KERAMIC STUDIO 
EVENING PRIMROSE (Page 169) 
Hannah B. Overbeck 
OUTLINE with Grey for Flesh, then fire, then oil all the 
dark leaves and dust with Florentine Green the light 
leaves and buds dust with Bright Green, then paint flowers 
in with Yellow for painting, The stamens are Blood Red 
and Mauve. Next fire — Oil background and dust with Dove 
Grey. Clear out the flowers and paint a little Apple Green 
in centers. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
.S. M. T. — In ground laying can china be dusted twice without chipping, 
is it best to leave stand before beginning to dust, if so, how longf 
2 — How were the fine lights left in enclosed designs, as I am anxious to gel 
that effect in dusting to outline my design? 
3 — Should unfiuxed gold be used for edges as ivell as dotting on Belleek and 
Satsumal Is it best to use powdered gold and pen for dotting? 
4 — Will a little ruby with pink enamel give a rich red for red poppies'?! 
bought Persian Red but it was heavy and thick looking after firing. 
5 — Is it always best to outline a design for conventional then fire before 
commencing work? 
1 — Ground laying can be dusted on twice if it is not applied too heavily. 
The length of time you leave it stand depends on how heavily the oil is apphed, 
if the oil is apphed very thin it can be dusted at once. 
2 — The hght tone which forms the light hne was dusted over the entire 
surface before the design wa.s applied and the other tones were dusted over 
that after it was fired. 
3 — ^Unfiuxed gold should be used for all purposes on Belleek, it is not 
necessary on Satsuma. It is not necessary to use the powdered gold for 
dotting, a brush would be better than a pen. 
4— Yellow Red and a very httle Ruby added to the white enamel mixture 
can be used for poppies. 
5 — When the entire design calls for an outhne it is usually best to out- 
line and fire though it depends largely on the treatment, if gold is used in the 
design it can often be apphed at the same time as the outline. 
E. E. P. — In your reply to D. G. S. in the December Studio you explained 
the use of dusting colors thai touch vp to the fcini of the dusting of the second 
olor. May I ask you how to manage the powder of the second color so that 
it ivill not fire into the first color? Do you cover the dusted part or is il possible 
to manage the colors neatly enough to keep the colors separate? How many 
fires will the mat colors stand? I have had some trouble with the Mat Olive Green 
peeling off and have rather thought that the second fire might have caused it. 
When dusting with more than one color for a fire the darkest color is 
dusted on first so that if a little of the other colors get on, it will not affect 
it. When the spaces are small a smaller brush is used to do the dusting in 
order not to spread the color onto the other colors any more than possible. 
The mat colors will stand any number of fires. The cause of it peeling off 
is possibly due to the way it was apphed, it may have been applied too heavily. 
C. J . W . — I have the Revelation Kiln No. 6, have it in a dry room, fired 
yesterday, with the kiln full. Slacked the china with asbestos stilts. In it was 
German, Haviland and Satsuma ware; no lustre pieces. Fired two hours — be- 
ginning slowly — opened it six hours later and found the stilts had left three ugly 
marks on most every piece, especially on a stack of nine inch plates, which were 
both German and French. I have fired for seven years and never had this happen 
before. I have some stilts which have very sharp points, but some of my old 
ones left the same mark. If you can explain this I will be most grateful. 
If you know of a 7-eUable book on firing, or rather the most reliable, should 
be glad to purchase it. 
Do not know the cause of the stilt marks unless you over-fired so that 
the glaze fused too much. But use clay stilts, not asbestos stilts. 
You will find complete instructions on firing in our Class Room Book 
No. 3. A great deal about firing must be learned by experience. 
J . C. K. — Will you kindly inform me what is the cause of a piece of china 
turning yellow in the firing? Some liyne ago a pair of salt and peppers decorated 
in gold initials and tops came out of the kiln, one as yellow as Belleek ware, the 
other perfectly white. Yesterday a footed berry bowl came from the kiln just 
as yellow, almost brown. Was decorated in turquoise blue and gold in narrow 
band, rest of the bowl was left white, but now it is almost brown Everything 
in the kiln was alright. Can you tell me the cause of this? Can anything he 
done to ?nake the bowl while? 
The trouble with your china may have been caused by smoke in 
the kiln or it may have come in contact with something in the kiln though 
that is not very likely; it is hard to tell without knowing the make of the 
kiln. You might try to fire it again and give it a very hot fire, this may 
remedy it. 
STUDIES FROM EVENING PRIMROSE 
