2l8 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
dots close together. The contrast of these two backgrounds 
—light brown and black— is very rich, and if properly done, 
brings out the design clear and distinct. 
The accompanying design, given for a tabourette, is very 
effective and handsome. This design is outlined in the same 
manner as the frame, but with heavier lines. After outlining, 
the tabourette may be stained either with ebony, flemish oak, 
•mahogany, walnut or any finish the pupil wishes, ebony 
especially being very effective. When the background is 
stained, different bright colors may be used to give an oriental 
effect. Burned backgrounds suitable for using on tabourettes 
will be described in the next issue of the KERAMIC STUDIO. 
[TO BE CONTINUED.] 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
Any questions to be answered by this department must he sent in by the 10th of 
the month preceding issue. » 
C. L. M.— In mixing the powder colors use the medium until the color is 
the consistency of paint as it comes from a tube ; then use turpentine to dilute 
it as you use the color in your brush. After the paint is almost dry, dust in 
the color in the background. This is repeated in the next fire if you have not 
obtained sufficient depth in the first fire. The ivory glaze will give a light 
effect dusted into the background. Too much of the medium will cause the 
color to crawl and to collect the lint and dust. We will have a treatment of 
dark red roses in our next number. 
H. H. — If your gold comes out dull after two coats and two fires, either 
your raised paste is not right (see A. C. C.) or your gold has been discolored 
by a steel knife or color in your brush, or there is something wrong in your 
gold. Gold in powder form contains a larger per cent of gold than most ready 
mixed preparations. To use it mix with one drop each of fat oil and tar oil, 
then thin with turpentine 
" Floating on Enamel " means letting it flow off the brush so as to spread 
of itself and make an even surface. In this case the enamel must be thinned 
with lavender oil to the desired consistency and put on with a large square 
shader. 
To learn to draw -well without the personal instruction of a good teacher is 
exceedingly difficult. Teaching by correspondence is very unsatisfactory in 
that the teacher cannot see whether the pupil sees correctly. Mr. A. G. 
Marshall whose advertisement will be found elsewhere is one of the few we 
can recommend for this kind of instruction. 
A. C. C— In using an oven to dry china in the process of painting, it is 
best to warm the oven slightly. Put in your piece of china, close the door 
and leave until so hot that you cannot bear your hand on it. Then turn off 
the heat and do not take out the china until cool enough to handle. If you 
leave the door open, or open before fairly cool, you are liable to crack the china, 
especially delicate or Belleek pieces. Fresh paste or enamel should never be 
dried artificially until they have dried enough naturally so that the surface is 
dull, otherwise it is liable to blister and stew, especially if used heavily. I 
should judge your trouble was in the make of raised paste if your gold comes 
out generally dull or dark. There is no raised paste on the market to com- 
pare with Hancock's for good results. Your gold is a good make and should 
come out well. Using saliva would not affect the color, but we find a much 
better effect by breathing on the paste as described in the article on paste for 
glass in the August Number of KERAMIC STUDIO. This method applies 
equally well to china. Dusted colors should never be dried artificially. The 
oil is made to keep open a long time and will soften with heat, thus causing 
tint to run. 
Roman Purple can safely be used over any other Purple, painted or dusted. 
Some lustres require a harder fire than others. An ordinary fire is generally 
about right. Ruby and Orange require an extra hard fire. Rose, if lightly 
fired, has a bluish tone. They should be placed in the lower half of kiln and 
usually on the bottom unless on Belleek. 
We have planned for a set of fruit plates to go with berry bowl in the 
near future. 
You will find the recipe for gold in the October Number of KERAMIC 
STUDIO a very useful one. If one has time to spare, it surely pays to make 
one's own gold. 
M. C. W. — If you consider your rose jar unsightly, do not hesitate to try 
an improvement. We fire paste successfully any number of times. 
Putting a "Worcester background " over gold would not be a success. 
You might subdue the effect of the bright gold scrolls, by adding a little shad- 
ing of a strong green or ruby in sharp touches, or by using the colored scrolls 
as an accessory to the gold ones ; or you could subdue the gold by covering it 
entirely with a bronze. Your mistake is the same made by the majority of 
china decorators, not having it right in the first place. If the design is correct 
and the color harmonious and well balanced, a piece decorated one year should 
be good not only for that year but for all time. 
L. V. S.— Maroon, Roman Purple or Ruby (practically the same) are the 
most difficult of all colors to dust on or to fire properly. In the first place the 
color should be ground with a muller and sifted through the finest copper wire 
sieve, which removes most of the " grit." Your grounding oil should be put 
on a little thinner than for the other colors, for unless this rubv color shows 
transparency, it is hideous and at once gives a piece of china a heavy appear- 
ance. If there is too much grounding oil the color will be too thick, firing a 
brownish color, with no depth to it at all and it is apt to scale off in that case. 
The English potteries claim that they produce the best overglaze ruby, and no 
doubt the glaze has much to do with the difficulty. Then the grounding oil 
should be padded peifectly smooth, going over it again and again. 
H. C. R— In the August number treatment of yellow roses, the term 
"glaze" means to give a wash of a certain color. You might learn about 
photographing on china by applying to the firm who advertise in the KERAMIC 
STUDIO. 
M. L. P.— To lay on an even dark color the best method is to dust the 
color on as described in an earlier issue. KERAMIC STUDIO has only been 
issued since last May and you would do well to have all the back numbers as 
they contain much valuable information which will not be repeated at least for 
a year. For small spaces you will have to rely oii your skill with the brush, 
and repeated firings in which you can retouch the lighter places. There is a 
long article on lustres in the July number, and more or less information on 
that subject in every number, beginning with May. Yes, they .ire especially 
good for any kind of decorative work. Their chief beauty lies in their iri- 
descent color and high glaze. They can be put on smoothly or not, as desred. 
B- D —You can obtain studies of shells and sea weeds by writing to any 
of our teachers who advertise water color designs for china. We will put a 
conventional design for fish plates in the March number. 
F. M. L.— Any of the borders given in the various articles on Historic 
Ornament would make a suitable design for a cold meat tray. A conventional 
design only would be appropriate. 
L. V. W.— The best deep purple with which we are acquainted is the 
Royal Purple put up by the Fry Art Co. It has the deep blue purple of the 
Pansy. To obtain a uniform deep tone the color must be dusted on. 
J. S. M.— We would refer you also to the border designs in Historic 
Ornament for plate borders. For instance, take a Persian border from the 
November number, say the plate design by Miss Vilas. For the white por- 
tion use light green lustre painted on two or three times till quite deep and 
iridescent. Put rose on the dotted portion for the first tire and yellow over it 
for the second. This gives a pearl effect. For the black portion use orange 
for first fire, brown for second. Outline all in gold. Am oilier color scheme 
can be used or the design raised in enamels. 
H. R D. — You will find your monogram in this number. We will give 
another sheet of monograms in a few months. There is no need for two glass 
vessels for the chloride of gold. One is sufficient it large enough to add more 
water if your solution should prove too strong. 
J. D. Y. — Both colors you mention can be dusted on, the Matt wax color 
having a dull finish or semi-glaze. 
H. E. B— We expect to have an article on tiring very soon and will look 
up the matter of gasoline attachments. 
