158 
heramic studio 
PLACE CARD— ALICE B. SHARRARD 
LESSON FOR BEGINNERS IN ENAMELS 
Satsuma Jar 
Jessie M. Bard 
DIVIDE the jar into four equal parts, make a careful trac- 
ing of one section of the design and transfer it to the jar 
and go over the lines with a very light grey India ink line. 
Watch the study and make the necessary corrections in the 
drawing while outlining for the hand is not always steady when 
transferring. Paint in all of the tones 
corresponding to No. 4 in the grey scale 
with a thin wash of antique green bronze 
This is put up in small boxes the same 
as the gold and is thinned with Garden 
lavender oil just as the gold is treated. /' 
Be sure not to apply it heavily, two 
thin washes of it are much more satis- 
factory. Paint in tone three (which 
is the bands, leaves and stems) with 
green gold and it is ready to fire. Sat- 
suma requires a light fire about the 
same as Belleek. 
Second Fire — Outline the parts 
indicated with M. & H. outhning black 
thinned with lavender oil and go over 
all the gold then prepare the enamels as 
follows: 
Take four parts M. & H. relief 
white, which comes in a tube, one part 
Hancock's hard white enamel and a bit 
of flux. If the relief white is very oily 
put it on a piece of blotting paper until 
the oil%ad been absorbed. Place all of 
these ^'on' a clean piece 'of ground glass 
and grind thoroughly, with a glass muller 
at least ten minutes, then remove it to 
a china slant; take about a half of the 
mixture and add to it enough color to 
make a bright green, using Apple Green, 
and about half as much Yellow Green 
as you do of the Apple. Enamels fire a 
little brighter and stronger so allow for 
this in mixing. 
For the blue enamels use two parts ready prepared Fry's 
Cobalt Enamel and one part Banding Blue paint, add just 
painting medium to moisten the color but not enough to hold 
it together. Rub it through thoroughly, (it is not necessary 
to grind it as long as the light mixture) and add Garden lavender 
oil. Be sure the lavender is not old and oily. 
Take the remaining half of the white mixture and add a 
little Sea or Russian Green, enough to make a light blue or 
turquoise coloring. 
The dark blue enamel is to be in the tone marked No. 5; 
the light blue in tone No. 1, which is the wide light space in the 
large circle and the light part of the three next size circles. 
The green is in No. 2 or the long space under the large circle 
around the small outline circles where it is indicated. Use a 
No. 1 sable brush for the smaller spaces. Thin the enamel with 
Garden lavender to the consistency of thick cream, so that it 
will flow easily from the tip of the brush. Pick up as much of 
the enamel as the tip of the brush will hold, do not press the 
brush into it, but pick it up from the side, raising the brush up, 
keep the brush well pointed whfle doing this, then carry it 
to the china. It should be dragged from the brush, not pressed 
off, barely allowing the tip of the brush to touch, this causes it 
to flow on smoothly. If the enamel is painted on in strokes as 
is done with the color the enamel will have a rough surface. 
It should be perfectly smooth without showing any brush 
marks or joins. Avoid adding lavender oil as much as possible, 
for there is danger of getting it too oily. The enamels should 
dry within ten'or fifteen "minutes after they are put on, other- 
wise they are too oily and there is danger of blistering in the 
fire. It is best to thin just a little of the enamel at a time to 
prevent it from getting oily. 
When covering a large surface the enamel is made thinner, 
