower next, then beginning with the lightest 
yellow then lightest greens through the darkest for the 
leaves — keep your colors distinct on your palette, never 
mixing them promiscuously, or you will soon have a muddy 
result on your china, as a union of two or more colors genera- 
ally produces a grey. 
Now draw some simple flower form, not too large, and 
practice making each petal with one stroke of the brush, 
using one color say deep red brown, thus getting 3'ourself 
accustomed from the beginning to a good clear, firm touch, 
and not the patched stipply look which we too often see on 
china, which spoils the best design. In china painting as in 
Avater color, everything depends on the clearness and trans- 
parency thus obtained; having succeeded in getting this to 
your satisfaction, color some simple design in the same color 
on the border of a plate. 
One may draw the design either with the lithographic 
pencil and go over it with India ink, or with the India ink and 
a fine brush at first; or you can use the pencil only; the 
