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ftERAMIC STUDIO 
BUCKLE DESIGN, VIOLET MOTIF— HANNAH B. OVERBECK 
POTTERY CLASS 
Frederick A. Rhead 
IT is widely believed that the application of the human 
figure as a motif for ceramic decoration, or, indeed, 
applied design of any kind, demands an arduous scientific 
and academic training. The study of the antique, and the 
living model, together with a comprehensive knowledge of 
subcutaneous anatomy, are held to be absolutely essential 
if a designer would essay the introduction of even a single 
figure in his decoration. It is true that this knowledge is 
valuable, and it is equally true that the figure draughts- 
man's technical equipment is incomplete unless he has made 
a study of these matters, but it is also true that the dangers 
balance, and sometimes outweigh, the advantages. The 
chief danger is the temptation to exhibit anatomical and 
academic knowledge at the expense of simplicity and co- 
herence. The conventionalization of a figure means the 
adaptation in its general masses and proportions to orna- 
mental purposes, while the scientific expression (as exempli- 
fied by the classic treatment, and insistence on anatomical 
details) means the particularization of facts leading towards 
realism, instead of the generalization of facts leading towards 
ornament. A natural or realistic figure, tree or flower may 
be good decoration, but can never be good decoration if 
applied to the work of the craftsman. These objects may 
suggest a form, but that form must be ornament primarily, 
that is to say, it must be a decorative arrangement of lines 
and masses, having a directly harmonious relation to the 
contours of the object to which it is applied. Some stress 
has been laid upon this point of view, because there is no 
reason whatever why a person with a feeling for design, or 
the capacity of covering a surface with harmoniously spaced 
masses, should not use the human figure at will as a decora- 
tive motif. 
The tyro is usually afraid of the details. It is the 
features, the fingers, the locks of hair and the folds of drap- 
ery which are the stumbling blocks. And it is the awkward 
treatment of these details which spoils the finished design 
in nine cases out of ten. 
The remedy is exceedingly simple. Leave these details 
out altogether. Try a design, first of all, say, of the back 
view of a baby seated on the ground. Its little cap is 
represented almost by a circle. Two masses almost like 
the petals of a flower, or the wings of a butterfly, represent 
its sleeves, and another simple mass, shaped something like 
a clam shell, represents its dress, while its back is a square 
with rounded corners. It is very simple, but it is a decora- 
tion. The first illustrated example shows the front view of 
a baby treated in a simple fashion. The only detail is in 
the features, and these may be left out without hurt to the 
design. It may either be painted or stencilled. The vase 
should be grey. If a grey clay is not accessible, it may be 
made in red, buff, or white clay and the ground applied with 
a fine sponge. The grey is made by mixing about 7^ per 
cent, of underglaze dove with the dry clay. The stain 
should be weighed and ground first in a mortar and pestle, 
or on a slab with a muller or spatula and then mixed with 
the clay and made with water into a slip about the con- 
sistency of butter. This should be passed through a sieve 
with about 60 mesh. It can be applied to the vase by 
dabbing with a fine sponge, or it may be put on with a large 
camel hair brush. The advantage of the sponge is that a 
variety of surfaces (resembling rough Whatman paper) can 
be given, and regulated to any desired smoothness or rough- 
ness according to the fineness of the sponge or the thickness 
of the slip. If it is desired to stencil the pattern, the design 
may be drawn on fairly strong tracing paper, and cut out 
with a sharp penknife. If the vase is not damp enough for 
the stencil to adhere, the paper may be dampened with a 
soft brush and pressed against the surface until the edges 
adhere closely and evenly. Then the slip may be dabbed 
over the stencil either with brush or sponge. It should be 
about the thickness of two-ply cardboard. In a few minutes 
the clay will have "set" and the stencil can be peeled off. 
A tracing paper stencil can be used two or three times, but 
if a number of repetitions of the pattern are required it will 
be found better to use oiled paper such as used in copying 
presses. The baby's dress and the stars should be done in 
ivory or cream, and the heart in slate blue. This color is 
got by mixing about 10 to 12 per cent, of canton blue 
with white slip, in the manner already described. Different 
colors may be applied to the same stencil, but as this re- 
quires considerable practice and skill, it would be better at 
the outset to cut separate stencils for each color, and to 
superimpose the various tints, — that is to say, in this case 
to stencil the heart, first of all, complete, and lay the stencil 
of the baby over it. The flesh tints may be obtained by 
mixing four parts of white clay to one of red, and if this is 
W- 
QUINCE— M. E. HULBERT 
