KERAMIC STUDIO 
ENAMEL 
OWING to the texture and hard glaze of the china that is 
generally used for decoration (the French and German) 
there are many difficulties that prevent perfection of designs 
carried out in enamel. Perhaps it may be the failures that 
make their use so fascinating. English potteries have reached 
a greater perfection in enamels than any other :— there is 
something in the glaze that seems to hold them and to affili- 
ate with them as one body, so also does the ware from the 
Ceramic Works at Trenton, — but they have very few shapes 
suitable for table service fas Mr. Binns told us in our last 
number), and enamels are particularly attractive on rims of 
plates. The English ware sometimes fires in our kilns with 
tiny black spots, so we are limited to the French and German 
wares. ( Oh ! for the American ! ) 
In buying enamel from a dealer or a teacher, always in- 
quire if the enamel requires a hard ox a light fire, for it is the 
firing that makes the difference in the effect. 
Anfsetzzveis (German relief white) and one-third best 
English enamel is the safest enamel to use. The aufsetzweis 
comes in tubes or you can buy it at wholesale in the powder, 
which is much cheaper but requires considerable grinding. 
Mix the enamel with Dresden thick oil, just enough to change 
the character of it, but not enough to make a paste of it, thin 
with lavender and rectified spirits of turpentine. Rub thor- 
oughly until it drops or follows the brush and stays exactly 
as you place it. The enamel should look dull when placed in 
the kiln. If large surfaces are to be covered with enamel, see 
that it is not put on thin, for it is apt to chip off in that case. 
Our article in the August number, on glass, gives excellent 
directions for paste, which can be applied with success to 
enamels. Then in Miss Dibble's treatment in this number 
will be found good suggestions for carrying out designs in 
enamel in flat designs. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
Any questions to he answered by this department must be sent in by tie tOth i,, 
the month preceding issue. 
Mrs. M. C. A. -Ivory glaze, in the case to which you refer, simply 
means to tint the center of the piate delicately with ivory yellow, so as to 
obtain a uniform glaze on the plate, which is decorated in the border. But 
there is an ivory glaze put up in powder form. This is used dry and brushed 
over the half dry color of a finished piece of painted decoration with a hit of 
cotton wool. It blends the colors all together in firing, and gives a tine under- 
glaze effect, though it is liable to absorb other colors such as iron reds and 
greens and Rive a rather monochromatic effect. To make a solid Black ground, 
dust on the powder color twice. Use best German black. A luminous black 
effect is made by dusting on red brown the first time, and dark blue for the 
second fire. For outlining, use outlining black (Brunswick or German black). 
The expression "flowers were in relief in white and incised under the glaze," 
means that the piece of pottery had the design incised or. cut out before glaz- 
ing, and some of the flowers put on over the glaze in relief white, or built up 
on the piece of pottery in relief and the glaze flowed on over all. the 
peach blow effect can only be obtained under the glaze. We hope to have an 
article in regard to this in the near future. The nearest effect in over-glaze 
would be obtained by dusting gold grey over blood red, shading lighter 
towards top. The effect of peach blow over silver can only be obtained by 
enameling over meial. The suggestion was given in order that some one 
might be inspired to experiment on china to get something of the same effect. 
We hope to have a colored plate in the near future with Dresden roses, by 
Mrs. Leonard. 
Mrs. C. S. S.— We do not expect to give any designs especially adapted 
to a Louis XIV pudding set, as we have given a number of designs that 
could be adapted to this pattern of china. We refer you to the plate design 
by Miss Mason in the May number, plate by Mrs. Robineau inthesame num- 
ber, plate by Mrs Leonard in June number, plate by Mrs. Cherry in July, 
and plates by Miss Mason and Mrs. Leonard in this issue. 
VV. L. D.— The information in regard to the chocolate pot of Mrs. Leonard 
in July issue can be obtained by writing to any of our advertisers who deal 
in white china. 
Mrs. A. W. D.— The word "Prosif on the tankard design by Mrs. Rob- 
ineau is an expression used by German students. It is Latin, and the free 
translation is "Your health." You need not use it on your tankard unless 
you wish. 
A. L. R.— Under-glaze, is painting on the rough china or biscuit before 
glazing. Over-glaze, is painting on the finished glazed china. Write to any 
of the teachers who advertise with us, and they would let you know whether 
they would be willing to instruct by mail. It is an unsatisfactory method at 
best, and our "Answers to Correspondents" column and the articles "For 
Beginners" ought to afford you more valuable information than could be 
obtained that way, at less cost. Ask us for any information in regard to 
china painting, and we will be glad to give you the desired instruction through 
the magazine. 
S. G. D.-We give a good and reliable formula for gold in the next issue 
(October). Etching on China is done with hydrofluoric acid. It is a very 
dangerous process, and we do not advise you to try it. The effect hardly 
pays for the trouble, especially as you can buy from the china dealers pieces 
already etched, for a very reasonable price. A very similar effect can be 
obtained by using the following process : Draw your design carefully with 
India ink. Then dust on to the background, paste for raised gold, in the same 
manner as color is dusted on grounds. Use the grounding oil thinned about 
one-half with turpentine. The dusting process has already been described in 
this magazine. Then model your design in raised paste. After firing and 
gilding, go over with glass brush, touching up high lights on raised design 
with agate burnisher. To use the acid, draw your design carefully with India 
ink. Heat your plate, then pour melted wax over the entire surface and let 
it dry with a Ihin coat, as even as possible. Then with a knife and stick 
clean out the design. Pour the acid into these cleaned spaces and le. 
it has eaten deep enough into the glaze. Then wash off thoroughly in run- 
ning water. Do not get any acid on your hands or you may suffer horribly 
from the burning. After washing, see that all parts are cut sufficiently deep. 
If not, go over it again with acid, and wash again. When etched, put the 
plate in hot water and soda, the wax will melt off and you are ready lor gild- 
ing. The parts eaten with acid will come out from gilding with. a frosted 
effect, and where the glaze is left will burnish bright. 1 here are other 
methods, but this is as satisfactory as any. Do not breathe the fumes from 
the acid, as they are said lo form ulcers in the lungs. We would be glad to 
have you submit designs, and, if available, would be pleased to publish them. 
Margaret.- Write to our advertisers for the Meissen powder colors. For 
the plate design by Mrs. Cherry, the design is traced in India ink, which 
shows through dusted color, if not put on too heavily. The color is wiped 
out where the paste is to go on. 
Mrs. J. VV. D.— Good gold, well put on, and well tired, will neither 
blister nor burnish off. It gold blisters, it is either because it has too much 
fat oil or is put on too heavily, usually the latter. If it burnishes off, it is 
put on too thinly or fired too lightly, or has not enough flux in its composi- 
tion. If gold blistered and burnished off on the same plate, we would con- 
clude that the gold had been put on very unevenly, too thick in some places, 
too thin in others. The best way to get an even gold is to put on a medium 
thin coat, dry in the oven, and put on a second coat. Two thin washes are 
always more effective than one thick coat. Better still, if you have your 
own kiln, is to fire after your first thin coat, then put on your second wash 
and fire again. It takes considerable practice to put on one heavy coat properly 
so that it will not need retouching. Gold frequently blisters over deep color. 
Wherefore it is always best to clean out color where gold is to go. 
L. A. S.— There is always great danger of moss green turning brownish 
in firing, especially on Beleek. Royal green is more reliable on white china, 
but there is the same danger with Beleek. Usually a hard fire is less dan- 
gerous in this respect than a light one. Grass green, Sevres, Coalport, and 
all greens of this order are more or less liable to surprise you in this way, 
but moss green is the worst. Especially when dusted on or tinted, the 
painted color seems to work better as a rule. It is neither your fault or that 
of the kiln. The only way is to avoid those colors when you do not wish to 
run the risk of their discoloring. 
G E. S.— A good way to cover up the soiled tinting on the border of 
your plates is to cover the tinted portion with silver lustre. It will come out 
with a frosted effect, which is very soft and pretty. If you wish to make 
them ealborate, put on a design in raised paste over the lustre, making a 
gold design on a frosted silver ground. You can use enamels also with your 
gold design, which you could not do with burnished silver, the pinks being 
entirely destroyed in using with silver. Or you could dust a deep color over 
the tint and put on a design in white enamel, giving a cameo effect. 
