160 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
PECANS— JEANNE M. STEWART 
(Treatment Page 164) 
A COURSE IN CHINA DECORATION 
ByJETTA EHLERS 
(Courtesy of the American Woman's League) 
(continued) 
SEVENTH LESSON— USE OF LUSTRES 
(Continued from October Number) 
IN case of a large surface work quickly with a well filled 
brush, working first in one direction from the starting 
point, and then in the opposite. In this way the two edges 
may be brought together without a sign of a dry edge. If 
this is not done quickly, or if in painting on the lustre you 
keep to one direction only, by the time you get around to the 
starting point that edge will have dried. 
It will then be impossible to join the lustre without a 
line showing. By working first from one side and then 
the other, the edges may be brought together successfully. 
In padding lustre use the pounce as you would for ordinary 
tinting, padding until the lustre is very even and rather 
dry and tacky. If by chance after it is dry it should spot 
or there are very streaky, uneven places, there is no 
remedy, and off it must come. Study at the very begin- 
ning to be very exact in doing lustre work. Have a well 
defined idea as to what you want to do and then in the 
most simple direct way possible, do it. If it is necessary 
to remove lustre, be very particular to see that not the 
faintest trace of it remains on the china, as it will show 
after it has been fired. If after it is fired it becomes neces- 
sary to remove it, use the preparation known as "Keramic 
Eraser" several good makes of which are on the market. 
Great care must be observed in its use. It should be re- 
sorted to only in cases of extreme necessity. 
Having outlined in a general way the method used in 
the application of lustre, we will proceed to carry out the 
lesson problem. The form to be used is a biscuit jar, 
(see design in September issue for lustre article) a copy of 
the Mason jar originally made in the Belleek ware. French or 
German china being very superior to the Belleek for lustres, 
this copy is much to be preferred. Clean the jar thoroughly 
then divide into six sections, marking with the china pencil 
or with India ink. As directed in the second lesson, take 
infinite pains to have these divisions accurate. Next mark 
the outline of the panel, measuring carefully. 
Using the pen and the outlining mixture, outline these 
panels with Black. By outlining mixture, the sugar, water 
and paint mixture is meant. Make a careful tracing of 
the design on a piece of tracing paper. Fix this in place 
with bits of the gummed paper, slip the impression paper 
under it and then go over trie design with hard lead pencil 
or agate tracing point. Fix this drawing with the Black 
outlining mixture, observing the study and correcting all 
deviations in the line as you work. With a little practise 
one may easily hold a tracing on the china without fastening 
it in any way. While it seems rather difficult at first, one 
soon becomes adept at it. If you do use fastening of any 
kind see that all traces of it are removed before proceeding 
with the work. When the outlining is all done and the 
design completed, wipe the entire surface with a piece of 
silk very slightly moistened with lavender oil. This serves 
two purposes ; it removes any finger marks made in handling 
the piece when placing the design and it serves to keep the 
lustre open so that it is more easily padded. If you have 
