26 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
directed in the last lesson. With the gauge mark the bands, 
then "fix" them by outlining them with India ink. Trace 
the design, following the directions given in the last lesson, 
and outline with India ink. The cup in the illustration 
measures three and a half inches across the top, and either 
motif will fit in seven times around it. It will space in ten 
times on the saucer. Do not go on with the tracing until 
you have divided the cup and saucer accurately. When 
the tracing is correctly made, you may proceed to lay in 
the gold. Follow carefully the directions. As has been 
said before, think what you are to do, and then, in the 
most direct way you can, do the work. 
Do all solid parts of the design with the square shader, 
and use the sable outlining brush for all lines. Fill the out- 
lining brush thoroughly with gold, and then, holding the 
brush at a slight slant, draw it firmly along over the outline 
of the design. Balance your hand as you work by bracing 
it with the little finger on some part of the surface of the 
china. This will seem awkward at first, but you will soon 
find it natural. 
CUP FOR DECORATING 
Good lines are the result of much practise, so do not be 
discouraged in the beginning. Just work ahead, taking out 
everything which is not satisfactory and persevering until 
you succeed in producing something fine. 
After the design is laid in, clean any ragged or uneven 
edges with a sharp penknife or a brush handle. With a 
small, perfectly clean bit of cotton wrapped on a toothpick 
and barely dampened with alcohol, clean the background 
of the design. When working with gold it is best to make 
corrections after the gold has become dry ; rubbing or clean- 
ing while it is too moist will cause the work to look mussy 
and the clean, crisp look will be lost. When you have 
cleaned the design, apply gold to the handle and to the 
edges of both cup and saucer. 
Do the edges with the finger, as explained further on. 
Use the square shader for the handle. After the piece is 
finished, dry it as directed in the preceding lesson, and it is 
then ready for firing. 
When it comes from the kiln, burnish the gold lightly, 
following directions, so that you may see where it is thin, 
and then go carefully over the entire design, the handle, and 
edges, with another coat of gold. Clean the edges as for the 
first firing, dry again and give it the second, which is usually 
the last, firing. If, by chance, the gold is still thin after 
the second firing, touch up the thin places with another coat 
of gold and re-fire. 
Gold for china decoration comes prepared in the form 
of a heavy brown paste. If the color is very dark, the gold 
probably has a quantity of lamp-black or some other adul- 
terant added to give "bulk" or weight. There are two kinds 
o^uiat gold, the Roman or fluxed, and the hard or unfluxed 
gold. For edges and handles and all work directly on the 
white china, the ordinary mat fluxed gold is used. The 
unfluxed or hard gold is used only over color which has been 
fired or over raised paste. It will come off when used on 
the white china. 
Gold cannot be used over unfired color, and all unfired 
color must be cleaned from any surface where gold is to be 
placed. 
The ordinary fluxed or Roman gold will not burnish 
when used over any fired color except extremely delicate 
tints of ivory, or the gold colors. Unless you use great 
quantities of gold, it is not worth while to prepare it yourself. 
There are many makes of excellent quality on the market 
which may be easily obtained. Several kinds come tightly 
covered. These are preferable, as, upon removing the 
covering, the gold is found to be moist and easy to work with. 
Besides this the gold is free from dirt and dust of any kind. 
The makes which are uncovered are rather too hard to 
work with, and must first be softened. If the gold is dry 
and does not soften with turpentine, hold the glass slab 
with a few drops of turpentine on the gold, over the flame 
of a candle or lamp, moving it gently back and forth to 
avoid cracking the glass. If no candle or lamp is at hand, 
a lighted match will do. It is well to keep a small candle 
with your painting materials. 
Do not allow the gold to become too hot or the fat oil 
will dry out, and it will be almost impossible to use the gold. 
Should this occur, rub lavender oil into the gold. 
The gold will be soft in a second or two. With the 
little palette knife which you are to keep for gold only take 
up some of the gold and transfer it to another slab. Use a 
very little lavender oil, and grind the oil and the gold to- 
gether until the mixture is very smooth, and of about the 
consistency of thick cream. If this is laid on properly, no 
streaks of white will show. If any do show, dry the piece 
in the oven and then retouch it. The places where you have 
retouched it will not show after the gold has been fired. If 
you can afford it, a covered palette such as you have for 
your colors, only much smaller, is a great economy. This 
costs seventy-five cents. It has a little compartment for 
knife and brushes. The cover may be slipped on when the 
palette is not in use, to keep the dust and lint out, and there 
is a great saving in gold. If you have no covered palette, 
supply yourself with an extra piece of glass (one at least 
four inches square is best) and keep it in a covered box. 
Place your gold materials in this when through working, 
and cover it securely. Have the box large enough to hold 
all the things which you use for your gold work, and you 
will save time when you need them. A very good plan is 
to have a short, wide-necked bottle or little jar in which to 
keep alcohol. The little covered jars which a certain kind 
of cheese comes in are very good for the purpose. Use only 
the cleanest turpentine. If it is not clean, it will affect the 
gold and cause it to look streaked and stained after it is 
fired. 
Keep your gold brushes for gold only. When through 
