28 
ftERAMIC STUDIO 
ROSES-MARGARET OVERBECK 
place in the study and to give distance or atmosphere to 
others is to powder dry color over that part of the study, 
thus throwing a veil over it and blending it into the back- 
ground ; this is done in this way : After the piece has dried 
until in passing a wisp of absorbant cotton across the 
surface no lint adheres to the paint, take whatever colors 
you wish to powder on, out on a piece of paper; do not put 
on slab, because it is apt to have some oiliness about it 
and the colors must be bone dry. Now take a small ball 
of cotton, gather the color into it and very lightly draw 
it over the surface you wish to powder, renewing the 
powder until the desired surface is covered, being careful 
not to get it on any other part. Now with a quick breath 
blow the surplus powder off, then gently wipe with clean 
cotton. I sometimes powder with the prevailing color 
of the background, again with one of the foliage colors 
or with any harmonious or complimentary color. The 
advantage to be gained is to subdue certain colors, to 
subordinate certain parts, to soften sharp edges, or to 
pull a study together and effects can be gotten in this way 
that subsequent painting will not always give. For the 
third firing, put in accents in flowers and foliage and 
strengthen the background where needed. 
ROSES 
Pink Roses 
For pink roses, such as La France, I get beautiful 
results by using Rosa put on very, very thin, in fact you 
cannot get it too thin; this is for the general color of the 
rose. Paint the centers with Ruby and Rosa mixed, one- 
fourth Ruby to three-fourths Rosa, this you can put on 
a little more generously than you did the pure Rosa. For 
shadows use Grey for Flowers with a tiny touch of Albert 
Yellow for reflected light. For second firing go over roses 
again. This is the only way to get the full strength of the 
Rosa and retain or secure the charming quality of its 
pink, by repeated firings, for if put on any thing like so 
thick as the iron or cobalt colors, it comes out a very dis- 
agreeable bluish color, and I think roses painted with re- 
peated firings of Rosa are much superior to those painted 
first with Pompadour or some of the iron pinks and then 
with Rosa; the color is more transparent. 
Third painting, strengthen drawing wherever needed, 
put in final accents. The centers nearly always need the 
third painting. Where the petals of a pink rose turn over 
against a warm colored bunch of leaves, use a touch of 
Deep Red Brown with perhaps the merest bit of Yellow 
Brown on the tip edge of those petals. Brown Green may 
be used for shadows in the petals where thev cup instead 
of Grey for Flowers, but must be very thin. Foliage of 
pink roses is prettiest if kept cool in color, using Deep 
Blue Green, Apple Green, Chinese Yellow, Brown Green, 
Dark Green No. 7, with Violet of Iron and Deep Red Brown 
for shoots or sprouts. 
A very pleasing background for pink roses is Chinese 
Yellow with the least trifle of Albert Yellow near the central 
bunch, Apple Green, Peach Blossom and Deep Blue Green. 
By pushing your brush first into the Peach Blossom, then 
into the Apple Green, you get a delightfully vibrating or 
atmospheric grey. Then do the same thing with the three 
colors, Deep Blue Green, Peach Blossom, and Apple Green. 
With a little practice you will be able to get a beautiful 
atmospheric tint or flush running from a pinkish grey 
green, grey blue to lavender, with here and there the 
clear Chinese Yellow for sunshine effect. Keep a separate 
brush for putting on the Yellow, and rinse your other brush 
often, otherwise you will have muddy color. In using 
the above mentioned colors in the same brush at the same 
time, take care not to stir your colors together or mix them 
on the palette, but try to get them pure into the brush, 
and do the blending of them as you paint them on the china. 
When the piece is dry enough, so that in passing cotton 
across its surface the lint does not pull off and stick to the 
paint, you can soften edges and give distance or subordinate 
those leaves and roses that you do not wish so conspicuous, 
by dusting powder color over those portions, as previously 
described in General Remarks. 
White Roses 
Use Lemon Yellow, Yellow Brown and Deep Red 
Brown mixed for centers. A touch of Lemon Yellow 
where petals join rose and perhaps a little Apple Green. 
For shadows and modeling of roses, Grey for Flowers with 
touch of Black and trifle of Lemon Yellow, using, of course, 
the white china for high -lights. Keep background rathe r 
light, running from Chinese Yellow for lighter warm color 
to yellowish green grey, using Rosa and Blue Green for 
pinkish, lavender and bluish tints. 
ROSES— HANNAH OVERBECK 
