heramic studio 
97 
PYROGRAPHY TREATMENT FOR TRAY (Page 93) 
Katherine Livermore 
THE lettering should be done with the finest etching point 
in the daintiest manner possible, also the lines of steam 
which emanate from the cup. 
Use an ordinary curved point for the rest of the work; 
making the hair in bold strong lines ver}- close together to make 
a solid mass; the gown shoidd be shaded with the flat side of the 
point, keeping it in a medium tone. In working up any design 
always strive to obtain three tones, — dark, medium, light. 
Carry this same idea out in the border, making the background 
dark, leave in the kettles the natural wood and shade the cups 
very delicately in the finest lines with the etching point. 
^ If 
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES 
A. L. F. — ^Asplialtuni varnish come.? in tube^; and cans of all sizes. It can 
be bought of any paint shop. 
M.P.— Probably you bought C. sulphuric acid, which means conuuercial and 
is not right. Alway.s ask for C.P., this refers to all acids, and means chemical pure. 
R. T. — Sphinx i)aste is better than any other for leather work. It can be 
bought at the Arabol Co., William St., New York. 
H. P. — Devoe's oil malachite green will give a delightfxil finisli to the 
wood part of your sconce. Riib in a very httle at a time until yovi get the de- 
sired effect. 
To finish wood in the natural state, take half spirits of tui-pentine and half 
1)eeswax by weight. Put these together in a can and melt by putting the can 
in anotlier one holding water. Keep water boiling, and stir the mixture con- 
.stantly, until it is thoroughly blended, and of the consistency of tl^iclv cream. 
CLUB NOTE 
The annual nieetiitg of the Detroit Keramic Art Club was 
held April 24th in Miss Marj^ MacMaster's studio, Whitnej^ 
Block, the following oihcers being elected: President, Miss 
Mary MacMaster; first Vice-President, Mrs. Caroline T. Owen; 
second Vice-president, Miss Goodall; Recording Secretary, Miss 
Miriam Candler; Corresponding Secretary, Miss Edna Hil)bard; 
Treasurer, Miss Ida Parkinson. Miss Donaldson, Miss Goodall, 
and Miss White were made members of the Advisorj^ Board. 
C. Edna Hibbard, Cor. Secretary. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
This column is only for subscribers whose names appear upon our list. PIc&se 
do not send stamped envelopes for reply. The editors van answer questions only 
in this column. 
AIJ questions to be answered in the Magazine must be received before the 10th 
day of the month preceding issue. 
E. C. — We have ne\'er heard of outlining in black pas/e — we think }-ou 
must mean black paint, which is the regular method of outlining. To do this, 
use German outlining black in powder, mix to the consistency of tube colors 
with a medium composed of 6 drops copaiba to one of oil of cloves, thin with 
rectified spirits of turpentine so that the color will flow easily from the brush 
but thick enough to make a good black line. When dry, go over line again to 
he sure it is black enougli. If you wish a raised black line add 1-5 Dresden 
Aufsetzweis in tubes and work the same way as paste for raised gold, be sure and 
make the line of even width aud blackness. You may see examples of the flat 
outlining in e\ery studio. 
D. M. A. — The best medium to use with powder colors to keep them open 
until painting is finislied and colors well blended, is a mixture of one drop of oil 
of doves to six of copaiba. With tube eoloi-s, oil of la^'ender or oil of cloves can 
be used to keep the color ojjcn. 
C. S. — Mix your powder color to the consistency of tulje colors with the 
medium gi^■en for D. M. A., thin with rectified spirits of turpentine, not as thin 
as for painting if a dark color is required, and use the rubber stamp as on an 
ink pad, first smoothing the color on the palette .so that the stamp will not sink 
too deeply. For tube colors or gold add turpentine only. 
Mrs. W. W. S. — The iron colors, deep red brown and cai-nation especially, 
have an unreliable way of firing, often one tube of color will rub off while 
another will fire well. We .should use 1-3 flux and no ivory yellow and fire 
reasonably hard. If it continues to rub off, throw away the tube and tr>- 
another; ivory or any yellow added to iron reds is halile to destroy the red un- 
less very judiciously used, a verj^ small quantity is generally sufficient. 
■^"'W.T. — ^The bast tinting can be made b}^ using 1-3 as much flux as color, 
adding as much fat oil of turpentine as color and flux combined, thin with oil 
of turpentine until it is no longer ' 'tacky. '' We do not care for any ready pre- 
pared tinting oils. The preparation of grounding oil is a secret of the manu- 
facturers, also the oils used in the preparation of the Dresden tube colors. For 
tinting, in case you use powder colors, mix them first with medium six drops of 
copaiba to one of clove oil to the consistency of tube colors, then use the fat oil 
and lavender. 
G. S. A. — We do not know of any better medium than the one of which we 
gave you the formula. If you wish to compose a medium of any or all the in- 
gredients you mention you might experiment until you find the composition 
you wish. Tlie fat oil and copaiba are used to hold the colors together so that they 
will not be grainy, it is not usual to have both in the same mixture, the copaiba 
perhaps keeps open a little longer and is not quite so smooth as the fat oil. Oil 
of tar keejis open longer still and has only a little of the quality of keeping 
color smooth. Oil of lavender is adtled to keep color open only and oil of cloves 
keeps color open longer still, usually only one of each kind of oil is used in com- 
bination, that is, fat oil and lavender, or copaiba and cloves. Sometimes oil of 
tar is added to these combinations. You can easily experiment with a few 
drops until you get the desired proportion. This medium is for use in mixing 
powder colors for either painting or tinting — for grounding, we imagine .some 
heavier drying oil is used. 
E. W. A. — Gold lustre is used just as it comes from tlie vial with a large 
square shader, if thick enough to be sticky, thin with a little oil of lavender 
This applies to all lustre. Gold lustre is garish if used alone, it .should be fired 
fu-st, then the "covering" used over it, whiclr gives a rich ruby effect. If the 
lustre rubs off, it has not been sufficiently fired, color can be used over lustre, 
lustre will always come off if used over pencil or India ink, it needs to touch the 
china. Color and lustre can be used on the same piece and fired together; 
color which comes out dull after firing is either insufficient^ fired or { flux 
should be added. We judge that the trouble is insufficient firing as lustre also 
rubs off. Vellum is used on china the same as a dusted or grounded color; the 
surface is covered with groimding oil, and after padding eveiily the vellum is 
dusted on with a brush, being careful to keep the oil away from the oil. Keep 
putting on more A'ellum until the oily surface looks dry with color. This ap- 
plies to all mat or powder color groimds. 
When red comes out with a blue tone it is either fired too hard or has too 
much flux or oil. Belleek is better fii-ed alone as it does not need as hard a 
fire as French china but can be fired in the top of a gas kiln or the front of an oil 
kiln witli French china in the other part, as no kiln fires as hot near the opening. 
If you wish to import china direct from France instead of pajdng the two deal- 
ers, why not AATite direct to C. H. Haviland or Ha^-iland & Co., Limoges, 
France; if they will not deal directly with you they way direct j'ou to some 
French retail dealer, or write to Pouyat or Tressemaines & Vogt. See advs, 
in K. S., they may direct you where to send. 
Black outlines can be put on with either a fine brush or a pen for India ink, 
in the latter case, after mixing to a proper consistencj-, put the color in a little 
cup so tliat the pen can fill easily. We give fruit designs from time to time in 
K. 8., but will soon be publishing a book of fruit designs both conventional and 
luitiu'alistic, similar to the Book of Ro.ses just being issued. 
\. H. — In executing the nasturtium design for bowl by Adelaide Alsop- 
Robineau in June 1902 K. S., the space above the design would be too garish if 
filled with solid gold, but a gold tracery such as is suggested would not be too 
heavy. A tinting inside of yellow brown lustre finished with an edge and 
bands of gold would be appropriate. Use a band about ^ mch ^"ide, about 1-S 
inch from edge, 1-S inch below the band finish with a line of gold. If you pre- 
fer you may fill in the space above design with a tracerj' in color, Albert 
yellow or yellow bro-mi or carnation, or a gray green according to effect de- 
sired, let the bands of gold follow the irregular edge. W"e hardly think a solid 
tint would look well in so large a space as there is on j'our bowl above the de- 
sign. Finish the outside edge with a band of color instead of gold if you use 
color tracery. The violet vases should be tinted either in color or lustre, but we 
do not advise a violet tint as that would not show off the flowers to the best 
ad\antage. The violets of gold are rather too pink in tone; if you use them, 
add Banding or Roj'al blue.. 
F. P. C. — You will find treatment in flat color for simple decoration of 
plate designs in eveiy number. Tlie fish set has already been giA'en as re- 
quested. Five dift'erent designs have been printed to give a choice, look over 
your back ninnbers from August to December 1902. To put on flat color, use 
a large square shader, mix your color (if in powder) with medium until of 
the consistency of tube color, then use rectified spirits of turpentine to thin 
until it will flow easily from the brush. If you use tube colors it will produce 
better re,s\ilts to thin the color as it comes from the tube, with oil of lavender. 
Lay on as e^'enly as po.ssible so that brush strokes will not show but let a \-ariation 
of tone appear, the color flowing heavier in some places than in others. The 
gold that is put up for photographic purposes would not be so good for use on 
china, unless you used it as you would a color for grounds. Gold in powder 
form to be used on china must be a soft red browni color and can onlj'^ be ob- 
tained by precipitating the gold as in directions given. To make the flux, use 
.sub-nitrate of Bismuth in powclei- form, which can be boughtat any drugstore. 
