148 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
yellow to dark brown; second row, green to blue; third row, 
pink to 'purple, leaving the lower half of palette free for painting. 
Pupils should always have clean paints. Take on the palette 
knife that part of old paint which is free from dust and grit; 
remix in center of palette, which is perfectly clean, and put 
in opposite lower corner, which is also perfectly clean. When 
all paints have been transferred in order and palette cleaned 
turn palette upside down and you will have the original order. 
Wash brushes in turpentine and be sure they are soft before 
the teacher comes to you. Always see that you have clean 
turpentine and oil and that there is enough of each. I use 
my old turpentine for cleaning palette and brushes and then 
throw away, getting clean for painting. In the center of my 
painting table I keep a tin box which contains scissors, pen 
knife, adhesive tape, keramic gauge, compass, agate point, 
ruler, etc. I keep a plate divider where the class can use it 
and two large bottles of alcohol and turpentine are also kept 
on the table. I use alcohol for all cleaning purposes as it cuts 
the dry paint better than turpentine and does not run so badly. 
When everything is in order it saves time, there is less con- 
fusion and materials are not so easily lost. I insist upon the 
pupil marking every one of her possessions with her name. 
All brushes, paint bottles, pencils and especially gold boxes 
look alike. I mark both top and bottom of gold box and make 
a hole in a corner of its cover to keep the liquid gold bottle 
standing upright as the cork absorbs it when lying down. 
A simple method for banding plates is by using an ordi- 
nary school compass. Place firmly a small piece of adhesive 
tape (about one-half inch square) in as nearly the center of 
the plate as you can judge. Measure from side to side with 
the compass and, when you have found the center, mark the 
little hole with an "x". Mix your paint for lining as you would 
for painting, then dilute with any good diluting fluid. Sugar 
and water is alright but I recommend Campana's Diluting 
Medium. Add two or three drops as when too thin it runs 
and makes a grey line. You will soon be able to judge for 
yourself. Dip the paint up with the pen and begin your circle. 
You will not be able to make a perfect line the first time you 
try. You will have to persevere but I do know positively 
that you can learn to make a beautiful line with this twenty- 
five cent compass if you only have patience. When your 
pen stops marking fill it again and when you start put it down 
on the china with a little swing so that it does not make a jog 
in the line. Do not grip your compass so hard that you spring 
it. Do not press so hard on your tape that you push it and 
lose the center. If the hole in the tape becomes too large put 
another piece on top. You can make a pen line with any 
color or gold in this way and the price is not prohibitive of this 
ordinary school compass which you probably used in your 
geometry. I keep my diluted paint in a clean empty gold 
box because it runs into the other paints when on the regular 
.palette. A small compass which is a part of a mechanical 
drawing set can be purchased for about $1.25 for banding 
cups, bowls, etc. Almost any store will break a set for you. 
These things are so much cheaper than an ordinary banding 
wheel and I can guarantee them to be just as satisfactory. 
The following are some hints for those who fire and for 
those who have their firing done. Have clean hands when 
you stack the kiln. Look at the make of every piece you put 
in. If you are doubtful of a piece as to quality or the way 
paint is applied you will do the painter a favor by not putting 
it in until you have explained to her the mistake. Be as care- 
ful as you can — learn all you can about the respective heat 
for different colors and when the kiln door is closed you can do 
no more except to fire to the proper heat. But be willing to 
admit when you are at fault. Nine times out of ten the fault 
lies in the painting and not in the firing. The kiln cannot 
rectify your mistakes and, as the old photographer said, can- 
not make a "peach out of a potato." Alas, how many more 
potatoes we encounter than peaches! If you know nothing of 
firing do not criticise the person who fired. Make inquiries 
and perhaps you will learn something you did not know. One 
very common fault of beginners is putting gold on too thin 
and blaming the kiln for firing it off. I uise liquid gold for 
first fire except to rim. Always rim with Roman and liquid 
combined. For the second fire I mix a very few drops of liquid 
gold with Roman gold. This makes a beautiful satiny gold 
and does not have the greenish cast gold put on with turpen- 
tine does. Its wearing qualities are splendid. Too much 
liquid will make the gold look brassy. Brush strokes do not 
show when put on in this manner but the gold should look like 
melted chocolate before it is fired. When fired it looks like 
clay. Do not handle before burnishing as oily fingers may 
leave a mark which does not come off. Clean the under side 
of your china carefully, especially when gold has been used. 
If any purplish spots show after firing they can be removed 
with Sapolio or Bon Ami which is not harmful like the acid. 
But the best way is to be so neat that there are no purple spots. 
Dry china thoroughly before wrapping up. Time and patience 
are always rewarded by a neat appearing piece. Nothing 
worth while was ever attained without conscientious endeavor 
and you should know before beginning that no well decorated 
piece of china was ever executed without hard serious work. 
RAMEKIN AND PLATE 
Marguerite Cameron 
FIRST fire — Paint outline Black. Second fire — Background 
of panel tinted with Yellow Brown, very light; bands, 
leaves and center of flowers Green enamel; lower large flower 
Blue enamel; upper large flower Pink enamel and Deep Pink 
enamel; small flowers Pale Violet Enamel. 
