38 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
ICE TUB— EDITH M. HUNT 
BEGINNERS' CORNER 
JESSIE M. BARD ------ Page Editor 
Dickinson Seminary, Williamsport, Pa. 
TREATMENT FOR ICE TUB 
TRACE the design on the china and go over the lines with 
India Ink with light grey lines and make necessary 
corrections while inking. If the lines look black when the 
drawing is completed rub lightly over them with a small piece 
of fine emery or sand paper until the lines are grey. Heavy 
lines interfere with the work when dry dusting. Oil the 
flower forms with Special Medium, (for instructions see Dec. 
magazine) and dust with Water Blue. Oil the semi-circular 
form in upper border and dust with Water Green. Oil leaves 
and broken bands and dust with 3 parts Bright Green, \ part 
Grey Blue, 2 parts Ivory Glaze. The band around center 
panels and the wide band at upper edge are Green Gold. 
Second Fire — If any of the colors need patching they can 
be painted in. Paint the center panels with a very thin wash 
of Copenhagen Blue. Retouch the Gold. 
A GOOD BEGINNING MAKETH A BETTER ENDING 
Fannie Manser 
IF the beginner in china painting has never handled a brush, 
her first piece of china should be a flat surface, such as a 
plate or tile, so that strict attention can be paid to the use of 
the brush, without much thought being given to the holding 
of the china. 
Tinting is the first thing taught. Tube colors are 
preferable, because they require but little grinding, but if 
powder colors are used, they must be thoroughly ground until 
all grit disappears. Pour the color on a piece of ground glass, 
add to the paint a good medium, three or four drops, stir well 
with a palette knife until the color is mixed to a consistancy 
to drop from the knife. The brush to be used should be a 
broad flat camel's hair brush, which before using should be 
put into hot water for a while — as this keeps the hairs from 
falling out. Take a piece of silk (old white silk is best) place 
over a piece of cotton or wool batting for a pad. This is to 
pounce the paint, which must be put on with quick even strokes. 
Change the pad several times until the tint is a delicate shade. 
Thick paint never fires well. If a hair comes out of the brush 
onto the paint, take your china pencil point and press lightly 
on the hair and it will come off. The china is ready to fire. 
For. the second fire, select a simple design or motif, for 
the tinted piece. If you can make your own designs, use 
them, if not, hunt through the Keramic Studio until a simple 
motif presents itself; after selecting the design, take the thin 
paper which looks like oiled tissue paper, and lay over the 
design. The India ink and pen can now be used to draw the 
design on the paper accurately; after this is done, lay this 
same drawing on the plate where it is to be painted (which 
can be held in place with plasticene wax), slip the black carbon 
or graphite paper under the design, go over the lines with a tracer 
or a sharp hard pencil, and when you lift the paper away, a 
clear drawing of the design will be left. Now in order to keep 
the design from rubbing out, take your India ink and perfect 
the design. As the India ink is mixed with water, it will fire 
out, but it will not rub out with the painting as oil and water 
do not mix. It can be wiped off however with alcohol to erase 
the tracing marks. A black outline may be used if preferred. 
Paint over these water color lines with a good black mineral 
paint, mixed with medium, but not as thin as for tinting; for 
this use a pointed sable liner that will make a clear line. If 
bands are necessary to connect the motifs, use a Hasburg's 
gauge with which the lines are easily put on. Practice in 
making lines is very essential and requires a steady hand. 
After the paint has been dried, wipe off very lightly with a 
damp cloth so that the water color will disappear, and you can 
see if your outlining is well applied, if not, retouch until you 
are satisfied with the work, this will be good practice. Have 
the china fired. When a small space is filled in with a color, 
use a point shader number five or six. 
WILD FLOWER STUDY— FLORENCE WYMAN WHITSON 
