224 
RERAMIC STUDIO 
These designs need not be sketched but may be drawn 
with the brush as suggested. A Delft blue cup and saucer 
painted in any of these designs will not prove too difficult. 
It will be found that the saucer must be divided into more 
sections than the cup. One or two more sections is the 
rule, so much depending on the flare of the cup. A band 
of paper the size of the rim of the cup may be folded the 
number of sections desired for the cup. Always remember 
that the sections should start at the handle. Do not 
make the mistake of making too many sections and in 
consequence making the designs too small. I would 
suggest the exact number of sections but since this is 
lesson number four, do a little thinking for yourself and 
thus feel that you are learning to walk, without the aid of 
crutches. 
After dividing the cup and saucer in sections, mix a small 
amount of Delft Blue with the copaiba mixture just as the 
colors were mixed for the apple plate. With a medium 
pointed brush paint the design, being careful to make 
the bands true. 
Bowl number two seems the easiest design, so attempt 
this first if you are content to go slowly but surely. After 
the design is painted wipe off the china all superfluous 
color and fire hard. 
SECOND FIRING. 
This time the china (I hope you have been brave 
enough to attempt a cup and saucer) should be tinted 
over the entire surface, mixing the Delft Blue with the 
copaiba mixture and lavender oil just as for tinting the 
plate. 
The lighter tones of the border should be wiped out 
with the pointed sticks wrapped in cotton if three tones 
are desired. 
The triangular dark spots may be strengthened after 
the tint is entirely dry but do not use the tinting mixture, 
since it is so thin it is prone to run. Mix a small portion 
of Delft for this, using as little oil as possible. 
The china is now ready for the kiln and should have 
a hard firing since blue does not fuse at a low temperature. 
Two firings are all that is necessary unless a deeper tone 
is desired, when the china may be treated as for the second 
firing and fired again. 
Should your ambition carry you into more elaborate 
fields of conventional design, painting, without first draw- 
ing the design, may prove too great a problem. For 
larger conventional designs the oat meal set and tea caddy 
of Emily F. Peacock in the October Keramic Studio 
of 1902 are good designs for a beginner. These designs 
may be carried out in Delft Blue as were the former ones, 
but I would advise transferring them instead of the free 
hand drawing. Either paint them as the illustrations 
suggest or else paint the white design in color and leave 
the rest of the china white or else tint it a lighter tone than 
the design, not forgetting to paint in the bands, using a 
pointed brush for this work. For either scheme trans- 
ferring seems necessary. 
Place a piece of transfer paper upon the design and 
draw one section. Upon the reverse side of this, with a 
small piece of cotton, rub some pencil powder, previously 
prepared by pulverizing some lead from a pencil. Rub 
turpentine or alcohol over the china and divide it into the 
requisite number of sections as in former lessons. Trans- 
fer the design by placing the transfer paper on the china, 
powder side next to the china and using either a pencil 
or some blunt point for marking the design, the powder 
acting as impression paper. A more expiditious way is 
to prepare a perforated pattern on transfer paper or tin 
foil. The pattern is prepared in this manner. Upon 
the transfer paper or tin foil draw carefully one section 
of the design. Now with a needle, prick the design using 
a pillow as a surface upon which to work. Put the pin- 
holes rather close together so that the design is followed 
very distinctly. After washing the china either with 
turpentine or alcohol (to hold the transfer) , divide into 
sections and place the perforated designs over one section. 
Prepare some powdered lead pencil dust, make sure that 
it is dust and not grains. Now with a piece of cotton 
transfer some of the pencil dust on to the design and 
brush over the paper, making sure that the pin pricks 
are all filled with pencil dust. Continue in the same 
way in each section, using the same perforated design. 
It may take longer to prepare the design in this way but 
it is much more speedy in transferring than the former 
method. After the design has been transferred, proceed 
to paint the bands with some blue, Delft, Old Blue or Deep 
Blue, using in addition J enamel (Dresden enamel), add a 
drop or two of lavender oil to help the enamel to flow from 
the brush. A simple way would be to outline the design, 
using black or blue for this, then fire a medium firing, 
with Delft or some other blue paint in the design leaving 
the rest of the china white, or else in addition, after firing 
the second time, tint the china all over in the same blue 
that was used before. 
After these lessons I feel sure you will attempt some- 
thing by yourself if you have not already done so. What- 
ever it is don't attempt anything too elaborate. Choose 
simple designs but don't be afraid to work by yourself and 
be independent enough to not always want your teacher 
by your side to direct your every brush stroke. On the 
i other hand don't think that a few lessons are all that you 
will need, but strive to have your teacher give you good 
wholesome criticisms on all your work. Remember that 
china painting requires time, patience, thought, a little talent 
and a great power of concentration. 
AFTER THOUGHTS. 
Always wash your brushes in turpentine after using 
them and keep them in shape. A square shader should 
be wiped flat and a pointed brush rolled into a point. 
A silk dabber may be cleaned by moistening in tur- 
pentine, then soaking in soap suds for half an hour, then 
the paint may be easily washed out. Dry on a mirror, 
smoothing out all wrinkles, and the surface is pleasanter 
to work with than if it is ironed smooth. 
If you are not satisfied with your work erase and try 
again. He who is not afraid to erase is learning. After 
your work is fired it is there to stay with all its glaring 
faults. 
Always wash your brush in turpentine before using 
another color and thus avoid muddy effects. 
AZALEA (page 219) 
Edith Alma Ross 
THIS can be used as the Japanese decorate, the one 
spray with just a suggestion of another peeping out from 
the base or top on the opposite side of the vase; or it can 
be used as a repeat. A good color scheme could be, ground, 
deep pearl grey; leaves, two shades of olive green; stems, 
medium brown. Azaleas, a delicate rose with deeper 
markings, and stamens and outlines of flowers in green, 
or a creamy pink, almost buff, could be used, making the 
background a deeper greyed yellow brown. 
