224 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
"^^. 
^ 
MRS. H. L. N — / have started a dinner set with gold bands and monogravis, 
and a drummer' came through here and said they were not using gold and white so 
much now. Will you kindly advise me in this matterf 
A little color is usually added to the gold and white decoration now. Mon- 
ograms are not used as much as they were, though some are still using them. 
MISS S. M. F. — / have read so many times in Keramic Studio that ink 
tvould fire out, but I used Higgins' India ink and it fired like black paint. Please 
tell me if there is a certain kind used for outlining designs that imllfire out? 
The stick India ink is the best to use. 
fire in unless some color got into it. 
The Higgin,s ink does not usually 
y¥ . H. — Will you -please give me some information about pottery. I would 
like to work it up, but do not know where to apply for materials I have a Revela- 
tion kiln No. 6. Can it be fired therein, and at what temperature canipand to 
china healf I have painted china for years and it is only of late that I have been 
troubled with chipping. Do you think it might be owing to the kiln or the man.ner 
of firing? 
You can buy materials from any large art supply house. (See our ad- 
vertising pages.) The pottery can not be fired in the No. 6 Revelation 
kiln, for you can not get it up to high enough heat. The amount of heat 
required to fire it would depend on your clay, as the different mixture.s require 
a different heat. 
It would be hard to tell you the cause of the chipping, not knowing where 
your colors were painted or dusted on, or anything else in regard to it, but we 
do not think it could be the fault of the firing. You are probably applying the 
colors too heavy. 
S. M. A. — In the treatment of the fish design for plate by May B. Ilolscher in 
the January number there are only two fires mentioned. Is it possible to put all the 
various dustings 07i as mentioned in one fire? According to the proces.s- / was 
taught to put on gi-ounding oil, pounce well, after which clean off edges and dust, it 
wouldrequire five fires to complete design. 
Yes, it is possible to carry out the treatment as given . Use the Special 
medium for dusting or Special Tinting oil and apply it very thin; it is not as 
heavy as the grounding oil and does not need pouncing unless applied too heavy 
/j. M. F. — Can you name a good substitute for turpentine, one without the in- 
jurious rffriis (iiid disagreeable odor? I find that the Chin atiiLe advertised in the 
Kci-diiiir (S/;/(//() ('.s not much of an imjwovement. 
How do yuu outline a design in India ink in gray oullines? (See treatment 
of Talcum Shaker in March supplement.) 
Some people use anise oil as a substitute for turpentine. 
To outhne a design with grey ink lines, use the stick India ink and use it 
thin enough so that the line is grey. The longer you rub it the darker it becomes. 
(Continued from page 203) 
we would be loth to believe that all our subscribers want are 
"ideas that bring in dollars and cents." In truth, we know of 
quite a number who enjoy even more a "feast of reason and a 
flow of soul." But directly or indirectly we believe that every 
design published in Keramic Studio can be made into a money 
getter. "Let those who have eyes see, and those that have 
ears, hear." Of course, it is understood that all can not see and 
hear equally well. And finally, we will redouble the effort we 
have always made to "make the magazine worth while, every 
page full of something worth while," and as our jolly critic says, 
"The subscription list will take care of itself." 
The second letter to give the editor a jolt is fi-om another 
good friend who says frankly what she thinks, for which we 
thank her. The substance of the letter follows: 
"I certainly have a hard time to persuade my pupils or 
friends to take Keramic Studio. They say it is constantly filled 
with material which is of no earthly use to them.. They do not 
want something that is positively hideous, as they think many 
things in Keramic Studio are. Even the colored study is of no 
use to them. They do not want something from which 'they must 
work up their own ideas. You give scarcely anything in the nat- 
uralistic line, so they will not subscribe to your magazine. Why 
do you never give us contributions frortii and 
? I am not trying to run your magazine, but I think if you 
knew what people wanted you might be able to select your mate- 
rial in a way that would be more remunerative to you!^ I will be 
delighted to try to secure subscribers if I can find anything on 
which to base an argument. Of course you have numbers of 
letters telling you all about what they think of the conventional 
designs, because they think that pleases you, since you as editor 
are firmly convinced they are the only things desirable, but hun- 
dreds would write what they thought on the other hand, etc," 
(the rest we have already quoted.) 
This letter is a sad commentary on the unwillingness of a 
large majority of china painters to use their brain. (We say 
painters advisedly, decorators have to think.) Now while we 
hope and think that a large proportion of the designs in Keramic 
Studio can be used just as they are, we consider that the main 
mission of the magazine is to furnish material that will stimu- 
late the imagination and force our workers to do something on 
their own account. It is the only way to make of them inde- 
pendent workers. As to the artists whose contributions are 
missed, two contribute from time to time, one has ceased to 
work for the public, one we have asked in vain for contributions, 
and one has ceased to contribute because our sympathies are 
rather on the conventional side. We publish all the good nat- 
uralistic studies we can get, but most of the best workers nowa- 
days do not like to publish naturalistic studies over their signa- 
ture, and we have a hard time to persuade them. However, we 
consider that we have a very superior list of contributors of 
decorative flower studies and plant analysis, but as our corres- 
pondent suggests, their studies can not be transferred bodily to 
china, they have to be adapted. And this gives some people 
"brain fag." 
And, lastly, certainly we could easily select our matei'ial in 
a way that would be more remunerative. But much as we desire 
to make a good living and butter to our bread, there is some- 
thing we desire more, and that is, to help lead the keramic fra- 
ternity onward and upward. 
NOTE 
The Buffalo Society of Mineral Painters will hold an exhi- 
bition of their work at the Hotel Iroquois, Buffalo, N. Y., 
April 21, 22 and 23. The Club always has a very interesting 
exhibition and the public is cordially invited. 
