48 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
DAISY BORDER K. E. CHERRY 
creasing the paper, mark with india ink where it joins. Re- 
move the paper and fold accurately into as many divisions 
as you need. Lay it back on the china starting with the 
first division and mark with ink at each crease, carrying the 
line the length of the vase. (See study.) 
You can quickly and easily get your spacings in this 
way. By this means also large pieces, such as punch bowls, 
may be correctly spaced with very little effort. 
Make a careful tracing of the design given with this 
lesson and transfer it on the china. If you find that the 
tracing will not fit in the divisions, you will have to slightly 
alter the design or make it all a little smaller. Instead of 
making the lower part of the ornament as it is in the study 
No. i , try it as suggested in No. 2. 
The dotted lines are the construction lines and not to 
be shown in the completed piece. Be very painstaking in 
making the tracing on the china, measuring and correcting 
as you work. Fix the design with India ink. You will 
observe that parts of the pattern are outlined. With the 
pen and black paint mixed as directed in the second lesson 
with sugar and water, outline these places. 
Having this part of the lesson done satisfactorily, the 
next stage is to be considered. If you have no grounding 
oil, it may be prepared at home after the following formula: 
Three parts boiled linseed oil, six parts essence of turpentine, 
four parts asphaltum. Boil a half hour, stirring constantly 
with a stick upon the end of which is fastened a bag of 
litharge. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. 
Cork it tightly and set it aside for use. Some excellent hints 
on the preparation of mediums for china painting are to be 
found in "Class Room" book No. 1 on page 17. Pour out 
upon the clean palette or tile some grounding oil. Add 
turpentine, about one part turpentine to two parts oil. 
Into this put a tiny bit of Black used dry from the vial. 
With the palette knife, mix and grind this thoroughly to- 
gether. The black is added to slightly tone the oil, so that 
you may see whether or not it is even when applied. If the 
oil seems stringy it is too thick, and may be diluted by add- 
ing more turpentine. When a very light tone is wanted, 
use more turpentine, pad a little longer and then stand the 
piece aside away from the dust for several hours. 
Having the oil mixed ready for use, with a large square 
shader paint the oil evenly over the surface which is to be 
tinted. Take your brush strokes in one direction, working 
quickly and spreading the oil with a wide sweep of the brush 
The surface being covered, use a silk dabber and pad the oil 
until perfectly even. Use at least two thicknesses of silk, as 
the oil being very heavy and tacky will pull the tiny shreds 
of the cotton filling through the silk, unless well covered. 
Pad firmly, following directions given in first lesson. All 
the success of this method lies in the padding of the oil. It 
should be padded until it looks hard and waxlike. It should 
not bubble. If it does, change your pad and go over it 
again. The longer you pad the less oily and more even 
the finished ground. When it looks even and waxy, re- 
move the oil from the design by means of cotton on a pointed 
stick. Be very careful when doing this not to touch the 
oiled background. 
If you do so, take the pad you have been using and go 
over the defect. Spread a newspaper on the table and place 
on it from the vials the necessary colors. For this problem, 
use equal parts of Dark Green and Yellow Green ; with the dry, 
clean palette knife, mix the dry colors thoroughly together 
on the paper. Have at hand a tuft of absorbent cotton 
about half the size you would use in making a pad. Hold 
the vase by slipping the left hand inside of it. With the 
palette knife take up some of the color and dump it on the 
oiled surface. With the tuft of cotton push this color about, 
distributing it over the oil. Keep always lots of color be- 
tween the oil and the cotton, keeping the color well ahead 
of the cotton. Use a light circular motion in rubbing it, taking 
care not to touch the cotton to the oil. A soft clean brush 
may be used instead of cotton, using the same precautions. 
Distribute the color as evenly as possible, not allowing 
it to cake in some places, and barely cover the china in 
others. The superfluous color will fall back on the paper as 
you work, and after you have finished may be gathered up 
and used again. Place any colors consisting of a combina- 
tion of colors in a separate vial; any small bottle will do. 
Label this so you may know its contents. If it seems very 
full of specks or fuzz, sift it through bolting cloth, which 
will remove all lumps or imperfections. Such color may be 
used repeatedly. 
When the piece has been covered with the dusted color, 
remove the superfluous color, by gently blowing it; do not 
do this near your painting table. The oil will only hold or 
take up just so much color. The next point is to clean the 
vase, as any grains of color which have sifted inside of it 
will fire in and disfigure it. 
Clean by means of a rag or tuft of cotton on end of a 
stick. It is important that all loose particles of color may 
FORGET-ME-NOTS 
K. E. CHERRY 
