R£RAMIC STUDIO 
17 
TREATMENT FOR ROSES 
E. Louise Jenkins 
A FEW GENERALITIES. 
NE of the many things needful in china, as 
well as other painting, is to centralize the 
design. Recognize the "feature" and 
never again lose sight of it. By finish- 
ing up in this piece the individual roses 
to equal value the design at once takes on a flatness that rivals 
the surface of the plane. In naturalistic painting strong con- 
trasts spotted here and there and all about, destroy the depth 
of the mass and take away all the atmosphere at one blow. 
The two roses in the centre of this piece are the " feature " 
and all else must subserve to them. This, however, does not 
mean that the "all else" may be less thoughtfully painted — 
quite the contrary — for things suggested are even more diffi- 
cult to do than the ones that define themselves. Their sec- 
ondary position must not be an excuse for their being "half 
done" or neglected, but the effect must bear evidence of 
being thought out and wholly intentional. 
Avoid always — in a background — a " coat of many colors." 
A background must as the name implies, be kept strictly 
back. It will be an advantage in working out this design to 
put in the background first, which of course necessitates an 
open oil, and sufficient time to complete the piece for first 
firing in one sitting. By this plan dividing lines will be soft 
and harmonious that are otherwise often as sharp as glazed 
paper edges. A double advantage is gained by allowing the 
ground color to slightly infringe upon the outlines of the 
drawing, as by painting into it the lines are softened and the 
objects partake of the colors surrounding. The harmony is 
then better. The background on light side of oval may shade 
from brown green at the top, into soft grey by the roses, made 
of Copenhagen with a little rose and lemon yellow in it to 
keep it from being blue; thence into lemon yellow toned 
down with yellow ochre and brown green with just the slight- 
est flushing of Pompadour. On dark side use brown green 
with yellow ochre and shade into dark brown (Bischoff's) and 
ruby at the top of oval. 
It is better always in painting a design on china to begin 
with the flowers and leaves that are under and in shadow and 
keep working up to the prominent ones. This insures better 
edges and proper places. Therefore, begin with the red roses 
at the top, and paint them for the first firing with ruby in the 
lights, and Roman purple and dark brown in the shadows, 
allowing them to be quite lost in the brown and ruby ground. 
The rose between the red and white ones, will serve as a half 
tone and should be painted with rose on the light side and 
ruby and brown in the darks, blending, as do the others into 
the colors above. Retouch with ruby, Roman purple and 
dark brown. The two white roses are the central feature. 
For the shadows use Copenhagen with a touch of Roman 
purple and lemon yellow, intensified for retouching with a 
trifle black and Russian green. The centres are yellow, toned 
down in second and third painting with yellow brown and 
brown green, and in the finish a nice little touch of brown red. 
The open rose by the white one, is a delicate creamy 
pink, ivory yellow on the upper, and rose on the lower edge 
with yellow rose and brown green for the centre. A little 
brown red on the stamens and pollen will tone it up to the 
white roses. The two indistinct roses on left edge and the 
half blown one are of delicate rose and ivory. They must be 
softly painted and blended into the gray ground, a light pow- 
dering of Russian green will make them quite unobtrusive, 
prettily transparent, and produce an atmospheric effect. The 
painting must be dry enough to take but little of the Russian 
green or the effect will be gaudy. The two roses on the lower 
edge of the oval, being separated from the rest of the design, 
may be in yellow that scarcely defines itself from the yellow- 
ish background. Retouching with warm gray, yellow ochre 
and a very little Pompadour — and gold gray for stamens — 
will keep them quietly in their place. 
The leaves should be rather flat and simple. The soft 
gray ones are made of deep blue green, with a little brown 
green, the delicate ones near the roses of Copenhagen and 
rose and lemon yellow. For the green leaves use moss green, 
retouch with brown green and deep blue green. Paint the 
stronger ones with brown green, retouch with brown green 
and dark green, but let the leaves generally, especially on the 
dark side of the oval, be almost lost in the background. In 
no instance must one feature of the painting be independent 
of the others, all must partake of some of the coloring of the 
surroundings. The leaves by the red roses must have some 
purple reflecting on them, and so it is with the white roses, 
and indeed with everything. Herein lies the charm or discord 
of the finished piece. 
Powder the red roses with Roman purple and dark brown, 
the dark brown green portion of the background and the roses 
cutting into it with brown green, dark green and a little 
Roman purple, and near the yellow roses at the lower edge a 
light dusting of yellow ochre will be effective. And remem- 
ber, always keep the edges soft. 
WATER COLOR. 
Have the paper well soaked, so it will lie flat on the 
drawing board, but blot the superfluous water off the surface. 
Locate the main feature; study the coloring for the design, 
and make first your mental picture. Beware of detail, the 
stumbling block that lies in all roads that lead to pictures. 
But on the other hand, do not clear it too broadly lest you 
may be accused of never having known it. Paint simply, and 
in masses of light and shade. A carefuk drawing is the first 
sure step in the right direction, the next is never forgetting 
for a moment that every leaf, rose and color must feel and 
show the influence of its nearest and often next nearest neigh- 
bor. Keep the values even throughout the working by quickly 
suppressing the slightest indication on the part of any rose 
leaf or bud to become discordantly prominent. 
Begin with the white roses, keep the lights clear and the 
edges true. It is, you know, in this medium, easier to em- 
phasize than to obliterate. For the shadows in white flowers 
use cobalt, rose madder and lemon yellow, with a little black 
to intensify, in the positive shadows. The pink flowers are 
painted with rose madder, a little carmine to strengthen, 
and sometimes purple lake to keep them from being too 
strong. The grays on pink roses should be put in after the 
body color has set, or the transparency may be destroyed. 
For the red roses use carmine for the first wash, to give what 
brilliancy they require, retouch with purple lake, and purple 
lake and olive green for the darks. If they are still too bright 
a flat wash of cobalt with a touch of purple and black will 
subdue them. The yellow roses at the lower edge of the oval 
are painted with lemon yellow and the shadows are gray 
rather than golden or brown. 
Keep the background in gray and soft gray greens in the 
light portions near the pink and white roses, warm it up a bit 
with yellow ochre near the lower edge and the yellow roses, 
