KERAMIC STUDIO 
ing this design observe the gnarled limb in contrast to the 
smooth stems and study carefully the character of the 
leaves emphasized in their tips. Don't fail to notice that 
the apples are not round but have characteristics of their 
own. If these points are studied carefully before making 
a line, the drawing as well as the painting will prove much 
easier. 
Paint the apples in red (Carnation), the leaves in 
New Green, the background in a mixture of Pearl Grey 
and Chinese Yellow, and the outlines in Black. 
The first thing to be done after the design is drawn 
is to "set your palette" or in other words, prepare your 
paints ready for use. This may seem drudgery to some, 
but it is the chrysalis out of which good and bad emerge, 
let us hope always the good. 
For the first painting the apples, branches and leaves 
should be laid in with flat color. So, for the first lesson, 
only two paints are necessary, Carnation and New Green. 
Upon your ground glass slab pour a small amount 
of Carnation (a quarter of an after-dinner coffee spoonful 
is what you will probably need) but do not be stingy with 
your paint ( for what is not used can be covered (to keep 
away dust) and be used at some other time. With your 
palette knife mix this Carnation with the copaiba mix- 
ture using only enough oil to make the paint the consist- 
ency of thick cream. Mix well so that no grains are left. 
With your palette knife gather your paint together and 
put upon your covered palette (if you are the fortunate 
possessor of one), or in one corner of the ground glass slab, 
if that be your only palette. Clean the slab with turpen- 
tine where the carnation was mixed and mix the Green 
in the same way, using \ more Green than Red. After 
the green has been mixed and gathered together you are 
ready to paint. Wash the medium square shader in tur- 
pentine, wipe dry on a rag, keeping it in shape. Fill the 
brush with Carnation using a zigzag motion for this. Do 
not attempt to put too thick a wash of color, for a thick 
coat may chip off after firing. Try to cover the design 
smoothly and not in uneven lumps. A thin coat of paint 
is better than a thick one, for it can be strenghthened 
after it is fired. Paint the apples with firm decisive strokes. 
Two sweeps of the brush should fill in each apple. A 
firm stroke will place the paint smoothly and leave no 
brush marks. Should brush marks appear, cross stroke 
lightly, but remember the less paint is worried the better 
the effect and the less liable it is to gather dust. Paint 
with the intention of having the first strokes smooth. 
It may be easier to fill in each apple paying no attention 
to the blossom end. After the apples are painted, with 
a pointed stick Avrapped in cotton wipe out the blossom 
end, wash well your brush in turpentine. Fill in leaves, 
stems and branch in Green in same way that Red was ap- 
plied. Make sure there is no paint where not wanted 
both on upper and under side of plate. The plate is now 
ready for the first firing. This should be a hard firing to 
secure a good glaze for the design. 
SECOND LESSON. 
Make sure the surface is smooth, if not so rub very 
lightly with a very fine quality of emery paper that has 
had the freshness rubbed off. Wash the plate with tur- 
pentine and it is now ready for the second painting. Very 
likely the carnation has become dimmer in the firing and 
needs to be retouched. In fact the apples should be painted 
a tone brighter than wanted, for the yellow used in the 
final firing will absorb some of the red. If the leaves 
are not an^even tint, now is the time to remedy this defect. 
If any red or green mixture was left over use it now. 
Soften it with turpentine and mix with the palette knife 
until it is smooth, then place on side of palette as in first 
lesson. Of course, if none of the paint is left over from 
the first lesson or if it has not been covered and has gath- 
ered dust, fresh color must be mixed. After the apples 
and leaves are retouched you are ready for the outlines 
which are in black. I would advise having the red and 
green partly if not entirely dry before outlining in black, 
so that there will be no oily surface for the black to flow into 
and thus loose the decisive outline. So mix the black after 
the leaves and fruit have been retouched thus giving them 
time to dry. 
Mix almost as much black as was mixed of the red 
in the first lesson. This should be mixed in the same 
way as the red and green was mixed, using always only 
enough oil to make the ' paint the consistency of thick 
cream. "Gather" the black after mixing and place on 
one side of palette. Wash the outlining brush in turpen- 
tine, wipe dry and fill well with the black. Outline design 
in a firm, even line but do not make it too heavy. Make 
'sure the plate is clean and give it a medium firing. 
THIRD LESSON. 
The plate is now ready for the background which 
should cover the entire surface, design included, since 
the grayish-yellow will help to hold together the design. 
Take out a much greater quantity of Yellow than 
you did of the green in the first lesson, possibly three times 
as much, using f as much Pearl Grey as Yellow. Mix 
with the copaiba mixture until about the consistency of 
the former mixtures. Now add one or two drops of 
lavender oil to thin it, for, in tinting, the mixture should 
be much thinner than for brush work. Add a little 
more copaiba mixture so that the paint shows bubbles 
when mixed with the palette knife. 
Before applying this to the plate make a test. Apply 
a little of the tint on the plate. With a piece of silk filled 
with cotton "dab" this sample. If it dries immediately 
it has not enough oil. If it forms in oily bubbles when 
dabbed it has too much oil. Fither way may be remedied , 
the first by adding more lavender oil, the second either by 
letting it stand until the extra oil dries out, (ten or fifteen 
minutes) or by adding more paint. If the tint is just 
right a sticky noise is made with the dabber. This is 
always a welcome sound. 
Frase your test and cover the plate with the tint 
using the large square shader. Dab with the silk dabber 
until the tint seems even. The dabber will, of course, 
take up some of the paint but continued dabbing will 
replace some of this. Do not dab in one spot but rapidly 
cover all the surface and then retrace your steps using 
the same dabber. Bet stand a very few minutes, then, 
with a fresh silk dabber dab lightly until the surface seems 
dull and free from oil. It is now ready for the inevit- 
able cleaning process and then for the final firing which 
should be rather light since the Pearl Grey acts as a fusing 
medium, so does not require a hard firing. 
A FEW MORE LESSONS. 
CONVENTIONAL BORDER DESIGNS. 
The border designs of July, 1906, pages 57, 58 and 59 
are all good for a beginner. They may be used on a cup 
and saucer if a plate is not desired. The first step is to 
divide the china into sections, just as for the apple plate. 
