54 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
General color adaptability. 
For sunny rooms, use pale pink, violet and purple 
flowers if combined with rich cool greens; white or blue 
flowers, with blue background. 
For darker rooms, use pink, crimson, yellow orange 
or red on china. 
Technical Instruction. 
White roses — Use Yellow, Black, Grey for Flowers, 
Peach Blossom (Marsching's), Grey Green, Apple Green, 
Moss Green, Brown Green, Shading Green, Deep Blue Green, 
Violet, Copenhagen Blue and Yellow Brown. 
Pink roses — Never use pink in first fire unless a "one 
fire" miniature rose, but paint with Bischoff 's Ashes of Roses 
and little Purple Black, washing Pink over the last time. 
Colors otherwise same as white roses. 
Crimson roses — Use Peach Blossom, Roman Purple, 
Ruby, Black, Finishing Brown, Banding Blue, Copenhagen 
Blue, Violet No. 2, Pansy Purple, Apple, Moss, Royal, 
Brown Green, Shading Green, Yellow Brown. 
Violets. 
White, pink, blue violet, purple violets, yellow violets, 
double violets. 
Colors — Yellow, Black, Peach Blossom, Deep Blue 
Green, Violet No. 2, Light Violet Gold, Pansy Purple, 
Banding Blue, Aztec Blue with Greens and Yellow Brown 
as for roses. Remember in mixing Black for deep shades 
to use one-fifth Black with Violet No. 2 or Aztec, also to 
use Pansy Purple sparingly, and in combining Blues with 
Purple for Violets to use more Blue or more Violet but 
never mixed in equal proportions. 
Use Violet No. 2 and Black for "whiskers" and some- 
times touch of Pompadour or Yellow Red for "eye" or 
center. 
Daffodils. 
Mixing Yellow and little Black on lower petals; Imper- 
ial Ivory, Albert Yellow, Yellow Brown, and Black for 
centers. 
Keep foliage in cool blue greens and keep line treat- 
ment simple by long sure strokes of grey greens for first 
firing, tint for second fire and accents the third fire. 
Use Apple, Moss, Royal and Brown Greens, little 
Shading Green, Chocolate and Finishing Brown, according 
to color scheme whether green or brown. 
Nasturtiums. 
Flowers — Use Albert or Silver Yellow, Yellow Brown, 
Yellow Red, Black, Capucine Pompadour, Blood Red, 
according to shade desired. Keep greens light, and cool 
in leaves, take veins out instead of painting in; use Apple, 
Moss, Royal Brown Green sparingly. Shading Green, 
Deep Blue Green and Yellow Brown in shadows. 
Geraniums. 
White, pink or red — Same colors as for roses; better 
painted out of background so that clusters may look soft. 
Mass the tints, which should be rich and dark to balance 
such large flower clusters and leaves, taking out lights 
such as petals and edges of flowers and leaves. Don't 
let it get finicky. Keep broad feeling. 
Pansies. 
Yellow pansies with Yellow Brown to rich Deep Brown 
background and some warm Greens. 
Purple pansies : use Deep Blue Green, Violet No. 1, 
Violet No. 2, Shading Violet sparingly, Copenhagen Blue 
and Black. Lovely kept in blue and violet tones or with 
soft Yellow Brown and Grey Greens. 
Forget-me-nots. 
Use Apple and Deep Blue Green; much prettier than 
clear Deep Blue Green; soft touches of Copenhagen Blue 
and Creamy Yellow in background. Apple, Moss, little 
Brown or Shading Green in foliage. 
Other Flowers. 
White flowers with blue background (Pale Blue shad- 
ing into Copenhagen) rich and dark under the white flowers, 
is particularly cool and beautiful for light room. Yellow 
should come in centers or central background. Tone pink 
flowers with Apple Green. 
Make color schemes as simple as possible and after 
deciding on lines of flower with the china form, either make 
background of simple harmonious tones, indicating the 
light and dark spotting, and take flowers out, or else paint 
flowers and foliage "clear and crisp" leaving tint for 
second fire and then dusting to throw back flowers or leaves 
to get desired depth and richness. 
Yellow flowers are particularly beautiful for chocolate 
set and Imperial Ivory a soft yellow with depth to give 
rich, not raw, tone. Yellow Red, Chocolate and Finishing 
Brown for background. Flux Chocolate and Finish Brown 
one-seventh for last firing only. 
Blood Red is rich and nice for all red things — partic- 
ularly in Japanesy effects. 
Miniature flowers should be done for last firing after 
tints and gold are perfect. Do softly but put in a few 
crisp touches. They will look much clearer and better 
if not worked up too much. White in combination is also 
better for miniature flowers, also fine gold traceries to give 
a dainty look. They are particularly appropriate for very 
thin, fine pieces and enhance the beauty of a dainty bit of 
porcelain. 
Conclusion. 
These thoughts have been for naturalistic treatment 
which may be kept good in composition and color. By 
thinking and studying the suitableness of each flower 
to its use on china, naturalistic work should increase our 
joy in the simple classical lines of good conventional designs, 
and vice versa. 
A study of color used in old rugs, the paintings of old 
masters, of Japanese prints, will help to cultivate the sense 
of appreciation of fine color tones. 
Work in monochrome is good to develop a knowledge 
of tones and shades of each color. 
Harmony and contrast learned from monochrome 
or one-color-work will cultivate the eye and help it to 
detect at once whether "high light," "middle light", or 
"low dark" is the tone or shade needed to prevent monot- 
ony. 
SUMMARY. 
Five Points to be Considered. 
1. What are the decorative values of "line" in flowers 
and growth; that is, branches, stems, etc. 
2. What is the relative value of light and dark masses 
or "Notan". 
3. Characteristic detail. 
4. To what china forms are certain flowers adapted. 
5. What color schemes suitable. 
Notice that color comes last. It is the subtle some- 
thing which brings all else into harmony. It is the spirit, 
the soul, the life. 
