KERAMIC STUDIO 
199 
DESIGN FOR WILD ROSE PLATE 
Mrs. Anna B. Leonard 
THIS design will look well in monochrome, say blue on the 
white china, for an. ordinary dinner plate, or it could 
be used on a smaller plate for a tea or breakfast sendee. 
If carried out in color, the design can be used in flat 
enamel without any further ornamentation, or if merely 
painted on, there may be, just a very narrow little edge of 
turquoise blue with a dot of turquoise enamel at the begin- 
ning of each scollop, or there may be a deep rich green behind 
the design running out to the edge of the plate. 
The design would look well, drawn smaller and nearer to 
the edge. If closely observed, there will be seen three larger 
spots of pink in the design and three smaller ones coming 
in between, which balances the color in the rim. 
Keep the colors clear and crisp. Use the Lacroix colors 
in powder form — or any of the corresponding colors given 
in our color chart of the June number, where we have 
compared the different names of colors to one standard — 
Carmine No. 3, which at first use quite delicately, Moss 
Green and Apple Green (which should be mixed with almost 
half Mixing Yellow). Brown Green, Deep Red Brown. Brown 
4 or 17, Mixing Yellow, German Ruby Purple, German Yellow 
Brown. 
Vary the shades of pink in the petals, and the shades of 
green in the leaves. Use sharp little touches of Deep Red 
Brown, on the stems and leaves, and an occasional touch ot 
German Ruby Purple on the sharp edges of the petals. The 
centers are of Mixing Yellow with a delicate touch of Apple 
Green nearer the center, and the stamens are Yellow Brown, 
darker touches of Brown Green and Deep Red Brown. 
TREATMENT FOR POPPIES 
Mary Chase Perry 
THE conventional shade of poppy red may be used pleasingly 
in the flowers, if there is plenty of cool green and brown 
of the purplish cast in the background, or a strong green 
border with the leaves and buds cutting directly into it. makes 
a positive and striking decoration, especially at the top of a 
tall piece of china. But the varied shades now found in Pop- 
pies, give the opportunity for greater delicacy and an un- 
limited scope for developing color effects. 
The large central Poppy is pale and of the reddish pink 
order, and may be laid in for the first firing with Pompadour. 
using Moss Green toward the center, with Meissen Brown and 
Finishing Brown in the dark stamens. Drag some of the 
same color — Pompadour — into the edge of the flower at the 
left, with a wash of Ruby over the other petals. Use Olive 
Green, with a touch of Brown Green toward the center. 
The Poppy at the right is deeper, with Ruby in the lighter 
parts and Roman Purple and Banding Blue in the shadows. 
The half shown flower at the right is very delicate and deco- 
rative, treated with a wash of Lemon Yellow and Yellow 
Brown in the upper part with Pompadour in the darker side. 
The leaves and buds are Apple Green and Russian Green 
in the light shades, with quite a bluish cast, and Brown Green 
and Shading Green in the dark edges. A little Moss Green 
may be used sparingly to give life but if too much is used it 
gives a crude " greeny " effect. The shadow flowers and 
leaves are of pale Copenhagen in the lighter part of the de- 
sign and of a light wash of Gold Grey in the darker. At all 
events, make these shadow washes as simple and flat as possi- 
ble and absolutely without detail. 
If one has worked sufficiently to have gained control over 
his materials, it is as well to put in the background at once, 
so that the colors may melt into it, while they are still moist, 
or if one prefers to do so. the design may have been carefully 
suggested in outline and the background laid before the flow- 
ers were painted at all. This latter method is more often 
pursued by proficient workers, but the beginner is more apt 
to have clear results if the design is fired before laying the 
background. In this case it may be put in the first thing 
before the second painting. Make it with pale Lemon Yellow 
and a soft lavender made of Violet No. 2 in the lighter parts, 
above the design and near the flowers, with Yellow Brown and 
Meissen Brown below. L T se strong Copenhagen and Gold 
Grey in the deep parts. One will have to exercise his own 
instinct for color, as no amount of dictation will yield a har- 
monious resuk. See that the tones are in correct relation to 
each other, and that no one part jars upon another. Again, 
see to it. that the background, as it appears to go underneath 
the design, carries the same tone to the other side. For in- 
stance, do not put Yellow on one side of a straggly stem, with 
Russian Green on the other, allowing the stem to break the 
two. Rather let one color flow underneath and unite with 
the other in open ground. Of course when there is a large 
mass of the design, there is room for change of background 
beneath. We frequently see broken-backed vases — otherwise 
good in form — with the background made "choppy" by this 
very abusive treatment. Before firing, the strong lights and 
accents may be taken out with a pointed stick wound with a 
bit of cotton. Be especially careful to preserve the character 
of the prickly buds and seed pods. No harm comes from 
leaving the white of the china in the light parts for the first 
firing. 
If the background has been laid, after the paint has be- 
come too dry to be " tack}-," the colors may be modified and 
strengthened by dusting on the powder color and letting it 
go direotlv up to and into the flower and leaves which are in 
shadow. Fire very hard, so that the paint will become one 
with the glaze, not minding if they lose much of their strength, 
for strength can be attained again, but if there is not a good 
glaze after the first firing, it is difficult to make it come an- 
other time. For the second painting, strengthen with the 
same colors, vet using other tones as the}- would naturally be 
reflected from one portion of the design to another — it will 
prevent the look of hardness— a wash of Pale Yellow on the 
light part of the light flower and touches of blue as well. In the 
deeper Poppies, a wash of Banding Blue and Yellow Brown 
in the light parts will help to hold the study together. Be- 
fore the second firing, see that there is a sense of unity 
throughout the whole, so that it has an easy feeling, perhaps 
lowering one part by deepening it or giving dash to another 
by taking out a light. 
In a stud}- of this kind a third firing is a great improve- 
ment if not a necessity, as it gives opportunity to give finish 
by glazing again. Washes of Rub}- will generally result ac- 
ceptably and touches of Shading Green and Dark Brown will 
help to accent parts which stay back too much. If one 
chooses, a little enamel mixed with Moss Green, to take off 
the staring white, may be used in the buds and stamens and 
on the stems in slight touches. Be sure that it is well fluxed, 
so that it will melt easily in a low fire — for remember that the 
last firing will be a light one, so as not to disturb or lose the 
half tones and " speaking touches " which have just been put on. 
