204 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
on which he worked with a fine pointed brush until he got 
the requisite "quality" and finish. 
I was once surprised to see him using the needle on 
a vase which he was painting underglaze. On the glaze, 
the color, of course, is easily scratched with a point, but 
on biscuit, under ordinary conditions, it would make no 
more impression than it would on a water color drawing. 
Boullemier, however, by sogging the surface of his vase 
highly, had obtained a smooth and non-absorbent surface 
similar (on all essentials) to glazed ware, and had mixed 
his colors with just the right amount of "tackiness" for 
the needle to make a fine clear line. 
Of course, with this kind of painting, one must make 
a perfect net work of scratches — something like a wood 
engraving — and when the whole surface is covered, the 
minute white patches, must be touched and stippled with 
a fine pointed brush in the proper color. These must in 
turn be broken up with the point, and again finished with 
the brush. Washes may be put over the stippling in parts, 
according to the discretion of the artist — for this process 
must be only used by the artist, and not by the tyro. It 
is a laborious method of working, but the delicate and 
exquisite finish obtainable by its use well repays the trouble, 
if the operator can draw and paint. 
- , ' For the ordinary kinds of underglaze painting no 
more instruction is necessary than the simple rules laid 
down. A very little experiment will demonstrate its pos- 
sibilities, and every one who practices the art will find 
little devices for obtaining new effects. It is (while pre- 
serving all the advantages and possibilities of enamel or 
on glaze painting) to on glaze painting, what oil color is 
to water color painting. It can, besides, be wedded to 
other processes. Underglaze painting may be followed 
up and finished on glaze, thus allying the vigor of the one 
method to the delicacy of the other. 
■ Underglaze painting may be glazed with colored 
glazes, and effects of extraordinary depth and richness are 
possible in this way. It has the great advantage to the 
amateur, that while a person having some skill with the 
brush or pencil cannot paint on glaze in mineral colors 
without some instruction and practice, they may paint 
successfully under glaze right away. 
But even the practiced painter will find, at the out- 
set, that the impasto method of painting under glaze needs 
some experiment and practice before successful results 
can be attained. But once it is tried, it is found so fascinat- 
ing that it is rarely discarded. The painter Mussil, before 
mentioned, was a master in this style of ceramic decoration. 
His adoption of the method was partly accidental. He 
left Paris just before the siege by the Germans in 1870, 
and went to England, where he found employment in the 
Minton Studios. Mr. Arnoux, the well known ceramist, 
was art director at the time, and he noticed that Mussil 's 
fine studies of flowers were invariably made either in oil 
or Gouache, which is opaque water color on tinted paper. 
Being translated to china, they lost much of their force 
and power, and the idea struck Mr. Arnoux that Minton 's 
fine red body would be an admirable ground for these 
powerful studies painted underglaze in impasto. Mussil 
therefore tried some pieces, and they achieved an immediate 
and immense success, both in England, the Continent of 
Europe, and America. He declined a fixed salary, and 
was paid an arranged price for each piece. He was in- 
credibly swift, and would perfectly represent the down 
on the breast of a bird, the bloom on fruit, or the light on 
a rose, with a few flicks of his brush. He died in 1906 and 
left a little fortune of $200,000 made chiefly by his under- 
glaze painting. It is Mussil's palette which I give here, 
as well as his method of painting. I use it myself for 
this class of work, and find it simple, convenient, and ex- 
pressive. 
The colors needed are those already specified, with the 
addition of U. G. white. Wenger supplies a good white, 
but the perfect one is made by Aidney, Stoke, England. 
Some of the colors will not mix with white, or are unsatis- 
factory when mixed, and this should be borne clearly in 
mind. Others, again, have sufficient opacity to be used 
alone, and retain their color even when put on a colored 
ground. The best grounds for general purposes are drab 
or red (terra cotta). 
Of course, a number of other stained bodies are avail- 
able, and these may all be utilized for novel decorative 
effect, so long as the painting or decoration is schemed to 
harmonize with the color of the ground. But with the 
drab and red bodies, almost any color effect (so long as it 
is not discordant in itself) will agree. It will be well to 
bear in mind that the color of these stained grounds may 
be effectively pressed into service. For example, a thin 
TEA PATTERN FOR UNDERGLAZE 
F. A. RHEAD 
Outlined in French Green. Flowers, Wenger's 
"Brougham's Unique," or Poulene's Violet, or 
"Chromo" Mauve. Leaves, Apple Green (1 part 
Victoria Green and 1 part Yellow). 
