KERAMIC STUDIO 
57 
(Continued from page 45) 
the brush with the color, then rub the brush lightly on the 
palette, thus softening the color toward the end of the brush; 
for soft, smooth work cannot be done with the color just on the 
tip of the brush. 
Now while I have given no advice on "How to paint china" 
and much that I have said may be regarded as already under- 
stood, still I know that all these little things help to make a 
success of "China Painting". 
H H 
HELPFUL HINTS 
Sadie E. Allen. 
IF you are beginning to teach, or teaching beginners, explain 
things simply, for I remember one of my first stumbling 
blocks was not being told that Roman gold came from the 
kiln dull, and had to "be rubbed with a glass burnisher to put 
on the finish. If I wished to do it on one firing I was told to 
put on a coat of gold, dry it hard in the oven, cool, and put on 
another. But it returned from the firing dull like yellow ochre; 
thinking the gold was too thin I repeated every task, the second 
and third time, with the same result of course until I had used 
up a whole book of gold on a tiny little handle which had to 
be turned to the wall as we thought in disgrace, although it had 
cost $1.30. 
Choose a flat dish like a tray or plate to begin on, wipe 
your dish over with turpentine, padding lightly and let it dry 
well, it will then mark clearly with an ordinary lead pencil or 
will make a clearer line with your tracing paper. If you are 
not where you can buy tracing paper, you can make a good clear 
paper by dipping a piece of thin paper in oil and drying. 
A piece of lead from an ordinary soft lead pencil rubbed 
over the back of your traced design, makes a much neater and 
less confusing line on the china than carbon paper. 
After getting the design on the china go over it neatly with 
India ink or color. India ink fires out and is used where you 
are not intending to retain a color outline on your design. You 
may then fill in your design with colors before firing, which 
should be done with a "square shader" brush for broad work, 
being careful to keep an even tone, going well up to, but not 
over the outlines. 
After outlining your design in color, take a pen knife 
and scratch off all little uneven places, for clear fine regular lines 
are necessary for beauty. 
Gold can be put up to, but not over unfired colors, and. 
when put over fired color use unfluxed Roman gold. Bright 
gold is good and economical for a first coat, but cannot be put 
as near unfired color as Roman gold, as it is apt to spread. 
Be very careful in thoroughly removing any spot or stain 
made by bright gold, or a purple mark will develop in firing. 
If wishing a plain dark ground for a small surface, it is not 
necessary to pad the colors but give about three coats with a 
broad square shader as evenly as possible, with not too heavy a 
coat first or last, the middle one can be the strongest. 
Dusted color, however, is preferable for deep tones. 
Colors on palette can be freshened up and used over if 
kept from dust, but it is best to take out less, and fresh each day, 
as dust in color fires in and leaves a mark, but dust on color 
fires out. 
Good clean brushes are very necessary for good work, wash 
them in turpentine and wipe to a good point before putting away. 
Keep separate brushes for both Roman and Bright gold 
which do not need to be washed, but warming them before us- 
ing will soften them up. Warming the gold will also soften it 
up when hard or inclined to curdle. 
Always use perfectly clean turpentine for Rcn.an gold. 
Get a regular outlining brush for your outlining work. 
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JkkiBi 
VASE, RHODODENDRON MOTIF 
Nellie G. Ley man 
r I ^HE outline and black bands are painted with Black and 
-*- also the dots in the flowers. 'Second Fire — Oil leaves 
and dust with 1 part Florentine, 1 part Ivory Glaze. Oil 
flowers and dust with 1 part Deep Ivory, 1 part Ivory Glaze. 
Oil over entire background and dust with Cameo. 
Third Fire — Paint over the darker tones in flowers with 
Yellow Brown and a very little Dark Grey and also over the 
dark panel back of flowers. The large background space in 
lower part of vase and the band at the top is painted with a 
very thin wash of Blood Red. 
i? 1? 
EXHIBITION NOTE 
In the account of the Greater New York Society Exhibit 
in July issue, a mistake was made on pages 36 and 37. The 
china in Delft blue attributed to Sarah A. C. Draegert was by 
Annie S. Tardy, and the breakfast set attributed to Annie S. 
Tardy was by Sarah A. C. Draegert. 
