8o 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
dusted over the same produces a good pink if thin, though 
it is liable to chip if used heavily. Wild Rose Pink, or 
Pink 26 over New Peach makes an admirable color well 
suited to wide borders and surfaces, while Velvet Rose, 
Dark Blood, Celadon, Apple Green, and Olive Green 4 
are good used alone. A good dusted Black of a deep 
tone may be obtained in any of the three following ways: 
Two thin coats of Black; a coat of Pompadour, then one 
of Banding Blue; or one of Banding Blue, then Black; in 
each instance firing between. 
Blacks are said to be useful to dust over greens that 
have turned brown by firing. 
TINTING AND DUSTING IN MAT COLORS. 
Mat colors, which on account of a lack of flux do not 
glaze, are particularly adapted to grounds, and espe- 
cially in combination with gold work for conventional 
designs, though charming for such flowers as azaleas, 
against a soft creamy ground. 
The colors come in powder form, and being of a hard 
composition, it is well to first rub them down on the palette 
with either turpentine or alcohol, the latter acting more 
quickly. Then mix with fat oil until of a creamy con- 
sistency, and spread with a brush moistened with lav- 
ender oil. Any medium sold for the purpose will doubt- 
less answer as well. The mat colors must be spread over 
a surface as evenly and smoothly as possible, and the tint 
blended at once with a dabber. Or it may be dusted in 
the same manner as bright colors. 
If ivory or some light tint be chosen for the ground 
the design may be drawn on with a pencil when the paint 
is dry, and the paint removed with the eraser. 
If the color has been made too thin it will show the 
china through, and if too much oil is used it will be sticky 
and attract dust. 
Do not dry by artificial heat but allow the piece to 
stand overnight. If it is not perfectly dry by this time, 
remove and repaint. 
Sometimes one tinting will not be sufficient, in which 
case the painting Or dusting may be repeated. With 
plenty of practice, it is possible to put on a second coat 
before firing. 
Any mat colors may be mixed at will with the ex- 
ception of Coral Red, which not only must be used alone 
but can have but one fire. Any of the yellows harmon- 
ize with the browns, dark greens with light greens, reds 
with brown, and purple with lilac, only a light mat color 
cannot be used very successfully over a dark one. 
If wanted in more delicate tints than they come, 
they may be made lighter by the addition of Mat White, 
remembering that light tints must be as heavily painted 
as dark ones. 
Mat colors combine well with lustres and bronzes, 
and if well dried will take enamels or raised paste before 
firing, and the latter may also be gilded. Flat outlines 
of unfluxed gold may also be applied to unfired mat color. 
Too light a fire, or too thin paint may cause color to 
rub off, while overfiring will cause a smooth appearance. 
While mat colors are only suited to decorations of 
a simple character, except where gold is used elaborately 
they may be made both pleasing and effective. 
Dusted bright color will not usually take gold well, 
so before firing the color may be removed from where the 
gold is to be placed. 
Enamels cannot be placed over unfired dusted bright 
color, without their sinking in more or less, though it is 
possible to do this over an ordinary tinted ground. 
Dead gold grounds are seldom seen, but are best used 
on panels for Japanese effect, swallows in black, gray or 
brown, with white breasts, being most pleasing. 
Gold may also be used as a background surrounding 
tiny panels of marines or flowers, outlined with paste, 
leaving a place for monogram and such inscriptions as 
would make it suitable for a golden wedding. 
000 
Third Prize— Ella L. Adams, Yellow Springs, O. 
"If to do, were as easy as to know what were good 
to do, chapels had been churches and poor men's 
cottages princes' palaces." 
To one making his first effort in grounding, this quota- 
tion seems very appropriate, for all that is necessary, 
according to most instructions is: 
To apply a coat of grounding oil, pounce it with a 
dabber, pour the color on the surface, spread with a piece 
of cotton or soft camel's hair brush and lo! the victory 
is yours. Of course as a side issue the china should be 
cleansed of paint where not needed, but to the uniniated 
this consumes but a moment. This sounds alluring and 
free from drudgery, or is the wiping out process a joy to 
the majority? True, the art of grounding is not difficult 
only a little dexterity is necessary. If a plain band of 
color is the ground the china can be cleansed very rapid- 
ly, but, if some conventional or semi-conventional design 
is to be wiped out, the drudgery is more than semi-apparent. 
So many little points seem to spring up for the amateur 
to solve for himself. This seems a good method to follow : 
First cleanse the china with alcohol or turpentine 
then with soap and water and let dry thoroughly. The 
alcohol or turpentine if left on is too apt to hold the oil 
or color where not wanted. Pour the powder color to be 
used on a dry palette or china plate and pour on enough, 
yes, more than enough, for it is not wasted, since what 
is left over can be used again. With a dry palette knife 
or muller rub the color until perfectly smooth and free from 
grain. Some use a silk sieve for this process and sift 
the color to make it smooth. Mix the grounding oil 
with water color Carmine to make a decided pink since 
this shows much plainer than the grounding oil alone, 
hence is easier wiped out where not wanted and a firing 
obliterates all traces of the water color. Often a little 
of the color to be used in grounding may be carefully 
mixed with the grounding oil instead of the water color. 
Apply the colored grounding oil with a broad brush 
and then pounce with a silk dabber which has been filled 
with a good quality of cotton batting, for this seems to 
keep its shape better than surgeon's cotton. Be sure to 
pad until smooth and tacky. 
Now, with the palette knife take up all the color and 
place it on one side of the china. With surgeon's cotton 
or a soft camel's hair brush draw the color over the oil 
being careful not to touch the oil with the brush or cotton. 
With careful manipulation in one distribution the 
oil should take up its full quota of color. This is shown 
when the surface is not oily and is free from spots. If 
one application does not produce a dry, dusty surface 
apply more color. On to a piece of glazed paper brush 
all the superfluous powder color for it is easier poured 
into its vial from glazed paper. With a silk rag or pointed 
stick covered with cotton wipe off all the mixture of color 
and oil where not needed, and make sure that not even a 
dot of powder color remains where not wanted for this 
has an annoying way of proving very conspicuous when 
