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practical Hrt 1banfc*Book0 
 
 WATER COLOR PAINTING 
 
 By Grace Barton Allen With illustrations and cover 
 design by the Author Also containing colored plates show- 
 ing washes of modern water colors Cloth $1.25 
 
 THE PAINTER IN OIL 
 
 A Practical Treatise on the Theory and Processes 
 of Oil Painting 
 By Burleigh Parkhurst Fully illustrated, and contain- 
 ing colored plates showing specimens of oil colors Price 
 $1.25 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA PAINTERS 
 
 Being a Practical and Comprehensive Treatise on 
 the Art of Painting China and Glass 
 with Mineral Colors 
 By Mrs. N. di R. Monachesi With colored plates 
 showing 138 mineral colors Second edition Cloth $1.25 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE AND SHEPARD CO. Boston 
 
A 
 
 MAN UAL 
 
 FOR 
 
 CHINA PAINTER 
 
 BEING A PRACTICAL AND COMPREHENSIVE 
 TREATISE ON THE ART OF PAINT- 
 ING CHINA AND GLASS WITH 
 MINERAL COLORS 
 
 BY 
 
 MRS. NICOLA di RIENZI MONACHESI 
 REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION 
 
 BOSTON 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 
 
' Content if hence th' unlearn 1 d their -wants may view, 
 The learn' 'd reflect on -what before they knew." 
 
 Pope, 
 
 Copyright, 1896, by Lee & Shepard 
 Copyright, 1907, by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 Manual for China Painters 
 
 Mo 
 
 ROCKWELL & CHURCHILL, PRINTERS, BOSTON, U.S.A. 
 
 THE GETTY CENTER 
 LIBRARY 
 
PREFATORY 
 
 In issuing this Manual I claim nothing new as 
 to either methods, materials, or manipulation ; and, 
 moreover, no superior knowledge on the subject. 
 
 Its sole merit must rest on its being the actual 
 results of many years of observation and experi- 
 ence. 
 
 It would be deplorable if the results of my ex- 
 periments and studies could benefit no one but 
 myself, and I hope the suggestions which I here 
 offer may prove of some value to others. 
 
 The book is especially designed for those who 
 have had but little, if any, previous knowledge of 
 the subject, but who desire practical information 
 and reliable instruction ; and in pointing out the 
 common errors of the past, I have but made an 
 effort to indicate how they may be avoided in the 
 future. In short, I have endeavored to write such 
 a book as I very distinctly remember wishing for 
 when I began to paint on china. 
 
 MRS. N. DI R. MONACHESI. 
 
Paris, May 15/h, i8g6. 
 Madame N. di R. Monachesi, — 
 
 I have just received in proof a part of the work which 
 you have written, and which you propose to publish 
 soon under the title of " A Manual for China-Painters." 
 
 I took great interest in it ; and I must congratulate 
 you sincerely, Madame, for the excellent idea you have 
 of thus placing at the service of artists and amateurs 
 the great experience and talent which have gained for 
 you such just fame in the United States and Europe. 
 
 All who wish to devote themselves to painting on 
 porcelain will find in your treatise a valuable and prac- 
 tical guide, that will facilitate a rapid study of this 
 branch of the Ceramic Art. 
 
 I do not think that I can better testify the esteem 
 that I have for your work than by instructing Messrs. 
 Favor, Ruhl & Co. to push it actively. These gentle- 
 men are my sole agents in the United States for the 
 sale to artists and amateurs of my verifiable colors for 
 designing and painting on china and glass. 
 
 Receive, Madame, etc., etc. 
 
 A. LACROIX, Chemist, 
 Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, 
 Off cier d' Academic 
 
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CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction ix 
 
 Amateur China-Painting i 
 
 Materials 22 
 
 Colors 22 
 
 Selecting and Mixing Colors 3° 
 
 Setting the Palette 4 2 
 
 Brushes 60 
 
 Mediums 7 2 
 
 Palettes 79 
 
 Palette Knives 81 
 
 Other Accessories 83 
 
 Tracing 86 
 
 Instruction 96 
 
 Monochrome 9" 
 
 Landscapes in 
 
 Flowers 116 
 
 Tinting and Ground-Laying ......... 149 
 
 Heads, Figures, Cupids 1 55 
 
 Decoration of Tableware 17 1 
 
 Soup Plates 174 
 
 Fish Service 179 
 
 Game Set 183 
 
 vii 
 
viii CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Fruit 188 
 
 Nut Plates 195 
 
 Enamels and Jewels 199 
 
 Raised Paste 210 
 
 Gold 215 
 
 Lustres 241 
 
 Decalcomania 249 
 
 Supplementary 253 
 
 Firing 255 
 
 Under-Glaze Painting 273 
 
 Glass-Painting 278 
 
 Glass Decorating 289 
 
 Verifiable Crayons . • . 292 
 
 The Word tl Porcelain . . . ^ 295 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 In preparing this Manual on the use of mineral 
 colors for amateurs and inexperienced decorators, 
 I have been deeply impressed with the difficulties 
 presented by a most unfortunate and complex 
 feature connected with the art of china-painting, 
 of which beginners justly complain ; and that is 
 the variety of names, labels, and styles of pack- 
 age, under which these colors too frequently mas- 
 querade. 
 
 Colors are readily procured in any desired quan- 
 tity in the original powder form, and this may be 
 very easily adulterated or otherwise manipulated 
 by those who are willing to belittle their art by 
 lowering it to a commercial level. To conserve 
 individual interest by simply appropriating an- 
 other's goods and claiming proprietorship is, to 
 say the least, a questionable enterprise. 
 
 As there is nothing to prevent any person from 
 emulating the example of these amateur color- 
 makers, and the field is unlimited, no one can be 
 positive where this practice will end. Too many 
 
 ix 
 
X 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 china-painters already have become irresponsible 
 merchants, and developed an ambition to place on 
 the market " my colors." 
 
 But this is not the most deplorable feature ; 
 one of the most common, in connection with 
 these colors — which are manufactured by and 
 obtained from an authentic source, and already 
 have regularly recognized names — is to introduce 
 them under a multiplicity of fictitious designations, 
 which inevitably tends to mystify and embarrass 
 the unsuspicious novice, ignorant of the practice 
 of these methods. 
 
 Professional decorators could not be caught by 
 such nonsense ; therefore there is but one induce- 
 ment — a most transparent one — in the effort to 
 deceive the amateur, of whose ignorance and in- 
 experience is taken an inexcusable advantage. 
 
 The market thus created is both local and lim- 
 ited ; but to the uninitiated it certainly creates 
 endless confusion, without conferring any corre- 
 sponding advantages, except, indeed, to the specu- 
 lative manipulator. 
 
 Therefore the advantage and importance of 
 adopting a standard nomenclature for the ama- 
 teur cannot be too strongly emphasized. 
 
 In looking for such a standard, every china- 
 painter of experience must agree with me in 
 selecting that of Lacroix of Paris ; as unquestion- 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 xi 
 
 ably he stands first and foremost in providing 
 colors for the use of amateurs. 
 
 The mineral bases from which colors are made 
 must of necessity be limited ; and while there are 
 different formulas for their preparation, there can 
 be no monopoly of the original material, and there- 
 fore to invent new names does not signify new 
 colors, only combinations ; and upon investigation 
 it has been satisfactorily demonstrated that, in 
 nearly every instance, Lacroix's colors have en- 
 tered largely, if not wholly, into these combinations. 
 
 In other words, there can be no shade or tint 
 produced anywhere or by any one that cannot be 
 matched by Lacroix's colors. 
 
 The veriest tyro knows that the slightest admix- 
 ture of yellow with green will produce a different 
 shade ; but does this justify a rechristening ? 
 
 Personally, I have no interests to advance in 
 making a protest against this erratic system of 
 nomenclature ; and the conviction that any book 
 upon the subject would be incomplete if these facts 
 were withheld must be my justification. Believing 
 that a facsimile of the colors universally acknowl- 
 edged to be standard would be of great value to 
 the amateur, I determined, if it were possible, to 
 show them under their standard names ; and with 
 this view the plates herewith presented have been 
 prepared. 
 
xii 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 When the feasibility of this scheme was sug- 
 gested to M. Lacroix, he was quite in consonance 
 with it, and consented to supply the necessary ma- 
 terial. These colored papers, which are exact re- 
 productions of his colors, were manufactured in 
 Paris, many of them directly under M. Lacroix's 
 personal supervision. In accepting this substantial 
 aid, I desire to avail myself of this opportunity to 
 acknowledge my appreciation and indebtedness for 
 a co-operation which enables me to place before the 
 reader plates showing his exact colors. 
 
1 896 — 
 
 1906 
 
 It is just ten years ago that this little book was 
 issued, hoping it would be a helpful guide to the 
 continually increasing multitude of amateur china 
 painters. 
 
 Its reception has, indeed, been most flattering, 
 and all my anticipations in regard to it have been 
 abundantly realized by unqualified approval. 
 
 Generous praise from the press was unanimous ; 
 it entirely escaped any adverse criticism. 
 
 Of its value as a handbook I have had ample 
 testimony from far and near by many who have 
 orally or by letter expressed their commendation. 
 
 The demand for many successive editions is an 
 encouraging feature that demonstrates to my sat- 
 isfaction, in a most substantial manner, that my 
 labor was not in vain. 
 
 To that public, therefore, to whom this little 
 volume was addressed, who have voluntarily 
 bestowed many kind words of approbation, and 
 generously supported my effort, I desire to express 
 my grateful appreciation and sincere thanks, 
 xiii 
 
i8g6 — igo6 
 
 And now after ten years there is but little that 
 I would change for a revised edition. And while 
 there is more to add, which I have done, to make 
 it more complete, there is nothing to retract. 
 Facts stated as such in 1896 still remain facts in 
 1906. 
 
 Technique, manipulation, the laws governing 
 the theory of color, and the principles of decora- 
 tion are as equally true to-day as they were ten 
 years ago ; they are immutable. 
 
 The art of china painting, however, has ad- 
 vanced many degrees during the past ten years, 
 and this progress is marked chiefly by improved 
 materials and designs. 
 
 To-day I would not so strongly advocate the 
 exclusive use of the Lacroix colors as I did ten 
 years ago. Not that they have deteriorated or 
 become less good and useful, because they are 
 just the same. Perhaps it is because of the fact 
 that they are just the same that they have been 
 largely superseded by American manufacturers, 
 who have supplied other colors to meet constantly 
 increasing demands. Beautiful colors, equally as 
 reliable, and quite as good, if not better in some 
 respects, are now on the market. Not to 
 acknowledge these as valuable and important fac- 
 tors in the art would betray prejudice, if not 
 ignorance. There are several who make a busi- 
 
i8g6 — 1906 
 
 XV 
 
 ness of preparing colors that can be honestly- 
 recommended. Without entering into their re- 
 spective merits, suffice it to say that colors pre- 
 pared by Fry, Osgood, Mason, or Bischofif give 
 entire satisfaction, and furthermore it gives me 
 much pleasure to commend their conscientious 
 methods. These colors are desirable in every 
 way, carefully compounded, finely ground, ex- 
 cellent in color, and very reliable in working and 
 firing qualities. This testimony is entirely vol- 
 untary, unsolicited, and without the knowledge 
 of any one of those mentioned, and it is not an 
 advertisement. 
 
 Another radical improvement in china decora- 
 tion is the very visible progress made in designing. 
 By comparison, some of the china painted ten 
 years ago seems crude, inartistic, elaborate, and 
 out of date. The fashions of a decade ago (and 
 no one will deny that fashions change, even in 
 china painting) are no longer in vogue; ten years 
 hence probably other fashions will prevail. 
 
 All fads are ephemeral, succeeding each other 
 periodically. After a brief and fleeting existence 
 they disappear spontaneously. True, some die 
 hard, but nevertheless they do die. 
 
 Many instances of this nature could be quoted, 
 together with their origin and exit, their creators 
 and disciples. Mannerisms of successful painters 
 
xvi 
 
 1896 — 1906 
 
 are inevitably imitated more or less, and always 
 will be. 
 
 Applied design is based on fundamental doc- 
 trines that are not subject to superficial or transi- 
 tory fluctuations, for its laws are infallible and 
 perpetual. 
 
 There has been a laudable effort during the 
 past few years to elevate the standard of china 
 painting by employing these rules in its decora- 
 tion. Hence the present style, so much indulged 
 in, is, in a measure, a reactionary movement. 
 
 There is a wide difference between passing fads 
 and the natural development of an artistic impulse. 
 Possibly one creates or exercises an influence on 
 the other. Be this as it may, the fact is that dur- 
 ing the past ten years china painting has developed 
 along certain lines in a marked degree and there 
 has been a revolution in designing. 
 
 The possibilities of applied ornament to china 
 forms have been revealed to the student and 
 opened an unlimited vista to explore. Especially 
 is this new movement noticeable in decorations 
 that conform to conventional lines, and though the 
 majority may still prefer the naturalistic treatment 
 of a given motive, conventional and semi-conven- 
 tional designs obtain to-day and occupy a dis- 
 tinctive place in the history of china painting. 
 
 Design has a broader meaning, a greater sig- 
 
i8ij6 — igo6 
 
 XVll 
 
 nificance than formerly to the average china 
 painter, who a few years ago invariably associated 
 conventional design with something unattractive, 
 unnatural, and ungraceful, simply through igno- 
 rance. To-day, conventional design is not con- 
 fined to floral forms, but every product and phase 
 of nature is called into requisition to supply 
 motives, but, as this requires special training, not 
 every one who attempts it is successful. 
 
 Design is the adaptation of form to space, and 
 to fill a certain space correctly, acceptably, and 
 artistically requires knowledge, invention, and skill. 
 
 The " poster style " of decoration, for want of a 
 better name, is very much in evidence at present, 
 and many of its disciples cleverly execute a wide 
 variety of subjects in fiat tones and washes, some- 
 times outlined to give strength. It is a rather 
 severe style in its grim precision of line and intense 
 coloring, and while it allows considerable scope 
 for originality and ingenuity, the ponderous effect 
 of its solemn and solid dignity utterly precludes 
 any poetic sentiment or feeling. This style has 
 its advocates, for it is legitimate designing, and it 
 possesses an attraction that few decorators are able 
 to resist. 
 
 When natural objects are exaggerated or mod- 
 ified almost beyond recognition, with little or no 
 perspective, and with apparently everything de- 
 
XVU1 
 
 1896 — 1906 
 
 picted on one plane and out of focus, the result 
 must be disappointing to many. 
 
 Conventional design has certainly one delight- 
 ful feature which is the most essential character- 
 istic of good ornament, repose. It is certainly 
 restful, and, for some articles it is the only suitable 
 decoration. 
 
 However, china decoration will ever be a mat- 
 ter of individual taste and feeling. 
 
 Mrs. N. Di R. MONACHESI. 
 
 New York, June 14, 1907. 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 The art of painting with mineral colors has 
 acquired such universal popularity during the past 
 few years, that it is now almost included in the 
 curriculum of a liberal education. 
 
 For many years painting on china was chiefly 
 confined to the professional decorator ; and beyond 
 this class there were but few persons whose inclina- 
 tion or ambition tempted them to make an effort. 
 
 It was a rare and unusual accomplishment, and 
 principally indulged in by those who enjoyed ex- 
 ceptional advantages ; and while their achieve- 
 ments were regarded with wonder and admiration, 
 they themselves were considered as quite superior 
 persons. 
 
 A few years has changed all that ; and from 
 being considered conspicuous, or in the minority, 
 the exceptional one now is he or she who does not 
 at least make an effort to paint on china. 
 
2 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 As an art, it has met with unparalleled success, 
 — in fact, phenomenal ; and to-day every facility 
 for its pursuit is within the reach of all. 
 
 Up to a few years ago the necessary materials 
 and accessories were not readily obtainable. Col- 
 ors could only be obtained with some difficulty, 
 often as a special privilege. 
 
 Only the simplest forms of china could be pro- 
 cured, usually table-ware. Portable kilns for the 
 studio had not been invented. 
 
 To-day every inducement is offered to pursue 
 this beautiful art. New colors and combinations 
 of colors are constantly being displayed ; the vari- 
 ety of shapes, sizes, and styles of china to be had 
 is simply bewildering ; and artistic studies for their 
 decoration are continually being reproduced, each 
 one apparently better than the other, until the 
 veriest tyro in art is irresistibly impelled to make 
 an attempt, even though it be a feeble one, to paint 
 on china. 
 
 Perhaps this may be attributed to the great 
 Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia in 
 1876, as that proved a stimulus in every branch of 
 art. Especially did it afford an impetus to ke- 
 ramic arts. 
 
 To the efforts of M. Lacroix of Paris, however, 
 is largely due the success to which china-painting 
 has attained among amateurs ; for he was the 
 
\ 
 
 AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 3 
 
 pioneer in supplying materials for their use, espe- 
 cially colors, and in doing so bestowed a real 
 benefit upon a large class of workers. The out- 
 growth of this has been that the amateur of to-day 
 can become as well equipped to pursue this branch 
 of art as the expert professional. 
 
 It is adopted alike, and with equal enthusiasm, 
 as a pleasant pastime or a profitable profes- 
 sion ; and as either its value cannot be overesti- 
 mated. 
 
 The disciples of this charming art number many 
 thousands. It is a favorite employment with the 
 old, the young, the rich, and the poor, irrespective 
 of sex ; the idle enjoy it, and the busiest manage 
 to find time to indulge in this fascinating occupa- 
 tion, with the inevitable result, that from the crude 
 creations of the amateur of twenty years ago, 
 china-painting has developed to a science of real 
 artistic merit and of commercial value. 
 
 Inventive faculties are continually taxed to pro- 
 mote and perfect further possibilities and improve- 
 ments ; skilful and trained draughtsmen supply 
 designs, and art journals devote space towards its 
 advancement and encouragement. Societies of 
 china-painters are formed with a view to excite 
 and keep alive a renewed interest in the art and 
 in each other. Competitive exhibitions are held 
 to elevate the standard, and prizes are offered to 
 
4 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 stimulate originality. Briefly, nothing has been 
 neglected that could cherish this beautiful art in 
 the present, and perpetuate it in the future, until 
 to-day it assumes a place of almost national im- 
 portance. 
 
 The would-be china-painter of fifteen or twenty 
 years ago had many difficulties to contend with ; 
 a very imperfect knowledge of the nature of the 
 materials and how to use them was the rule, 
 not the exception. Consequently the incipient 
 attempts were exceedingly immature, and not as 
 a general thing successful, considered as works 
 of art. Technical details and mechanical features 
 had yet to be learned. Mineral colors were but 
 very imperfectly comprehended ; the nature of the 
 wares, glazes, and firing still less; while the ap- 
 plication of gold, enamels, etc., were not at all un- 
 derstood. These have all been learned through 
 disappointing and repeated failures, and at the 
 sacrifice of time, money, and labor, — the severest 
 discipline by which any knowledge is acquired. 
 The trite adage, "Experience is the best teacher," 
 was never more apropos than when applied to 
 china-painting. 
 
 In addition to these discouraging obstacles, there 
 existed a very vague idea of the requirements of 
 decorative art ; and the designs — usually restricted 
 to floral devices — were frequently incorrect in 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 5 
 
 drawing, crude in color, devoid of modelling, and 
 lacking in perspective. And judging from speci- 
 mens extant, a goodly proportion of them were 
 the result of pure invention ; and any one was 
 tolerably free from all risk of breaking the second 
 commandment in admiring them, for they were 
 totally unlike anything " in the heavens above, the 
 earth beneath, or the waters under the earth." 
 
 Aside from color, decorative or applied art is dis- 
 tinctively a separate branch, or rather a science in 
 itself. A knowledge of it can be acquired theo- 
 retically, practically, and mechanically, as certain 
 inviolable rules and regulations, involving elemen- 
 tary principles of art, govern its conception and 
 construction. 
 
 Decoration is the composition of ornament, so 
 that when applied to form it enhances its beauty 
 and increases its value. 
 
 It should be in consonance with the object to 
 which the decoration is applied ; that is, it should 
 be adapted to the shape, appropriate to the mate- 
 rial, and should harmonize with the use to which 
 it is ultimately to be put, — whether for utility 
 or ornament, — and other general features should 
 be considered. The object of decorative art is 
 not the creation of a separate work, but the ful- 
 filment of a definite purpose, chiefly to ornament 
 something already in existence ; therefore it should 
 
6 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 be suited to the size, form, and character of the 
 space it is to fill. 
 
 There is a wide difference between pictorial and 
 applied art, and yet both may embellish or deco- 
 rate a certain specified space or surface. There- 
 fore, while all pictorial art may be applied (and 
 rendered decorative under certain conditions), all 
 applied art is by no means pictorial. 
 
 Purely conventional ornament is a representa- 
 tion of natural objects expressed by their most 
 essential and prominent characteristics, and usu- 
 ally consists of a rather free rendering of flowers, 
 foliage, fruit, and figures, idealizing the originals 
 by a series of arbitrary lines and curves, succes- 
 sively arranged, according to the fancy of the 
 artist. Ornament must signify or suggest some- 
 thing, otherwise it is vapid. 
 
 One of the most primitive of Grecian designs, 
 where scroll succeeds scroll in an undulating line 
 of beauty, had for its motive the rolling waves of 
 the sea. 
 
 All conventional or geometrical ornament doubt- 
 less originated from natural forms ; and different 
 nations employed different objects, and with a 
 well-defined intention. Thus the Egyptian style 
 consists of hieroglyphics, winged globes or disks, 
 scarabs, the lotus, the palm, etc. The ancient 
 Gothic ornament adhered to a natural reproduc- 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 7 
 
 tion of the flora, combined with an imaginary 
 rendering of the fauna, of the surrounding coun- 
 try. Arabian ornament has for its foundation va- 
 rious combinations of geometrical figures, hence 
 the name arabesque. Human figures and animal 
 forms were forbidden by their religion. 
 
 The Roman style is more floriated, and finds 
 expression frequently in a central or culminating 
 point, encircled by foliage, garlands, festoons, and 
 arabesques. 
 
 In addition to the general or national charac- 
 teristics, decoration has distinctive features not to 
 be ignored. 
 
 Different epochs produced different styles of or- 
 nament ; and to mix these up in a haphazard fash- 
 ion betrays limited information on this subject, 
 besides being meaningless and inartistic. That 
 a person does not know any better is neither a 
 good reason nor excuse for violating the sensibil- 
 ities of those who do. 
 
 An extravagant use of scrolls and insignificant 
 curves, and lines running criss-cross and in every 
 conceivable direction, is not ornament ; for or- 
 nament demands repose and symmetry. But a 
 conglomeration of lines, curves, diapers, dots, lat- 
 tice-work, and what not, mingling in hopeless con- 
 fusion, is an excess of even the worst style of 
 rococo ornament, and is not art. 
 
8 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Rococo is an exaggerated development in the 
 evolution of the style in vogue at the time of 
 Louis XV. ; it was then called rocaille. To quote 
 from a well-known authority, 1 "The general term 
 rococo denotes anything that is heavy, ugly, and 
 tasteless." 
 
 The art of painting china has too frequently 
 been enveloped in mystery, and its progress ob- 
 structed by groundless fears. The tyro was em- 
 barrassed with the numerous and varied statements 
 from assumed authorities that were often mis- 
 leading and incorrect, with the inevitable result 
 of leading him to regard the art as one of unpar- 
 alleled and perpetual perplexities. 
 
 While the popularity of the art was still in its 
 incipiency, many were beguiled into a lavish out- 
 lay of time, money, and labor, without receiving 
 any commensurate compensation. This misfor- 
 tune was, however, never due to the art itself, 
 but could be, in nearly every instance, directly 
 traced to its real source of mischief, — that of the 
 ignorance and inexperience of its representatives 
 or exponents. 
 
 A superficial knowledge and a limited experi- 
 ence are chiefly responsible for repeated failures. 
 
 But another and important factor that mitigates 
 largely against a more popular comprehension of 
 
 1 Adeline's " Art Dictionary." 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 9 
 
 the requirements of this art is the evident deter- 
 mination to withhold reliable information, even in 
 exchange for monetary considerations. 
 
 There is not much difference in the issue, 
 whether the misrepresented facts are due to igno- 
 rance or intention ; neither is justifiable under 
 any circumstances. 
 
 China-painting is not an occult science, and the 
 sooner it is divested of all mystery and secrecy 
 the better ; and those who have acquired a famil- 
 iarity and facility in the art should feel a moral 
 sense of obligation, if not a material one, to impart 
 fully and freely all they know to those who have 
 not. 
 
 It would be impossible and useless to chronicle 
 and refute all the misstatements made verbally and 
 in print relative to china-painting ; but it may be 
 well to enumerate a few of the most preposterous 
 ideas that have prevailed, in order to refute them, 
 for they have been exploded long ago. 
 
 One of the most absurd and fallacious was that 
 mineral colors will not mix. This positive state- 
 ment was continuously reiterated, and its veracity 
 remained unquestioned many years. Its impor- 
 tance was so permanently impressed, that it really 
 obtains to-day to a more or less extent. 
 
 The beginner was so seriously cautioned against 
 mixing grounding-colors with painting-colors, or 
 
A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 of accidentally substituting one for the other, that 
 to disregard this advice was simply to invoke dire 
 disaster. No valid reason was ever given for this 
 precaution ; but it was imperative, and any devia- 
 tion was equivalent to some dreadful accident, 
 explosion, spontaneous combustion, or something 
 equally harrowing. To-day all the colors of the 
 mineral palette are mixed with as much freedom 
 as are those of oil or water. 
 
 Still another erroneous impression that has 
 been exploited with equal persistency was that a 
 steel palette knife was not to be used with certain 
 colors, — that they would be ruined in consequence 
 of contact ; and, above all, the importance of rig- 
 orou sly excluding a steel knife from gold was 
 strictly enforced. 
 
 If precautionary measures be adopted to pre- 
 vent the steel knife from rusting, and to keep it 
 clean, — immaculately so, — there is no reason it 
 should not be used for every purpose. It is the 
 oxidation of the steel that does the damage to gold 
 and the gold colors, as well as blue, if the rust 
 be allowed to accumulate, and become incorporated 
 with the pure metal or color. 
 
 The preventive is cleanliness. Decorators who 
 work in factories run no risks; for work means 
 something serious to them, and they use invariably 
 the regulation steel knife. 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 Another idea that found many adherents was 
 that a knowledge of chemistry was a preliminary 
 necessity. While a knowledge of the chemical 
 constituents of the materials used, the bases of 
 the colors, the formation and special properties 
 of bodies and glazes, is unquestionably of great 
 advantage and assistance, a familiarity with these 
 formulas is not an actual requirement for artistic 
 decoration of china. In reality, very few have any 
 acquaintance with the analysis of the materials 
 beyond the vague one comprised in the one word 
 " mineral." 
 
 One other prevalent error was, and is, that the 
 colors change very materially during the process 
 of firing. 
 
 To a limited extent this is true. The uncertain 
 element of fire must be taken into consideration ; 
 but in reality the most of the colors issue from 
 the kiln with but slight variation in tint. In a 
 short time the novice understands this, and can, 
 with but little experience and observation, calcu- 
 late to a nicety the exact degree of shade re- 
 quired, and need never be disappointed. 
 
 Unquestionably, there are ample opportunities 
 for the humbug ; and if the china-painter has a 
 latent talent that way, there is a wide latitude for 
 him in which to exercise it to the satisfaction of him- 
 self, but quite as surely to the detriment of his art. 
 
12 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 There should exist no patent rights in the art 
 of china-painting ; and the true artist and lover of 
 his work will never attempt to monopolize ways, 
 means, or methods in attaining an end. 
 
 But there is no disguising the fact that chica- 
 nery does exist, and that information is reluctantly 
 imparted, even for a stipulated price. 
 
 The foundation and fundamental principle of all 
 art, pictorial or applied, is, beyond dispute, a 
 knowledge of drawing ; and without some train- 
 ing and practice no one can ever hope to become 
 an artist. Some knowledge of drawing, therefore, 
 is of vital importance to the china decorator, and 
 it should be the preliminary step before the appli- 
 cation of color ; and the better and more accurate 
 the drawing, the better and easier will be the sub- 
 sequent work. 
 
 Yet, notwithstanding this is an acknowledged 
 fact, it is too frequently ignored by the average 
 amateur, who, upon various pretexts, excuses him- 
 self from the severe discipline rudimentary study 
 involves, and essays to paint with but little, if any, 
 previous preparation. 
 
 Keramic art, the oldest the world knows, de- 
 serves to be approached with greater veneration 
 and respect. As an art, china-painting makes the 
 same demands upon one's powers as any other art, 
 and the same methods must be pursued to attain 
 
AM A TEUR. CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 13 
 
 success. The mind must be cultivated, creative 
 faculties exercised, eyes educated, and the hand 
 trained to obey the will ; and in no other way can 
 success be achieved. 
 
 True art finds no expression by indirect or vi- 
 carious methods ; and perfunctory attempts are 
 trivia], insincere, and worthless. Numerous illus- 
 trations abound where a manifest disregard of the 
 very first principles of decoration is evident, and 
 where china-painting has been indulged in with 
 a reckless indifference, and in utter defiance to 
 every requirement of art. 
 
 It is entirely due to these immature and futile 
 efforts of gross ignorance, that never rise be- 
 yond the dead level of mediocrity, that the art of 
 china-painting has sometimes been brought into 
 disrepute. There exists no valid reason why the 
 standard of the china-painter should not be ele- 
 vated to the highest point of excellence, and its 
 results favorably compare with the most meritori- 
 ous and finest works of art. 
 
 To accomplish this, the very first desideratum 
 is learning to draw ; and any one can learn to 
 draw who can learn to write. Nature is the best 
 teacher, and furnishes the best models. 
 
 There is no royal road to learn any art, trade, 
 science, or profession ; and those who have achieved 
 proficiency, with corresponding fame and fortune, 
 
14 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 have done so only through their own exertions and 
 industry, and frequently at considerable sacrifice 
 to personal convenience. 
 
 Even under the most favorable circumstances, 
 with inherent talent and exceptional advantages 
 of tuition, unqualified success is only attained after 
 many weary years of honest endeavor and a well- 
 directed, sustained effort. 
 
 It is a very grave mistake to suppose that any 
 one can learn to paint china successfully, skilfully, 
 and professionally in a given number of lessons, 
 or become an expert in any specified time. China- 
 painting cannot be picked up at random, like the 
 latest pattern in patchwork ; nor can it be evolved 
 from any esoteric source, by the exercise of some 
 cabalistic signs. Those who "know it all " in ten 
 lessons can hardly be depended upon to elevate 
 the art, or to give instruction to others. As in 
 every other work worth achieving, much depends 
 on natural capacity and cultivated observation, to- 
 gether with the amount of time and labor bestowed 
 in serious study. One's environment and associa- 
 tions enter largely into the element of ultimate 
 success ; for undoubtedly one's surroundings exer- 
 cise a potent influence in the development of ar- 
 tistic intuitions. It is an art, however, well worth 
 any amount of time and attention conferred, and 
 abundantly repays the efforts it entails. 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 T5 
 
 But there are many who do not regard china- 
 decorating at all seriously, but esteem it chiefly 
 as an amusement, and manifest an evident desire 
 to paint china without any preliminary course of 
 study. Various reasons are assigned. Perhaps 
 neither time nor means are at their disposal ; or 
 there may be a lack of inclination to pursue what 
 would inevitably prove uninteresting and irksome 
 if it involved any extra exertion. 
 
 Among this class may be included the thought- 
 less creatures who inquire if they " can take 
 Cupids," much the same as if china-painting were 
 something contagious, like the measles, and with 
 about equal solicitude. 
 
 They but little realize the value of china-paint- 
 ing as an art. They neither possess, nor desire 
 to cultivate, the special qualifications of the artist ; 
 and their efforts, not being serious, are of ne- 
 cessity limited. Yet if clever, ambitious, and in- 
 dustrious, it is entirely within the limits of the 
 possibilities to acquire a superficial idea of the 
 requirements of art, together with a familiarity of 
 colors, a certain deftness in handling the brush, 
 and to master both technical and mechanical de- 
 tails to a surprising extent, that may be of infinite 
 service, and eventually succeed in producing some 
 prettily and acceptably decorated china. 
 
 The average amateur, with conscientious aspira- 
 
[6 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Hons and diligent application, even with limited 
 ability, will often excel where one in possession 
 of some natural talent, but too indifferent or in- 
 dolent to cultivate it, will fail. One is progressive, 
 — the true spirit in which to enter the realms 
 of art ; the other commonplace. 
 
 Those who have not enjoyed the privileges of 
 a preparatory art education, but desire to under- 
 take the decoration of china, need not be dis- 
 couraged ; for every facility is offered towards its 
 accomplishment. 
 
 It is a laudable ambition, and should be fos- 
 tered ; it may lead to better things. And an ef- 
 fort, though a feeble one, is infinitely preferable 
 to no effort at all. It is the absence of effort 
 that is discouraging. 
 
 Many inducements are ostentatiously displayed 
 to tempt the novice into making a trial. Even 
 ideas and suggestions are supplied to those defi- 
 cient in these attributes. 
 
 Having yielded to this commendable impulse 
 of at least making an experimental effort, the un- 
 trained amateur encounters the first obstacle in 
 his career as a china-decorator, — the inability to 
 draft original designs. But even this need not 
 prove an actual impediment, nor extinguish a mod- 
 est ambition to continue, since designs of all sizes 
 and description are everywhere available. To be 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 able to utilize these, first by simply making a 
 fair copy, and afterwards to rearrange and adapt 
 to other uses, is something accomplished. And 
 if there is nothing in this achievement of which 
 to be especially proud, at least there is nothing 
 about it that invites reproach. 
 
 The outlines of these designs may be traced on 
 the china, and the exigencies of the occasion van- 
 quished. No injury is done by divesting the art 
 of any unwelcome features that threaten incom- 
 petency. On the contrary, it is quite permissible 
 to employ any legitimate device that will diminish 
 labor, sustain the interest, and prove stimulating 
 to the end in view. Transferring a design by 
 tracing is one of them. 
 
 / Tracing is an easy, quick way of securing cor- 
 rect results ; it is a very general practice, and is, 
 to a more or less extent, indulged in even by those 
 who can draw. A slavish yielding to the habit is 
 to be deplored, as it is apt to dwarf one's energies 
 and impede progress. 
 
 But as a sure and swift method of obtaining an 
 absolutely accurate outline — and this is indispen- 
 sable where portraiture or figure work is attempted 
 — - it is not to be disparaged. 
 
 Much has been said and written for and against 
 tracing ; some condemning it as a pernicious prac- 
 tice, others advocating the process to insure accu- 
 
1 8 A MANUAL FOR CHINA PAINTERS 
 
 racy. In reality, whether the design is skilfully 
 sketched-in free hand, or traced, is of not much 
 significance. / 
 
 The enthusiastic but uninitiated amateur who 
 desires to reproduce results at the expense of 
 another's experience, has no alternative, and is 
 not to be censured for resorting to mechanical 
 rather than artistic means. 
 
 The most humble and unassuming efforts should 
 be encouraged, and every available means adopted 
 to cherish an awakened interest and develop a 
 dormant talent ; and to promote this industry all 
 resources are justifiable. 
 
 Without the facility of tracing, very many would 
 be entirely deprived of the pleasure the painting 
 affords. Unquestionably, those who can draw 
 possess a vast advantage over those who cannot, 
 as they are not compelled to produce servile imita- 
 tions ; but there is but little merit, and still less 
 interest, attached to copying directly from the flat, 
 instead of the actual, model. 
 
 Under any and all circumstances, tracing, it must 
 be admitted, is infinitely preferable to bad draw- 
 ing ; besides, there is even an art in tracing that 
 but few realize. 
 
 Tracing correctly is something to be acquired by 
 practice. The tracing of the average amateur is 
 lacking in precision and decision of outline, the 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 19 
 
 most prominent features are carelessly clone, and 
 details are omitted altogether ; and a tracing done 
 in this manner is utterly useless. 
 
 If tracing is to be indulged in, from whatever 
 motive as a time or labor saving device, it should 
 be perfect to be available and of any real assist- 
 ance. There should be no wavering, hesitating 
 lines ; but every stroke should mean something. 
 No marks made at random will be of any assist- 
 ance. The tracing-lines should be exactly over the 
 copy, of a thin, fine, even, uniform quality, and 
 should never deviate from any of these attributes. 
 As long as tracing is depended upon wholly for 
 designs, the decorations will be restricted to a 
 more or less faithful copy of those furnished by 
 others. But if the lack of previous practice and 
 training disqualifies the amateur for creating or 
 designing original work, it does not necessarily 
 preclude the possibility of infusing some individu- 
 ality in the form of decoration or mode of treat- 
 ment. 
 
 To reproduce a perfect copy is severe discipline : 
 it trains the perceptive faculties ; and, in fact, both 
 head and hand must work in unison. Those who 
 have no other opportunities nor advantages of 
 studying art can learn a great deal by copying the 
 works of others. 
 
 A correct copy is the initial step towards prog- 
 
20 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 ress, and will inevitably, in time, develop a desire 
 to advance to original designing. In spite of all 
 that is said to the contrary, there is merit of a 
 decided character in a well-executed facsimile. 
 To conscientiously copy an artistic piece of work, 
 with a distinct and definite motive, is one thing, 
 and is sure to have some merit ; but to imitate 
 others' methods and mannerisms by counterfeit 
 representations is quite another, and deserves only 
 censure and criticism, as this is false art. 
 
 Originality, as applied to decorative art, is an 
 expansive term, and a very wide latitude is allowed 
 in which to exercise it. There are varying de- 
 grees of originality ; and, in fact, the word " origi- 
 nal " is capable of being largely qualified to suit 
 occasion, and to cover innumerable contingencies. 
 
 Original decoration differs somewhat from an 
 original painting ; as the former phrase is permis- 
 sible even when another's design is employed, if 
 it is adapted or accommodated to some other 
 shape, if in this construction it is invested with 
 a degree of originality. While adapting a design 
 is practically tantamount to copying it, yet suffi- 
 cient diversity may be obtained to create an alto- 
 gether different impression. 
 
 Perhaps this may require at times a very nice 
 discrimination to definitely decide just where the 
 copying ends and the originality begins ; and it 
 
AMATEUR CHINA-PAINTING 
 
 2 I 
 
 may require a distinct code of ethics that will, 
 unchallenged, confer the liberty of appropriating 
 what virtually belongs to another. 
 
 However, a theme may be transferred from 
 another source. An old idea reconstructed and 
 developed, a motive or scheme of color captured 
 elsewhere, may afford a suggestion for an entirely 
 different treatment, and the transformation be so 
 complete as to be entirely divested of offensive 
 imitation. 
 
 This metamorphosis is entirely legitimate ; and 
 it is mere sophistry to maintain that it militates 
 against the artist's ability, or that he transgresses 
 any moral law or obligation. A wholly original 
 design must be the emanation of individual inven- 
 tion, or the conception and method of interpreting 
 a suggestion from nature or imagination, and must 
 be spontaneous ; and originality embraces those 
 features that conspicuously distinguish one per- 
 son's work from another's ; not necessarily eccen- 
 tric, but obviously a creation. 
 
MATERIALS 
 
 COLORS 
 
 The novice at painting with mineral colors will 
 probably be confused when confronted with the 
 many technical designations applied to them, irre- 
 spective of their usual names as colors. 
 
 They are catalogued as " verifiable," " over- 
 glaze," "underglaze," "matt," "enamels," "raised 
 paste," "grounding," "glass colors," etc. While 
 the naming of the colors is merely arbitrary with 
 the individual manufacturer, the above classifica- 
 tion is general, and has a real significance. 
 
 All mineral colors are verifiable when prepared 
 for china-painting, because they fuse at a certain 
 temperature to the glaze and body of the ware. 
 
 Without some knowledge of the construction 
 of a piece of porcelain (or china — they are sy- 
 nonymous), and a distinct idea, theoretically if not 
 practically, of the application of both the over- 
 
 22 
 
COLORS 
 
 23 
 
 glaze and the itnderglaze colors, they will always 
 be vague and meaningless terms. 
 
 Briefly, then, when a china plate, for instance, 
 is being made, it is first moulded from moist, 
 pliable clay, and is then subjected to an intense 
 heat, whence it issues from the kiln in what is 
 called the "biscuit." In this condition it presents 
 a dull, dry appearance, is quite porous, and has a 
 comparatively rough surface. As an article of 
 utility, it is practically useless ; as it is incapable 
 of retaining liquids, because of its porosity. 
 
 This piece of biscuit is then brushed over with, 
 or dipped into, the glaze (which is in a fluid form), 
 and fired again. 
 
 Glaze is a colorless, transparent substance, par- 
 taking of the nature of glass, so that when fired 
 and fused to the body of the ware the article is 
 literally enclosed in a thin film of glass. 
 
 Both the body and the glaze shrink in firing, 
 being divested of all moisture ; and in order to 
 make a perfect article they must contract in the 
 same proportions. In other words, body and 
 glaze must fit each other. 
 
 When a piece of ware becomes covered with 
 small irregular cracks, it is said to be " crazed ; " 1 
 
 1 The Chinese manufacture a ware in which the crazing is in- 
 tentionally accomplished. It is called " crackle ware," and is 
 regarded with special distinction, artistically and commercially. 
 
2 4 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHlNA-PAIN TERS 
 
 and this defect is caused by the glaze shrinking 
 more than the body, and so cracking. 
 
 After the biscuit has been glazed and fired, it 
 comes from the kiln with a highly lustrous, pol- 
 ished, transparent surface, smooth to the touch, 
 non-absorbent, and impervious to water ; it is, 
 in fact, finished, and becomes the china of com- 
 merce. 
 
 If, however, while still in the biscuit, and be- 
 fore receiving its coating of glaze, it is decorated, 
 underglaze colors must be used. Sometimes, and 
 under certain conditions, the decorated biscuit is 
 fired before glazing ; but whether it be or not, the 
 glaze being applied after the painting is finished, 
 and therefore, of necessity, over or on the decora- 
 tion, it is obvious that the color is beneath or 
 under the glaze, — the glaze being transparent, 
 the painting is distinctly visible. 
 
 When the biscuit is allowed to be glazed and 
 finished without the application of color, it is evi- 
 dent that the colors then required to paint on or 
 over the glaze are overglaze colors. Compared to 
 the long list of overglaze colors, there are but few 
 for underglaze ; and while both are formed on a 
 mineral basis, the underglaze colors are prepared 
 especially to resist the long and intense heat that 
 is requisite to vitrify the glaze, as well as the 
 colors, and fuse both to the body of the ware. 
 
COLORS 
 
 25 
 
 This long sustained and exceedingly high tem- 
 perature, necessary to incorporate the glaze with 
 the body, intensifies some colors and diminishes 
 the intensity of others, while, again, some colors, 
 except under skilful treatment, will be entirely 
 obliterated. But though the colors are few, and 
 the risk is great, owing to the uncertainty of the 
 action of fire, the possibilities of underglaze work 
 are vast, in fact, illimitable. 
 
 Overglaze colors, which are more or less trans- 
 parent, used to be collectively designated as " en- 
 amel colors ; " but to-day, while their application 
 is still a process of enamelling, the word enamel is 
 used to indicate only those opaque colors that are 
 applied in relief and in contradistinction to the 
 transparent painting colors, which require rather 
 different treatment. 
 
 Relief enamels and raised paste are both em- 
 ployed to produce effects that can by no other 
 means be obtained. 
 
 The former is used to represent or enhance 
 an apparent projection of the object painted, and 
 when used intelligently and restrainedly is ex- 
 ceedingly attractive. It is also used for model- 
 ling flowers, figures, etc. ; and this is known as 
 pdte-sur-pdte. Raised paste is only used as a 
 basis for gold, and will be referred to in another 
 chapter. 
 
26 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Matt or gouache colors are those which, after 
 firing, present a dead, dull, opaque surface, en- 
 tirely devoid of any lustre, and completely conceal- 
 ing the texture and glaze of the ware. The soft, 
 velvet-like quality of these colors is apparent alike 
 to the touch and to the sight. 
 
 Matt colors must never be fluxed, unless with 
 the flux made for those particular colors, as one 
 of the attributes of flux is to give additional glaze 
 to colors. The usual flux for ordinary overglaze 
 colors must be kept away from matt colors, to 
 preserve the opaque, flat appearance, which is 
 their distinguishing characteristic. / 
 
 Some of the best specimens of decoration with 
 matt colors are to be seen among the much- 
 admired vases from the Royal Worcester Works. 
 Matt colors require an exceptional treatment, inas- 
 much as white is added to color to obtain light 
 shades. 
 
 Matt white is used to conceal or deaden the 
 glaze. If color should be applied thin to produce 
 pale tint, without the white, it would be too thin 
 to be matt, and would be semi-glazed. 
 
 Matt colors also possess one other property 
 peculiarly their own ; viz., gold can be laid over 
 them before firing, but they must first be thor- 
 oughly dry and hard. "Matt wax" colors are 
 those of a semi-transparent nature, and fill an in- 
 
COLORS 
 
 27 
 
 termediary place between glazing colors and those 
 devoid of glaze. 
 
 Grounding-colors are those especially prepared 
 for tinting large surfaces, as backgrounds and 
 borders. They are sufficiently fluxed to be ap- 
 plied in pale, delicate tints, and in thin washes 
 will fuse and glaze. There are twenty-six differ- 
 ent grounding-colors on Lacroix's list (see color 
 plates) for this purpose ; but should any of the 
 painting-colors be preferred, they must be addition- 
 ally fluxed. The grounding colors are not recom- 
 mended for painting, although they can be so used 
 for any delicate work where pale tints are wanted. 
 
 Glass colors are those specially prepared and 
 fluxed to paint with on glass. Glass fuses at a 
 lower temperature than china, and consequently 
 the heat required to develop china colors would 
 melt the glass to a misshapen mass. Therefore 
 glass colors are made to fuse at a much lower 
 temperature. In addition to colors, raised paste 
 and enamels, both transparent and opaque, are 
 especially prepared for glass. 
 
 'Notwithstanding all that has been said and 
 written to the contrary, all colors for painting on 
 china will mix, and are susceptible of unlimited 
 combinations. / 
 
 China colors are frequently alluded to as "hard," 
 "medium," and "soft," signifying the degree of 
 
28 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 temperature required to fuse them ; as high or 
 strong, medium or light, respectively. The same 
 phraseology is also applicable, for the same rea- 
 sons, to china, indicating the quality of the glaze ; 
 as, for instance, English china has noticeably a 
 much softer glaze than French china. 
 
 A knowledge of the varying degrees in the 
 quality of china is of great assistance in the ma- 
 nipulation of color, to produce the results sought. 
 
 The colors mentioned and recommended in this 
 Manual are exclusively those from the laboratory 
 of Lacroix of Paris. He was the first to make 
 china-painting by amateurs a possibility ; and dur- 
 ing the twenty-five years that he has supplied 
 these colors they have always sustained their rep- 
 utation for quality and uniformity. 
 
 They are universally recognized as standard 
 productions, and are therefore most generally 
 used. Moreover, they are always reliable, and 
 may be obtained anywhere, — two distinct advan- 
 tages over ephemeral imitations that only possess 
 a local reputation. 
 
 Nothing is to be gained by using colors ob- 
 tained indiscriminately from various sources. 
 
 Exact reproductions of all of Lacroix's colors are 
 given in this volume; and as it is the first time 
 that such a scheme has been accomplished, or 
 even attempted, it cannot fail to be of real value 
 
COLORS 
 
 29 
 
 to all china-painters, and especially so to ama- 
 teurs. Every shade and tint that can possibly be 
 required, if not here shown and scheduled, may 
 be easily obtained by combinations. 
 
 Every color shown may be obtained either in 
 powder form or in collapsible tubes. 
 
 Compared with other pigments, the number of 
 verifiable colors is limited, as the manufacturer is 
 restricted to obtaining them from a mineral basis. 
 
 They must be reduced by grinding to as fine a 
 powder as possible, to secure an even distribution 
 of color. They must furthermore be prepared not 
 only to resist the heat requisite to vitrify to- the 
 surface of the ware, but must also be made to ex- 
 pand and contract equally with the china to which 
 they are applied. And they must be fluxed in 
 just such proportions as to fuse alike and at an 
 equal degree of temperature. Lacroix's colors are 
 made from carefully compounded formulas, and 
 fulfil all these requirements. 
 
 To secure the best results, it is strongly urged 
 upon the amateur to get his art instruction and 
 suggestions from the artist, and his merchandise 
 from the merchant. , 
 
SELECTING AND MIXING COLORS. 
 
 In purchasing the necessary supply of colors, 
 there is a choice between those that are in col- 
 lapsible tubes, all ready prepared for instant 
 use, and those that are still in powder form, 
 usually put up in small vials, with a metal top, 
 screwed on. 
 
 Each form has its particular advantages to com- 
 mend it, the original cost being about equal ; the 
 actual amount of color in the vials is more than 
 double that in the tubes. 
 
 The colors in both tubes and vials are identi- 
 cally the same in name and in shade. 
 
 30 
 
SELECTING AND MIXING COLORS 
 
 31 
 
 The tube colors are certainly most convenient, 
 especially for beginners, who have not yet learned 
 the exact proportion of oil required in preparing 
 them for use. This knowledge comes only with 
 experience, but is soon acquired. The colors in 
 tubes, in course of time, if left unused, will become 
 hard and unmanageable until reground with fresh 
 oil. They are in no way injured when the oil has 
 dried out, leaving them hard, for they do not de- 
 teriorate with age ; but it is uninteresting and 
 tedious work to get them back again into a man- 
 ageable condition. 
 
 Those in the dry powder remain in a perfect 
 condition for an indefinite time. 
 
 While it requires a little more time in the first 
 place to get them into proper condition, they are 
 in the end, perhaps, a trifle more economical and 
 cleaner to handle; but the minimum of money 
 saved about equals the maximum of time and 
 labor bestowed. 
 
 After all, it is a question of individual prefer- 
 ence. The professional decorator in the factory 
 invariably uses powder colors. Perhaps it would 
 be easier for the beginner to buy tube colors, as 
 they are ready for use ; later on, a good plan 
 would be to have some of both, — those in daily 
 use in tubes, those used occasionally in powder. 
 
 Owing to the wide range of colors, the amateur 
 
32 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 would be rather bewildered in making a selection, 
 and without assistance would probably make an 
 unfortunate choice, resulting in disappointment 
 and consequent discouragement. 
 
 While not advocating the use of too many colors 
 in the beginning, — believing it is well to become 
 thoroughly familiar with the possibilities of the 
 few at first employed, — it is recommended that a 
 sufficient quantity and variety be provided for the 
 subject to be painted. Better results are obtained 
 from a full palette than by trying to make one 
 color serve the purpose of two, generally an un- 
 successful and unsatisfactory effort. 
 
 The amateur will not at first fully realize the 
 necessity or importance of keeping colors in their 
 purity. This quality is easily lost ; and when once 
 the painting assumes a "muddy" look, it is im- 
 possible to restore it./ 
 
 Mineral colors cannot be treated in the same 
 fashion as oil or water colors ; for it is possible, by 
 a subsequent repainting with either of these pig- 
 ments, to restore a lost tint, and correct inaccura- 
 cies in drawing, but it is not so with mineral 
 paints. They are all more or less transparent, 
 and every wash in succession is certain to be influ- 
 enced by the previous ones underneath. Light 
 tints may easily be deepened, but a dark tone can-, 
 not be made lighter. 
 
SELECTING AND MIXING COLORS 33 
 
 Sometimes the device of introducing a strong 
 touch of the complementary color will have the 
 appearance of raising the color to a higher key. 
 For instance, if the greens are too gray, and are 
 somewhat dull and uninteresting in color, the 
 close proximity of a brilliant bit of red will restore 
 it, and it will assume a more vivid tone of green 
 at once. 
 
 With oil and water colors, it is usual to mix two 
 or more together to produce greens and violets ; 
 but it is not advisable to do this with mineral 
 colors. / 
 
 / One of the elementary principles of art, or rather 
 of color, is that the combination of the two pri- 
 mary colors, blue and yellow, makes the secondary 
 green, and that blue and red will produce violet 
 shades ; but with mineral colors, it is well to con- 
 fine this fact to theory, and to purchase greens 
 and violets ready made. These may be modified 
 by other colors, — the greens with yellow, blue, or 
 brown ; the violets with blue or carmine, to any 
 desirable shade ; but it is impossible to obtain a 
 gamut of pleasant tones of green by mixing blue 
 and yellow. In reality, they injure or neutralize 
 each other. 
 
 The reason is obvious, — the greens of the 
 mineral palette are made from metals and ma- 
 terials that produce green in infinitely better, 
 
34 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 brighter, clearer, purer tone than can be obtained 
 by mixing colors on the palette. Blues are made 
 from cobalt, and yellows from iron, antimony, zinc, 
 etc. ; and the union of either of these latter with 
 the former will not produce a green oxide, nor will 
 the combination ever give satisfactory greens. 
 
 The blues and carmines are more manageable ; 
 but there is no advantage even here, for should a 
 satisfactory tint be obtained at random, the fact 
 that it was the result of mere chance precludes 
 duplicating it with any degree of certainty. How- 
 ever close the approximation may be, haphazard 
 amalgamations are of no real benefit ; and china 
 makes certain demands, mechanical and technical, 
 that must be respected. 
 
 Another error into which the amateur is likely 
 to fall, if not suitably provided with a full comple- 
 ment of colors, is the ineffectual attempt to make 
 a thin wash of a dark color do 'duty for a light 
 shade, and vice versa. For instance, carmine, rose, 
 or English pink must be applied very thinly to 
 produce a pure delicate pink, as in a pink rose. 
 But a deep pink rose can never be painted by 
 using the same color heavier. When the darker 
 rose is to be painted, a darker color must be used, 
 such as ruby. With carmine and ruby, almost any 
 shade may be obtained ; but used separately, each 
 has its limitations. A heavy, dark color, put on 
 
SELECTING AND MIXING COLORS 
 
 35 
 
 very thin, loses its richness, and is in appearance 
 weak and uninviting./ Any one taking up china- 
 painting for pleasure or profit should make exten- 
 sive experiments of many and various combinations 
 of colors. A systematic series, where proportions 
 are noted and memoranda kept for future refer- 
 ence, will prove of inestimable value. Misgivings 
 and doubts will soon disappear ; and the painter will 
 find himself working with greater confidence and 
 boldness, knowing positively the result beforehand. 
 
 Tests should be made in duplicate, and only 
 one fired. Then any change made in the firing is 
 at once perceptible. Tests need only cost time. 
 Pieces of broken china may be obtained at any 
 store where china is sold, — it is imperative that 
 it should be a new piece. Those who do their 
 own firing have an extra advantage over those 
 who do not. But any firer will fire these samples 
 free of charge. 
 
 /The endeavor to impress the necessity of hav- 
 ing a sufficient variety of colors must not lead the 
 reader to belief in a widespread fallacy that ob- 
 tained for many years, that mineral colors would 
 not mix. That misapprehension had no founda- 
 tion, and was exploded long ago. 
 
 The fact is, in any kind of painting, and with 
 any pigment, — and mineral colors in this respect 
 are no exception, — colors must be modified in 
 
36 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 order to fulfil the requirements of art, and to pro- 
 duce harmonious results. 
 
 In painting a cluster of pink roses, but very 
 little pure color is used. The highest lights, the 
 shadows, reflected light, transmitted light, etc., 
 must be expressed by other tones than the local 
 color. ] 
 
 Trees in a landscape, especially if on three dif- 
 ferent planes, — the foreground, the middle dis- 
 tance, and those at a remote point of vision, — 
 cannot be expressed with one shade of green. 
 
 A differentiation in color is indispensable to 
 delineate perspective and atmospheric effects. 
 Color must be qualified to obtain a scale of grada- 
 tion to suit the demands of the subject, otherwise 
 the crude appearance of raw color would create a 
 very unpleasant and unnatural result. 
 
 To assert on one page that greens cannot be 
 obtained by mixing, and on another that they 
 must be mixed to obtain the best results, may 
 seem inconsistent. To avoid any misunderstand- 
 ing, an illustration will exactly explain this appar- 
 ent contradiction, and it is an important one to 
 remember. 
 
 Chrome green is a very raw, cold green, bluish 
 in tone, and, though one of the useful greens, is 
 seldom used in its crude condition. But its value 
 depends upon the ease with which a whole range 
 
SELECTING AND MIXING COLORS 37 
 
 of greens may be obtained from it as a basis. 
 It readily lends itself for a variety of purposes 
 by being qualified with yellow, brown, or even 
 blue and carmine, with the most charming re- 
 sults ; and just in the proportion in which they 
 are added will the yellow, brown, blue, or carmine 
 predominate. 
 
 Yet useful as is this color, — chrome green, — it 
 is insufficient for all purposes ; and two or three 
 additional ones give greater satisfaction, a more 
 diversified scheme of color, and greater variety, 
 for general work. / 
 
 To recapitulate, — provide a variety of colors in 
 their pure state, and then modify them, by a judi- 
 cious mixing, to harmonize with the scheme of 
 color suitable to the subject in hand. The same 
 advice is equally good in reference to gray tones. 
 
 Grays are absolutely indispensable in all paint- 
 ing where any effort is made to model a form ; 
 neither rotundity nor distance can be depicted 
 without gray. In a flat, purely conventional de- 
 sign, there is no necessity for grays ; but they are 
 absolutely requisite to delineate a natural object 
 by a realistic treatment. 
 
 To model with only light and heavy shades of 
 one color is absolutely bad. 
 
 In this statement monochromes are not in- 
 cluded. They have their place in art ; always had 
 
38 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 and always will. They have distinctive features, 
 all their own ; and in spite of blue trees, brown 
 skies, or red water, their distinguishing character- 
 istics are respected and admired. 
 
 A reference to the colored plates will reveal a 
 large variety of shades of gray, more or less useful. 
 / Pearl gray, the softest and most delicate tint, is 
 quite a necessary adjunct to the color-box. It is 
 useful in many ways. It is a good glazing color, 
 fusing readily, and can be freely used ; mixes well 
 with other colors, and its introduction in small 
 quantities does not materially change their hue, 
 as it fires very largely away. Warm gray is also 
 equally useful. It is a soft, pinkish color, and 
 may be freely used. Neutral gray is a very dark, 
 cold, intense color, seldom used, and then gener- 
 ally in connection with other colors. 
 
 Royal Copenhagen gray, a color recently added 
 to the Lacroix list, is a pleasing and manageable 
 color ; alone, it is a beautiful tint, and it combines 
 well with other colors in the matter of shading. 
 
 All of the grays glaze well. Those mentioned 
 are used more generally than the others. 
 
 In the matter of grays, however, the best results 
 are obtained by making grays rather than by pur- 
 chasing them ready made. 
 
 Gray is the result of neutralizing one color with 
 another; and the most agreeable tones are likely 
 
SELECTING AND MIXING COLORS 39 
 
 to be those made from the colors in use, and out 
 on the palette, rather than by the substitution of 
 others. They are more in unison with the scheme 
 of color, and consequently harmonize better. 
 
 A manufactured gray is made warm or cool in 
 proportion to the amount and quality of color in- 
 troduced. Red and yellow are lively tones, and 
 produce warm tints, while blue in predominance is 
 excessively cool. Violet is an intermediate tone. 
 / In theory, the three primary colors, reel, blue, 
 and yellow, in a given proportion, will counterbal- 
 ance or neutralize each other ; but with mineral 
 colors, seldom more than two are requisite to pro- 
 duce a satisfactory gray. A good example of the 
 first principle is a mixture of carmine, silver yel- 
 low, and ultra-marine, which can be made to have 
 either color predominate. 
 
 Apple green and carmine make a soft, pearly 
 tone, very delicate in quality, and useful when 
 combined with pink. Either deep red brown or 
 violet of iron, combined with deep bine gr'ccn, forms 
 a somewhat stronger tint, and is useful to shade 
 blue flowers or drapery. It is also good for clouds 
 and distant effects. 
 
 Deep red brown is a vivid color, and must be 
 used with discretion with blue to produce very 
 lovely violet grays, capable of being bluish or red- 
 dish at will. 
 
40 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 A still stronger tone is obtained from deep pur- 
 ple and dark green No. 7. / Perhaps one of the 
 safest and best of grays is one made from deep 
 blue green or air blue and orange. With these a 
 most delightful range of tints may be made, varied 
 to suit the subject, from a cool, bluish gray, 
 through several shades, assuming a greenish tone, 
 to a warm yellow tint. This is especially good 
 for white flowers and draperies ; and, being delicate, 
 there is less danger of using too much than with 
 some of the stronger grays. 
 
 Attention must be called to this color, orange. 
 It is not, as has frequently been supposed, orange 
 yellow ; by consulting the color pages it will be 
 seen there is a vast difference, and one cannot be 
 substituted for the other. 
 
 Although not a new color, having been known 
 and used by professional decorators for many 
 years, it is almost unknown to the amateur ; but 
 now that it is put up by Lacroix, uniform with the 
 rest of the colors, it will doubtless become better 
 known, and prove a valuable addition to the pa- 
 lette. It not only makes desirable grays, — with 
 the addition of blue, — but tones greens and yel- 
 lows if too vivid, mixes well with ruby for reddish 
 rose-stems, and in a variety of ways is useful. 1 
 
 1 Having used this color for many years, and recognizing its 
 value, the writer suggested to Mr. Lacroix the propriety of pre- 
 
SELECTING AND MIXING COLORS 4 1 
 
 / If, however, the beginner is doubtful how to 
 mix or make grays, he should use those that are 
 ready made, but should never attempt to paint 
 without grays. This is imperative, and cannot be 
 too strongly impressed. Grays that are purchased 
 are infinitely preferable to no grays at all, so 
 necessary are they in modelling anything that has 
 form, perspective, light, or shade. 
 
 Two grays recently added, one gray for flowers, 
 the other gray for flesh, are made specially for the 
 purposes indicated, and in the line of mixed grays 
 readily assimilate with other colors. This relieves 
 much hesitation, as it expedites a choice according 
 to the requirements of the subject. 
 
 Finally, avoid using black for shading. It is 
 harsh and cold, and, except skilfully used, is not 
 pleasing. It is rather hazardous for a beginner to 
 handle ; but if it is to be used, get Brunswick black, 
 as it is capable of producing very clear tones in 
 thin washes. Ivory black is a good strong color, 
 but one not always safe to fire twice if used pure. 
 Sometimes it will chip off at the second firing. 
 This disaster may be averted, provided a small 
 quantity of sky blue, pearl gray, or neutral gray be 
 
 paring and placing it on the market in the same form as his other 
 colors, as hitherto it has been only procurable in bulk. Mr. La- 
 croix willingly complied, and one of the valuable acquisitions to 
 china-painting is now available to all. 
 
42 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 added, in sufficiently slight quantities as not to 
 impair the color. 
 
 Aside from the hard tones of black, which are 
 far from agreeable, it aptly illustrates a previous 
 statement, that dark, deep, strong colors are not 
 as appropriate for pale, thin, delicate tints as those 
 which approximate the scale of the local color. 
 
 Black is the darkest and strongest color, and 
 has its legitimate place. Only an expert should 
 attempt to use it for any effect for which the use 
 of another color will do. 
 
 SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 The fewest colors recommended to the beginner 
 with which to do the average general work are 
 three greens, — apple green, clirome green, and 
 brown green ; one pink, — carmine No. I ; one 
 crimson, — ruby ; one purple, — deep violet of gold ; 
 one red, — deep red brozun ; two yellows, — -yellozv 
 for mixing and silver yellozv ; one blue, — deep blue 
 green ; two browns, — orange and brown No. J. 
 These, with violet of iron and flux, form a simple, 
 inexpensive list of colors quite sufficient to pro- 
 duce a variety of decorations. / But probably the 
 less experienced will require more colors than 
 those already acquainted with the possibilities of 
 these few. Therefore the following additional 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 43 
 
 colors are to be recommended : Yellow brown, 
 chestnut brown, brown M, brown No. /f., Vandyke 
 brown, and black brown. Yellow ochre and sepia 
 are also useful. 
 
 Emerald stone green, moss green J, olive green, 
 and dark green No. / may be used with advantage. 
 Shading green is another fine color. Carnation 
 No. I and capneine red are two valuable additional 
 reds. Ivory yellow, Albert's yellow, and orange 
 yellow each has its place ; and pearl gray, warm 
 gray, neutral gray, and gold gray are almost indis- 
 pensable. Sky blue is important for flesh, and 
 deep blue for any dark rich effects unattainable 
 with deep blue green. Either deep purple or purple 
 No. 2 will be found in many cases a good substi- 
 tute for ruby purple, which is a much more expen- 
 sive color. 
 
 It is customary to have one black. Either 
 Brunszvick black or ivory black will do. White 
 enamel is used for high lights in relief and dec- 
 orative scrolls ; permanent yellozv, another relief 
 color, is used to represent the stamens in flowers, 
 such as are seen in wild roses, apple and cherry 
 blossoms, etc. The list may close with relief 
 paste for gold. 
 
 While it is by no means necessary to possess 
 all of these colors, it is a selection found most 
 useful after many years' experience. 
 
44 A MANUAL FOR CHlNA-PAlN TERS 
 
 From time to time it will be found expedient to 
 make additions for certain specified decorations, 
 and then the color plates will prove most valuable. 
 
 Without entering into a lengthy disquisition of 
 the component parts, or attempting an elaborate 
 analysis of their chemical attributes, a few words 
 relative to their peculiar properties as colors will 
 not be amiss. 
 
 These colors are all made from metallic oxides, 
 minerals, and earths, from which certain salts, 
 chlorides, silicates, and aluminates have been ex- 
 tracted. On a previous page, mention is made 
 of cobalt, from which blue is derived, and anti- 
 mony, zinc, and iron, from which yellows are 
 principally obtained. Greens are made from chro- 
 mium ; reds from iron ; black from iron and cobalt, 
 intensified with copper and manganese ; brown 
 from cobalt and iron, modified by ochre and zinc ; 
 white from tin ; and carmines, crimsons, purples, 
 and violets from gold, and are known as the gold 
 colors. 
 
 Greens predominate on the list, and embrace a 
 greater and more widely diversified variety of 
 shades than any other color. / Greens change very 
 little in the firing, and usually glaze well, except 
 black green No. y, which requires fluxing. 
 
 Notwithstanding the multiplicity of tints, afford- 
 ing a wide range and ample scope for individual 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 45 
 
 taste in selection, they are seldom used without 
 some slight modification. They mix well with 
 the yellows, one particularly — yellow for mix- 
 ing — forming an especially agreeable line of 
 warm tints. With yellow for mixing, apple green, 
 chrome green, emerald stone green, brown green, 
 and black green No. /, and their various combi- 
 nations, any desirable scale of greens may be ob- 
 tained, from the young and tender shades of the 
 early shoots of spring, through the full, brilliant, 
 vivid tones of summer foliage, into the successive 
 shades of olives and glowing russets of autumn, 
 to the low and mellow tones of the sombre ever- 
 greens of winter./ 
 
 Brown is used to tone vivid greens to olive ; 
 carmine or ruby purple, applied in a very thin 
 wash over the green, will also reduce the color 
 considerably. Violet of iron is also very useful 
 used in conjunction with greens, giving a degree 
 of warmth frequently required in floral designs. 
 If the green be too yellow, a thin wash of blue, 
 or one of the blue greens, may rectify it. If too 
 blue, a wash of yellozv brown or chestnut brozvn 
 will give it the necessary warmth and richness. 
 
 Brozvn green, an invaluable color as it comes 
 from the tube, is seldom qualified by any other, 
 and is more frequently used pure than otherwise. 
 
 'As a general thing, the greens are very pliable 
 
46 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 and easily managed, and, as the change produced 
 in the firing is scarcely perceptible, are very satis- 
 factory colors. / 
 
 The reds are easily distinguished from the pinks 
 and crimsons as being of more brilliant vivid color- 
 ing, entirely different in quality, and the nearest 
 approach in the mineral palette to vermilion or 
 scarlet. 
 
 Deep red brown, capucine red, and orange red 
 are the most useful. The first mentioned is 
 listed under browns, but it is devoid of any tint of 
 the general acceptation of the word brown. On 
 the contrary, it is a very bright red, and one of the 
 most serviceable of colors. Although of a bril- 
 liant shade, in its full strength, used very thin and 
 fluxed, it is frequently used as a substitute for 
 pinks, and even for flesh tones, combined with sil- 
 ver yellow. Carnation No. I is also frequently 
 used for a similar purpose. Both combine well 
 with yellow, and produce very pleasant salmon and 
 shrimp pink shades. 
 
 While carnation, fluxed and applied in very thin 
 washes, is sometimes used to paint pink flowers, 
 and though quite agreeable in tint, it really is not 
 a pure or rose pink. This particular shade is only 
 obtained from the gold colors. 
 
 While the reds mix freely with the yellows, 
 care must be exercised when yellow for mixing is 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 47 
 
 used, not to exceed certain proportions, otherwise, 
 after firing, no red will be perceptible. / Yellow 
 for mixing will devour all reds if an excess is used. 
 It would be better to avoid this combination alto- 
 gether, although one portion of yellow for mixing, 
 one of ivory yellow, and one of carnation No. I, 
 will produce satisfactory results./ Any of the reds 
 used thin require additional flux. 
 
 / Capucine is still more vivid than deep red brown, 
 and is useful for very bright flowers, such as pop- 
 pies, and berries like holly. It is also the red 
 used in heraldry. Flame red makes an attractive 
 tinting color, very clear and brilliant. 
 
 Red is sometimes used for edges and handles of 
 cups, saucers, pitchers, etc., instead of gold. Red 
 is an easy color to manipulate, and is to be recom- 
 mended as a practise color, as for instance, to 
 acquire facility in tinting and in the application 
 of gold, for lace borders, etc. All of the reds will 
 fire satisfactorily, if intelligently placed in the 
 kiln. 
 
 Too hot firing causes them to change to an 
 ugly color, and if fired too hot and too long will 
 inevitably and irrevocably turn black. 
 
 On the contrary, if not fired enough they will 
 wipe off in irregular patches. Carnation espe- 
 cially will do this if thinly applied, unless highly 
 fluxed. Even with the most successful firing they 
 
4 8 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 change somewhat, becoming perceptibly darker by 
 repeated firings. But when these qualities are once 
 thoroughly understood, an allowance is made, and 
 in the end red will be found satisfactory and quite 
 indispensable. 
 
 Violet of iron is one of the most delightful of 
 reds, and of inestimable value to the china painter. 
 It is a subdued, low tone, and combines well with 
 blues, greens, and browns. It requires a pretty 
 sharp fire to glaze, when used pure, as in a mono- 
 chrome, for which it is one of the most charming 
 and restful of colors. 
 
 It may seem almost unnecessary to give a spe- 
 cial admonition with reference to this color ; but 
 the fact is, strange as it may appear, that violet of 
 iron and violet of gold are often thoughtlessly con- 
 founded one with the other. This is inexcusable 
 in any but the beginner who is not yet familiar 
 with the colors ; but as an interchange involves 
 considerable difference in results, it is well to 
 guard against making this error. 
 
 Violet of iron is made from the oxide of iron, 
 and is red. Violet of gold is made from gold, and 
 is purple. They are totally unlike, and one can- 
 not be substituted for the other. 
 
 There are two shades of violet of gold, light and 
 dark. The light is quite pinkish, and in the dark 
 the blue predominates. These may be modified to 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 49 
 
 any extent by the addition of blue, — usually deep 
 blue green, — or carmine, or one of the purples. 
 This word "purple," as referring to what is gener- 
 ally called crimson, such as ruby purple, crimson 
 purple, etc., is apt to be confusing, as it does not 
 correspond with the purple of the pansy, for 
 instance. In other words, purple of the mineral 
 palette is applied to crimson, and does not signify 
 the color generally known as royal purple. 1 
 
 Both deep violet of gold and light violet of gold 
 are exquisite shades of purple, and the nearest ap- 
 proach to the color for pansies, lilacs, violets, iris, 
 or fleur-de-lis, clematis, and, in fact, all purple 
 flowers. 
 
 ' The yellows are the easiest of all colors to use, 
 and, with the exception of ivory yellow, fire and 
 glaze well. 
 
 Ivory yellow sometimes is, under certain condi- 
 tions, a little unreliable. Used pure, it will not 
 admit of many firings. 
 
 It, however, possesses one agreeable quality as 
 a compensation that makes it valuable, — - it is one 
 of the soft, and consequently very fusible, colors. 
 
 1 This color, known as Tyrian purple, the only purple color 
 known to the ancients, was obtained from a mollusk, and only in 
 very minute quantities; hence its value. Its production formed the 
 chief industry of the city of Tyre, and was adopted by the ancients 
 as the symbol of imperial power, probably from its great scarcity 
 and enormous cost. 
 
A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 It can often be introduced to advantage for this 
 quality alone, and do no detriment to other colors. 
 In fact, this very delicate color is frequently a 
 decided acquisition, particularly in harmonizing the 
 general treatment, by giving the entire painting 
 the thinnest wash imaginable, called glazing. It 
 gives thereby an additional warmth to white 
 flowers, draperies, etc. ; but when employed for 
 this purpose, it must not be deep enough to 
 change the white flower to a yellow one, but just 
 sufficient to veil the cold harsh gloss of the sur- 
 face of pure white china. 
 
 Having already referred to yellow for mixing as 
 the best in conjunction with greens, it must be 
 added that it is by no means used exclusively for 
 this purpose ; for both silver yellow and orange 
 yelloiv are both used to render a crude green less 
 harsh and more agreeable. Although called yelloiv 
 for mixing, its capacity to mix has its limitations, 
 and had better be confined to greens. It is usu- 
 ally fatal to reds. 
 
 Silver yelloiv is one of the invaluable colors ; 
 indeed, there is no better yellow for general work. 
 It is equally satisfying, from the palest tint of a 
 thin wash to its full strength. Albert's yellow is 
 another fine color, a trifle stronger than silver yel- 
 low, but very pliable. 
 
 Orange yelloiv is the deepest and strongest of 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 51 
 
 all, and requires more skilful treatment. It will 
 utterly absorb reds or browns if mixed with them 
 for shading. Mixed with a black, it makes a rich 
 dark olive green. There is not much necessity 
 for orange yellow, as silver yellow answers the 
 purpose for yellow flowers, draperies, fruit, and 
 tinting. 
 
 By consulting the color plates, it will be seen 
 that there are a large number and variety of blues. 
 Many of these have names that indicate at once 
 their special uses, such as sky blue, old blue, delft 
 blue, cornflower blue, old Rouen blue, and Holland 
 blue. 
 
 /The prettiest and most useful, however, is listed 
 under the greens, and its name is deep blue green. 
 It is not green at all, but the most perfect pure 
 blue of the mineral colors. It is always lovely 
 applied in any degree of strength, although when 
 strong it is by no means dark. It is generally 
 useful ; indeed, one can scarcely paint without it. 
 It is used for all blue flowers, draperies, skies ; in 
 fact, everywhere a pretty blue is wanted. It com- 
 bines well with green, red, pink, gray, and violet 
 of iron for shadowy effects and vague forms, as 
 seen in the distance ; and with violet of gold 
 every possible variety required for violets, lilacs, 
 and orchids ; in fact, with any color except yellow, 
 and with this it assumes a disagreeable gray tone. . 
 
52 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 However, there is really no necessity for this com- 
 bination ; for greens are to be procured from the 
 manufacturer, and not mixed on the palette. 
 
 Deep blue green is the azure of heraldry, and is 
 also introduced in flesh tones. If used for tinting, 
 or a very pale color is aimed at, it should be fluxed, 
 or have a modicum of light sky blue, a soft glaz- 
 ing color, added to it. 
 
 Sky blue and air blue are both used for skies ; 
 and, as they both fuse at a low temperature, are 
 frequently introduced for the glazing qualities, in- 
 stead of flux. 
 
 Flux does not strictly belong to the list of col- 
 ors, as it is white ; but as it is an important ingre- 
 dient, and in a more or less degree exists in all 
 colors, it is perhaps necessary to explain its use, 
 that the beginner may understand its peculiar 
 properties, and be able to use it intelligently. To 
 be able to manage the refluxing of colors success- 
 fully requires, first, some knowledge of the essen- 
 tial characteristics of flux ; secondly, individual 
 experience. The first may be, to a certain extent, 
 explained ; the second is only acquired by ex- 
 periment. 
 
 Flux is the medium by which the color is united, 
 in the kiln, to the glaze of the china; without 
 flux, color would not fuse to any vitreous body. 
 All colors, therefore, are fluxed when manufac- 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 53 
 
 tured, but are fluxed to be used in their full 
 strength. 
 
 Now, when colors are used in a less degree than 
 full strength, it is obvious they are deficient in 
 this verifiable element. Consequently, the thinner 
 the wash of color, the less the quantity of flux is 
 distributed. 
 
 Herein lies the difference between the painting 
 colors and grounding colors ; these latter, being 
 prepared especially to be applied for tinting, - 
 usually in a delicate wash, — are abundantly fluxed, 
 and require no additional fluxing. On the con- 
 trary, whenever painting colors are to do duty as 
 tinting colors, or to be applied for any other pur- 
 pose in a faint wash, they must have additional 
 flux thoroughly incorporated with them, and the 
 amount is in exact proportion to the quantity of 
 color used, or, rather, the extent of surface over 
 which a certain portion of color is to be distributed. 
 
 The direct action of flux is twofold ; for it not 
 only assists the color to amalgamate to the sur- 
 face of the china, but gives it that much desired 
 quality of glaze. It is the medium of obtaining 
 the beautiful, brilliant lustre that is so absolutely 
 necessary for perfect work, and without which a 
 painting appears dead, dull, and unfinished, no 
 matter how well executed. 
 
 Desirable as it is to have an intelligent compre- 
 
54 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 . hension of the attributes of flux, it is equally ex- 
 pedient to understand the quality of the glaze on 
 the ware, whether hard or soft, as an excess of 
 flux is rather more of a defect than its absence, 
 when used indiscriminately. 
 
 This nice adjustment of color and flux to the 
 ware can only be attained by observation and 
 experiment. / 
 
 Firing is another element that enters into suc- 
 cessful fluxing, as the less flux the more heat re- 
 quired to fuse. A well-fluxed color will vitrify at 
 a much lower temperature than a color deficient in 
 this quality. 
 
 There is a way to avoid using flux, should any 
 doubt exist as to proportions, or until greater 
 familiarity is acquired with the various features 
 connected with its intelligent use ; and that is to 
 introduce, in its stead, some one of the soft colors. 
 Very nearly the same results may be thus ob- 
 tained — sometimes even richer effects, as a color 
 highly fluxed must, of necessity, change its tint 
 somewhat. It does not exactly impair it ; but the 
 additional flux certainly acts in the nature of an 
 adulterant, and dilutes the color a trifle. 
 
 Pearl gray possesses this peculiarity to a high 
 degree, and is always satisfactory. It will not 
 materially change any color, and fires away very 
 considerably. 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 55 
 
 Sky blue may safely be added to blues, violets, 
 and to some greens with good effect ; ivory yel- 
 low to greens, yellows, reds, and browns, the last 
 being particularly deficient in glazing properties. 
 
 A good sample test for practice is to first note 
 proportion of either flux or the fusible color used, 
 and apply it in three different degrees of strength, 
 — full strength, medium, and the thinnest wash ; 
 then fire, compare results, and make a mental, if 
 not a written, note as a guide for the future. 
 
 A thorough understanding of refluxing by 
 either of these means — it is immaterial which — • 
 is- not only essential to the ultimate perfection of 
 china-painting, but of vital importance ; and this 
 fact cannot be too strongly impressed upon the 
 beginner. 
 
 A color should be fluxed for the first firing, and 
 it will not be necessary for a subsequent repainting. 
 
 A variety of browns is absolutely indispensable, 
 as they enter largely into all designs. It is well 
 to provide these in several gradations of shade, 
 from light yellow to the darkest brown, which is 
 almost black. 
 
 Once accustomed to using browns, no painting 
 will ever seem complete without them. Yellow 
 brown, chestnut brozvn, broxvn M, broivn No. J, 
 brown No. 4, Vandyke brown, and black brown are 
 among those most useful. 
 
56 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Septa cannot always be relied on to retain its 
 color in process of firing, but sometimes this is an 
 advantage. 
 
 Light brown and yellow ochre are so similar to 
 yellow brown, that one may easily be substituted 
 for the other. 
 
 The gold colors, of all the colors, are the most 
 difficult to manage. They consist of the carmines, 
 pinks, roses, and crimsons, — called purples, — and 
 include the light violet of gold and dark violet of 
 gold. 
 
 Carmine is called the " test color ; " and though 
 this has especial reference to firing, it is as well 
 a test of one's ability ; for the skilful manipulation 
 of carmine is considered a standard of experience. 
 
 Both the firing of this color and its application 
 require special treatment. If underfired, it comes 
 from the kiln yellowish, and by no means agree- 
 able in tone. Another and a stronger firing will 
 restore it. If, on the contrary, it is fired too hard, 
 it will come out with a blue or purplish tint, that 
 is even uglier than before, and far more disappoint- 
 ing, as this defect is irremediable. The lovely 
 soft pure hue of pink is destroyed forever. 
 
 Sometimes a thin wash of carnation No. I, fluxed 
 and given a rather light fire, will improve this ; but 
 carmine once destroyed by overfiring is beyond 
 restoration. 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 57 
 
 There are four carmines. The palest is car- 
 mine A ; the others are designated numerically, 
 with corresponding degrees of shade, and are No. 
 I, No. 2, and No. J respectively. No. I is more 
 used than the others, and applied and fired intel- 
 ligently is a most satisfactory color for pink flow- 
 ers, draperies, etc. Everybody, however, does not 
 make the nice discrimination between a pink and 
 a pale red, and therefore does not appreciate the 
 value of the gold pinks. 
 
 The difference may be easily distinguished if a 
 sample of both a gold color and iron color (red) be 
 fired and compared. Carmine will be a delightful 
 pure rose pink, and the carnation, or deep red 
 brown, will inevitably present a tinge of red with 
 an admixture of yellow ; and while both may be 
 equally admired, and one may serve the purpose 
 as well as the other, it is an indisputable fact that 
 one is pink and the other pale red. 
 
 What is here said relative to carmine is equally 
 true about rose, English pink, and other gold pinks. 
 
 In addition to a proper degree of heat, to de- 
 velop the carmines, there is another imperative 
 fact to be rigidly observed to secure the best re- 
 sults, and obtain the full beauty and purity of tint. 
 It must be applied in the thinnest washes possible ; 
 the thinner the color, the more dainty and delicate 
 will be the tint. 
 
58 4 MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Before carmine is fired, it has not the remotest 
 resemblance to the perfect pink it is -after firing ; 
 and a beginner is very apt to apply the color too 
 heavily, with consequent disappointment, Car- 
 mine will turn a very disagreeable color, and very 
 yellow, if applied heavy, and more than probable 
 will blister and chip off. 
 
 It is because carmine makes these peremptory 
 demands that it requires special treatment, and 
 that recourse is sometimes made to one of the 
 reds as a substitute. 
 
 While the pale tint of the reds, always violent, 
 may not be exactly objectionable, no one should 
 be allured to believe that they will produce a real 
 rose pink. 
 
 Since the disaster has already been explained 
 which will be sure to result if the carmine be ap- 
 plied too thick in the endeavor to obtain a dark 
 pink, suffice it to admonish the amateur not to 
 make the attempt, but instead to add a trifle of 
 ruby purple to the carmine, and the shades will 
 be in due proportion to the amount added. 
 
 Carmines and ruby, in fact all the gold colors, 
 require a strong firing to develop their full possi- 
 bilities ; and the heavier the carmine is put on 
 the stronger must be the firing; and this exceed- 
 ingly high temperature is likely to destroy other 
 colors in the kiln. Indeed, the heat required for 
 
SETTING THE PALETTE 
 
 59 
 
 Carmine Nos. 2 and J would be even too strong 
 for No. I. 
 
 Carmine is a sensitive color, and is easily 
 smirched from contact with an unclean brush or a 
 soiled knife. Clean turpentine is, therefore, essen- 
 tial in conjunction with carmine. Some even go 
 to the extent of having separate brushes for car- 
 mine ; for if the slightest tinge of green or yellow 
 or blue remain in the brush it will impart it to 
 carmine. But as brushes and palette knife can 
 both be thoroughly cleansed in alcohol, the same 
 brush will answer for all colors, if these precau- 
 tionary measures are carefully adopted. 
 
 As a matter of fact, the utmost care and cleanli- 
 ness must be observed in every particular in con- 
 nection with china-painting tools and implements. 
 The victim of untidiness is betrayed, for his sins 
 will surely find him out. 
 
BRUSHES 
 
 Too much cannot be said in 
 
 favor of having not only good 
 brushes, but a good assortment 
 of them. 
 
 A bad brush is responsible for 
 a great deal of bad work. The 
 best the market affords is none 
 too good for china-painting; and 
 although they cost more than in- 
 ferior ones, they give greater sat- 
 isfaction, last longer, and in the 
 end are really more economical. 
 
 There is a very wide latitude 
 in selecting brushes, both as to 
 
 quality and quantity. Having se- 
 cured a good brush, it should be 
 well taken care of, and it will amply repay any 
 attention bestowed upon its preservation. 
 
 It is useless to attempt to do good work with 
 inefficient materials and tools ; and a poor, cheap 
 brush — and a cheap brush is always poor — is 
 
 60 
 
BRUSHES 
 
 6 1 
 
 not conducive to the moral, mental, or physical 
 condition of the painter. If this fact be consid- 
 ered and estimated in the cost, the expense of a 
 good brush will be more than counterbalanced by 
 the comfort and convenience in its working quali- 
 ties ; and it is not what may seem to the inexperi- 
 enced an excessive or unnecessary expenditure. 
 
 A few brushes, provided they are of the right 
 kind, are sufficient for almost any kind of work. 
 They can instantly be cleansed in alcohol, and be 
 used freely to apply several successive colors. - 
 
 It is advisable to use as large a brush as can be 
 conveniently handled. A beginner's timidity in- 
 duces the selecting of too small brushes, but it is 
 better to become accustomed to large brushes in 
 the very beginning. If the handling of a large 
 brush is under control, a small one is easily man- 
 aged ; but if, on the contrary, only small brushes 
 are used, when it becomes necessary to use a large 
 one, it will be awkward and unmanageable, and 
 give more or less trouble. 
 
 Those who have never handled brushes before 
 will find it just as easy to acquire the use of a large 
 one as a small one; those who have become habitu- 
 ated to the use of small brushes cannot discontinue, 
 the practice too soon. Paint may be laid on more 
 quickly and more smoothly by the large brush.\ 
 
 It is impossible to lay a uniform tint or a grad- 
 
62 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 uated wash of color with a small brush. It is 
 true that inequalities may be partially overcome 
 by blending, but this practice is not recommended 
 for all occasions. 
 
 Blending, by means of a brush or pad, has its 
 proper place, and is of vast assistance in many in- 
 stances. When a large surface is to be covered, 
 either with a graduated or uniform tint, it is the 
 only means of attaining the desired result ; and 
 this process is recommended as the surest and 
 easiest method of obtaining a perfect and satis- 
 factory tint. But to depend upon it altogether, 
 for all work, is a most pernicious practice, and 
 should be abolished. Accustomed to its continual 
 use, it is impossible to do without it. Suppress, 
 or rather resist, the impulse to use a blender to 
 smooth out brush-marks and even up tints. It is 
 a bad habit (and, like all others, easy to acquire), 
 with the inevitable result of flatness, until all de- 
 signs look as though they had been stepped on, 
 or ironed out. 
 
 It is preferable to obtain the same result by the 
 legitimate means of skilful handling of the brush, 
 rather than by resorting to artificial methods. In- 
 telligently used, it is of immense advantage. Used 
 to conceal faulty manipulation, it is invariably bad. 
 It sometimes results in a "woolly" appearance 
 that is both unnatural and unattractive. 
 
BRUSHES 
 
 63 
 
 As there are legitimate uses for the blender or 
 pad, the china-painter's equipment is not com- 
 plete without several of different sizes. 
 
 Pads may be made of any smooth fabric that is 
 devoid of lint. It should be soft material ; and old 
 stuff that has undergone much wear and tear, and 
 
 Cut No. 3. 
 
 is entirely destitute of fuzzinesss from frequent 
 washing, is preferable to new. Old handkerchiefs, 
 either linen or silk, chamois-skin, kid gloves, and 
 even discarded gauze undervests, are capital for 
 very large pads. Whatever the material, it must 
 be perfectly clean, dry, and smooth. Cut it the 
 
64 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 desired size, and wrap it around a ball of raw 
 cotton, and gathering up the ends, tie together 
 with a string, — this secures the ends, and forms 
 a handle, — and it is ready for instant use. 
 
 There are special brushes for blending, and a 
 use will be found occasionally for two or three. 
 They come in assorted sizes. A convenient size 
 
 Cut No. 6. 
 
 for general work is No. 10. But for large surfaces 
 and spaces, No. 14 should be used. These large 
 sizes come in wooden handles. (Cut No. 1.) The 
 smaller sizes are in quill handles, and are invalu- 
 able in painting figures, heads, Cupids, etc. (Cut 
 No. 3.) An intermediary size comes in a double 
 quill. (Cut No. 2.) Some of these blender brushes 
 are slanting on the edge ; that is, one side of the 
 
BRUSHES 
 
 65 
 
 brush is longer than the other. (Cut No. 4.) 
 These are called deer-foot, and are convenient for 
 getting around handles, inside of cups, and other 
 uneven surfaces. 
 
 / The best brushes for painting china are those 
 called square shaders. (Cuts Nos. 5 and 6.) They 
 come in quills ; and two large ones, a No. 10 and 12, 
 and two smaller sizes, a No. 6, f, or 8, are quite 
 sufficient for the ordinary painting. Each brush 
 should be provided with a cedar handle. 
 
 Before inserting the handle, throw the new brush 
 in a cup of water, to soak for a few hours. This 
 
 Cut No. 7. 
 
 softens the quill, and the handle is fitted without 
 danger of splitting, as the quill when dry is brittle, 
 and liable to split if this precaution is neglected, f 
 Handles should fit snugly, to avoid any possi- 
 bility of the brush slipping or falling off ; but 
 they should never be forced in the quill. If the 
 handles are too large, reduce them by rubbing 
 with sandpaper, rather than cutting with a knife. 
 This method keeps the handles round. After the 
 handle is firmly attached to the brush, sharpen 
 the other end to a point with a penknife ; this end 
 will be found to be very serviceable for cutting 
 
66 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 out high lights, cleaning up edges, and many other 
 purposes that need not be enumerated, as they will 
 be discovered by degrees. 
 
 A short pointed brush (Cut No. 7) is useful to 
 take out high lights in modelling, and is to be used 
 before the paint becomes too dry. A No. 5 or 6 
 will be found a convenient size. A small quill 
 blender, No. 4 or 5, is also used for removing color. 
 The curling petals of a flower can be beautifully 
 delineated with such a short painting-brush, very 
 slightly dampened with clove-oil ; and, in fact, all 
 lost lights can be restored by this means infinitely 
 better than by scratching out, 
 "" ~" " ' " ""' which is not only a villanous 
 
 Cut No. 8. ■> 
 
 method of removing color, but 
 unavoidably leaves harsh, sharp edges, whereas 
 using a damp brush leaves the edges charmingly 
 soft, and devoid of distinct lines. 
 
 A long, thin, pointed brush, called "miniature" 
 pencil, is necessary for stippling. (Cut No. 8.) 
 
 Stippling, it should be explained, is the applica- 
 tion of color by the slightest touches from the 
 point of a brush. It is sometimes called "point- 
 ing." These minute touches of color must not 
 show as spots or specks of color, but must be 
 so blended one in the other as to form a uniform 
 color, or graduation from one color to another. 
 Stippling is necessary in figure work, and for re- 
 
, Sacred Heart Teacher 
 
 BRUSHES*** 1111 ^*!** 
 
 pairing accidental damages. It is a little diffi- 
 cult at first to do at all ; but by practice, one is 
 enabled to do it perfectly. The usual difficulty to 
 overcome is the use of too much and too strong 
 color. A similar brush, though longer than a 
 stippling-briisJi, will be found useful for finishing- 
 
 Cut No. 9. 
 
 touches and deepest accents. These are called 
 tracers. (Cut No. 9.) No. I is a useful brush ; and 
 two will be necessary, — ■ one for color ; the other 
 must be kept for gold. 
 
 A free handling of a tracer will produce grace- 
 
 Cut No. 10. 
 
 ful grasses and stems, and give better results for 
 distant effects of these than any other. 
 
 A red sable liner No. 1 brush (Cut No. 10) 
 should be used for enamel, when it is to be applied 
 
 Cut No. 11. 
 
 as highest points of light-relief scrolls or ornamen- 
 tal dots. It is important to keep this brush only for 
 this purpose, and not use it for anything else. 
 
68 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 For raised paste and gold, special brushes are 
 made. These are somewhat longer than the or- 
 dinary painting-brushes, and are known in the 
 trade as Trenton tracers. (Cut No. 11.) 
 
 For very fine lines, it is frequently necessary to 
 cut off the outer rows of hairs. This is done with 
 a knife or scissors, and the cutting is done close 
 to the quill. This will leave a remarkably thin 
 
 brush, capable of fine work, with a long, sharp 
 point. 
 
 A red sable liner No. i should be kept exclu- 
 sively for india-ink, and should be marked in 
 some way on the handle to prevent its being used 
 
 Cut No. 13. 
 
 for painting. It is equally important never to use 
 a painting-brush in the india-ink. 
 
 Square shaders of extra size come in wooden 
 handles ; they are Nos. 11 and ij. These are 
 
BRUSHES 
 
 69 
 
 called grounding-brashes, and are useful for cov- 
 ering large spaces, either in ground-laying, tinting, 
 or painting. (Cut No. 12.) 
 
 For applying delicate tints of color, a tinting- 
 brush should be employed. (Cut No. 1 3.) These 
 are very thin, flat brushes, and work very smoothly. 
 Being thin, they do not absorb or retain any more 
 color than is required, and are to be recommended 
 for this purpose beyond all other brushes. They 
 come in a half a dozen sizes or widths, with metal 
 ferrules and polished wooden handles. They are 
 made of Russia sable, and are delightful to use. 
 
 A similar brush is an clastic tinting-brush, and 
 is desirable as being just one-half the price of a 
 Russia sable brush. These clastic brashes are 
 really very good, and quite satisfactory for tint- 
 ing ; and if they have not so much spring as the 
 Russia sable, have quite enough for the purpose 
 for which they are made and required. 
 
 The spring or elasticity of a brush is a test of 
 its quality. A good brush, when wet with color 
 and pressed on the object or material to receive 
 the color, will spring back and resume its normal 
 condition immediately upon being removed. Bad 
 brushes remain at the angle at which they are used. 
 
 While giving these suggestive hints regarding 
 brushes, their use is by no means compulsory. 
 Some always prefer a short brush to a long one, 
 
70 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 and vice versa. But the long brush for paste-work 
 and gold is most generally used by professional 
 decorators, and they usually have the faculty of 
 securing those tools which will do the best work 
 in the least possible time. 
 
 There is nothing, however, to prevent the use 
 of other kinds and shapes of brushes, if the same 
 results can be obtained. It is largely a matter of 
 choice ; and persons are perfectly justified in exer- 
 cising their own discretion, and even whims, and 
 selecting that brush, whether it be long or short, 
 which gives the most satisfaction, and enables the 
 individual to produce the best work. 
 
 It will be found necessary, during a few hours' 
 painting, to frequently wash out the brush before 
 changing from one color to another. 
 
 It is customary to have at hand for this pur- 
 pose a cup containing turpentine. If turpentine 
 is offensive, alcohol may be substituted. When 
 wishing to free the brush of color, it is not neces- 
 sary to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the 
 cup ; but gently shake the brush on the surface of 
 the turpentine, and if necessary press lightly on 
 the sides of the cup. 
 
 Never stir up the entire contents unnecessarily. 
 One excellent plan, whereby brushes may be 
 cleansed, and at the same time the turpentine kept 
 comparatively clean for painting, is to simply dip 
 
BRUSHES 
 
 71 
 
 the brush in the turpentine, withdraw it at once, 
 and softly pat it on a rag, pressing very gently, 
 to remove the color. This may be repeated till 
 the brush be perfectly clean. 
 
 At the end of the day's work, brushes should 
 have their final washing in alcohol. Nothing so 
 effectually removes every particle of color, and 
 leaves the brush in a pliable condition. 
 
 If alcohol is not available, soap and warm (not 
 hot) water will take its place. If brushes be kept 
 in a box or any similar receptacle, it should be suf- 
 ficiently long to protect the points, and to prevent 
 the hairs from bending. A cylindrical jar is a good 
 thing to keep brushes in ; and they should be thrust 
 in handle clown, and brush-end up. If, however, 
 a brush is accidentally allowed to dry in a bent 
 or crooked, twisted position, it is utterly useless 
 until restored to its original shape. This may 
 be accomplished by moistening the brush with a 
 solution of gum arabic, or any water paste, and 
 gently pulling out straight till it is dry enough to 
 remain so. Set it aside for a few days, then wash 
 out in warm water, when it will be found to have 
 assumed its normal condition. 
 
MEDIUMS 
 
 A medium is the liquid vehicle with which the 
 pigments are ground ; and the same medium is 
 usually employed in applying the pigments and 
 to obtain, by their use, the different degrees and 
 gradations of color. 
 
 In mineral colors, various oils are used for this 
 purpose. A thick or fat oil, which is usually a 
 heavy oil derived from turpentine, is very gener- 
 ally used to amalgamate and hold the color. But 
 with this medium alone, it would be impossible 
 to paint, as it is thick, sticky, and quite unmanage- 
 able until thinned. Now, since this thick oil is 
 the residuum from the evaporated spirits of tur- 
 pentine, spirits of turpentine is used to dilute it 
 to the proper consistency for painting. This may 
 be freely added in any desired proportion. 
 
 An expert in the use of mineral colors seldom 
 has occasion to deviate from these two mediums 
 in ordinary decorations. Spirits of turpentine dries 
 quickly and a certain amount of skill is required 
 to use it successfully. The less skilful the painter, 
 
 72 
 
MEDIUMS 
 
 73 
 
 the more time is required to produce the same 
 effect ; consequently, another medium must be re- 
 sorted to, — one that will not dry so rapidly, thus 
 giving more time to cover the allotted space. 
 
 For this purpose some one of the essential oils 
 is employed. Lavender is the one most generally 
 used. Clove-oil is preferred by some, as being 
 even a slower dryer than lavender. 
 
 Those who dislike the odor of these, may use 
 aniseed-oil. Others frequently used are tar-oil, 
 and balsam of copaiba. 
 
 It is quite immaterial which medium is em- 
 ployed. Some one or two of those mentioned is 
 a necessity, but it is a matter altogether of indi- 
 vidual preference. 
 
 To many, the odor of turpentine is unpleasant. 
 These may use lavender-oil and alcohol, in about 
 equal proportions, with satisfactory results. 
 
 In china-painting, there need be no material used 
 that is offensive. The amateur is counselled to 
 use at all times the medium or method by which 
 the best results are obtained by himself, and not 
 to be influenced too much by the experience of 
 others. Any of these mediums mentioned are re- 
 liable, and may be used with safety. 
 
 Thick or fat oil may be so easily accumulated 
 that no one need ever purchase it but once, in the 
 beginning. Spirits of turpentine should be fresh 
 
74 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 when used, and rectified from all foreign matter 
 and other impurities. In this condition it is ex- 
 ceedingly volatile ; and as it evaporates it becomes 
 thicker or fatter, and greasy. In this condition it 
 is not wise to attempt to paint with it, but it 
 should be set aside to evaporate still more. 
 
 In time it is reduced to a thick, heavy oil, which 
 is the commercial fat oil, sold under several names. 
 To prevent it from collecting dust, — and it has a 
 predisposition to accumulate it in vast quantities, 
 
 — it is well to cover the vessel in which it is kept. 
 A piece of perforated cardboard is good, so that 
 evaporation may still continue. When it has reached 
 this condition, — that of a heavy, thick mass of oil, 
 
 — it may be poured off into a bottle, corked, and 
 kept for future use. 
 
 The spirits of turpentine in use one clay may be 
 in good condition for next day's use, but it is al- 
 ways more satisfactory to have it clean and fresh 
 at the beginning of each day's work. It is a very 
 cheap commodity, and is not expensive even when 
 used recklessly and extravagantly. That in use to- 
 day for painting and cleansing the brushes may 
 be put aside for twenty-four hours, when it will be 
 found to have cleared itself. 
 
 Mineral colors are heavy, and soon settle to the 
 bottom of the vessel containing the turpentine. 
 The vessel can then be gently tilted, and the clear 
 
MEDIUMS 
 
 75 
 
 turpentine carefully poured off into a clean vessel, 
 and the sediment thrown away. The turpentine 
 in time will become thick oil. Keep the bottle 
 containing the spirits of turpentine tightly corked, 
 to prevent evaporation, and wrap a rag several 
 times around the neck, just below the cork, to 
 absorb the exudations, and prevent the bottle from 
 becoming sticky and unpleasant to handle. 
 
 It is equally expedient to have the essential 
 oils also fresh. In this condition they are in a 
 thin, fluid state, and dry well. When old, they be- 
 come greasy and unfit for use. This defect may 
 in a measure be overcome by adding alcohol, but 
 it is much better to have the oil fresh. 
 
 While spirits of turpentine, lavender, clove, and 
 anise oils are almost colorless when fresh, they 
 become dark when exposed to the light for any 
 considerable time. 
 
 Tar-oil, on the contrary, is dark to begin with, 
 and lends a slight tinge of itself to the color, 
 which, however, only lasts till it is fired. No one 
 need be disturbed by this apparent change of tint, 
 and it is a very pleasant and manageable medium 
 with which to work. 
 
 The number of "painting-mediums" and " tint- 
 ing-oils " and other " mixtures " on the market is 
 legion. While perhaps none are absolutely bad, 
 some may be better than others. They generally 
 
76 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 consist of a combination of two or three of the 
 oils mentioned, in various proportions, and are 
 usually the result of the compounder's individual 
 experience or preference. While the ingredients 
 and proportions are usually withheld from the pur- 
 chaser, there can be no monopoly nor proprietary 
 rights in any of them. It savors too strongly of 
 patent medicines. There is nothing to prevent 
 any china-painter from preparing, in any desirable 
 proportion, any combination of the oils mentioned. 
 
 Nothing is gained by secrets and mysteries in 
 china-painting, beyond the commercial advantages 
 of profit. 
 
 The reader is advised to try these several oils, 
 and to ultimately adopt that or those which give 
 to him the best results ; and having ascertained 
 this from actual experience, to adhere to it until 
 thoroughly familiar with its possibilities. Those 
 mentioned are standard articles, and may be ob- 
 tained anywhere and at any time. Whereas, if 
 entirely dependent upon certain formulas and mix- 
 tures, endless perplexity results if the painter be 
 suddenly deprived of them. 
 
 The tube colors are already mixed with their 
 proportion of thick oil, and the only medium ne- 
 cessary to manipulate them with ease is turpentine ; 
 or, if a large surface is to be covered, lavender- 
 oil should be used. Lavender-oil keeps the color 
 
MEDIUMS 
 
 77 
 
 11 open " a little longer, usually allowing ample time 
 to obtain the desired result. If, however, the 
 worker is slow and hesitating, clove-oil is to be 
 recommended in preference. It is seldom neces- 
 sary to add thick oil. With the powder colors, 
 however, the thick oil is most essential, and must 
 be added in about equal quantity in bulk to the 
 amount of powder. 
 
 Mix with the palette knife until thoroughly in- 
 corporated, then thin with either lavender or spirits 
 of turpentine, or even both. The exact quantity 
 must be determined by experience. Just so much 
 is required as to enable the painter to get over a 
 specified surface before it dries ; and it is desi- 
 rable as soon as this has been accomplished to 
 dry immediately. Therefore the only gauge is 
 good judgment, which can only be acquired by 
 practice. The larger the surface to be covered, 
 the longer must the color be kept from drying ; 
 and the less expert usually require more oil than 
 those who, accustomed to its use, can work expedi- 
 tiously. It is not easy to give more definite direc- 
 tions as to quantity, as it so largely depends upon 
 the dexterity of the painter. 
 
 Spirits of wine, or alcohol, is indispensable for 
 cleaning brushes, palette, knife, etc. Turpentine 
 will answer for this purpose in lieu of alcohol, 
 but it does not cleanse those articles so thor- 
 
78 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 oughly nor so easily. Besides, brushes should 
 never be put away after a rinsing-out in turpen- 
 tine alone. It not only makes the hairs brittle, 
 but rarely entirely removes the color. If a brush, 
 having been used in blue, for instance, is not 
 thoroughly washed until divested of every trace 
 of blue, be dipped into Carmine No. I, a tinge of 
 blue will inevitably be imparted, that will effec- 
 tually destroy the purity of the carmine. This may 
 not be noticed before firing, but as blue is a strong 
 color it will be quite perceptible afterwards. 
 
 If alcohol is not convenient, turpentine will do 
 to clean palette and knife ; but soap and warm 
 water must be resorted to for brushes./ 
 
 Alcohol does the same work, with less labor and 
 more despatch. 
 
 It cannot be too strongly urged that cleanliness 
 and neatness in all the details and appurtenances 
 of china-painting are of paramount importance. 
 I Every accessory must be kept scrupulously 
 clean, and nothing can accomplish this so quickly 
 and with such ease as alcohol. As alcohol evap- 
 orates very quickly, it should be kept tightly 
 corked ; and a good plan is to keep a wide- 
 necked bottle especially in which to clean brushes. 
 It should be sufficiently large to admit the brush. 
 The color settles at the bottom, and the alcohol 
 always remains clear and clean. '• 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 79 
 
 PALETTES 
 
 A palette is a necessary accompaniment to the 
 equipment ; and, as in some other things, there is 
 a wide latitude for selection and individual prefer- 
 ence. It is useful to mix and hold colors ready 
 for use. 
 
 Formerly a square of heavy ground glass was 
 considered all that was desirable, but it has been 
 superseded by several others much better. 
 
 That most generally used is a white glazed tile. 
 Either one 6 x 6, or 8 x 8, will be found suitable. 
 / A piece of plain window glass will of course 
 answer the purpose admirably ; but if this is sub- 
 stituted for the white tile, it is recommended to 
 fasten something white, either paper or muslin, 
 under it, in order to enable the painter to distinctly 
 see the exact shade of color. / 
 
 As the glass and the colors are both transpar- 
 ent, the latter would be seen to a disadvantage 
 if placed on anything else than white. In other 
 words, whatever the glass rests upon would influ- 
 ence the colors, and to a certain extent impart an 
 apparent tinge of color they would not otherwise 
 have. 
 
 In using either a tile or a piece of glass, place 
 the colors in a row across the top, at equi-distant 
 
80 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 intervals, and reserve the rest of the space for 
 mixing tints and trying the brush. 
 
 Another palette, quite convenient if powder col- 
 ors are used, consists of a china box, with a lid. 
 This box contains a number of little hemispherical 
 spaces or sunken wells, to hold the colors. 
 
 This has one special advantage, inasmuch as, 
 having a cover to protect the colors from dust, 
 
 Cut No 14. 
 
 it may be kept quite clean, and in good condi- 
 tion for use for a long time. The lid may be 
 utilized to mix colors upon ; although a tile is 
 much more desirable, and will be found very con- 
 venient in conjunction with this sort of a palette. 
 
 Still another palette much in vogue, and to be 
 recommended in preference to any other, espe- 
 cially for those who paint constantly, is a double 
 slant. This contains slanting spaces to hold a 
 dozen colors, six on each side ; and, being on an 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 8 1 
 
 incline, the color naturally seeks its level in the 
 deepest part. 
 
 This is an admirable arrangement, and keeps 
 colors entirely under control, the divisions keep- 
 ing them apart. 
 
 It can be kept in a box, or covered, when not 
 i 
 
 in use. 
 
 Cut No. 15. 
 
 PALETTE KNIVES 
 
 One or two palette knives will be needful, to 
 mix and grind colors. These come in a variety 
 of shapes, sizes, and materials. They are made 
 from ivory, bone, horn, and steel. One of the 
 latter is necessary, and, provided it is kept im- 
 maculately clean and free from any possibility 
 of rust, will prove all-sufficient. Rust is the oxide 
 of iron (from which certain reds are made) ; and 
 it will effectually ruin some colors, — blues for 
 instance, — if incorporated with them. 
 
 Although this would be imperceptible at the 
 
82 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 time, it would be fully developed in the kiln, 
 and would prove fatal. 
 
 It is on this account that a horn or bone knife is 
 to be recommended. These 
 are inventions for the care- 
 less, thoughtless, disorderly, 
 and untidy student. 
 
 Accidents from these causes 
 are entirely inexcusable. 
 There are enough difficulties 
 to encounter and overcome 
 naturally, without adding the 
 unpardonable one of slovenli- 
 ness. 
 
 A good flexible steel knife 
 
 is quite sufficient for every 
 purpose, even for gold, not- 
 withstanding all that has been 
 written and said to the con- 
 trary. 
 
 Keep it clean, and take 
 care of it, and it will be ser- 
 viceable many years. But 
 for those who neglect these 
 precautions, horn and bone 
 knives are provided ; but it is 
 a sad commentary on our hab- Cut No I7 ' 
 its, not to be able to use a steel knife, even for gold. 
 
 Cut No. 16. 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 83 
 
 The two best shapes are those as represented 
 in cuts 16 and 17. Either will answer the pur- 
 pose. No. 16 is entirely new in size, being a 2\- 
 inch. blade, while its shape is the old familiar 
 regulation spatula. 
 
 OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 A lithographic pencil is most frequently used to 
 draw the design in free hand on china. This is 
 especially useful where it is done in a quick, light, 
 sketchy manner, where the outline is simply indi- 
 cated, without regard to finished detail. In paint- 
 ing over it, as soon as the brush comes in contact 
 with the drawing every vestige will disappear. 
 
 The drawing with a lithographic pencil is oblit- 
 erated so easily, that it is not to be recommended 
 to those who would become confused by any loss of 
 outlines, and unable to proceed without the drawing. 
 
 For this class it is advisable to make the draw- 
 ing secure, by doing it with india ink. Carmine, 
 or any vegetable color, may be substituted, pro- 
 vided it is a water-color. These will all fire away, 
 and possess the additional advantage of remain- 
 ing intact during painting. The mineral-colors 
 are mixed with oil, the sketching-colors with 
 water ; therefore, it is obvious that, as oil and 
 water do not readily mix, the drawing remains. 
 
84 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Moreover, if the painting is not satisfactory, it 
 may be washed entirely off with a few drops of 
 lavender-oil on a rag, and the drawing will not be 
 disturbed. This not only saves time, but also the 
 labor of redrawing the design, which is frequently 
 an uninteresting process, and apt to be tiresome 
 if one is compelled to repeat it many times. 
 
 The ordinary lead-pencil may be used to make a 
 sketch ; but the hard, glossy surface of china does 
 not readily lend itself to this medium. The china 
 must be prepared by wiping it over with a rag 
 moistened with turpentine, and it will be found to 
 respond at once to every stroke of the pencil. 
 
 When this method is employed, however, there 
 are two distinct disadvantages, — the pencil marks 
 are easily obliterated while painting, and thus the 
 drawing may be lost ; and the film of turpentine, 
 distributed over the china, leaves an unpleasant 
 surface to paint on, one that is far from agreeable, 
 and that interferes with good work, \ 
 
 If sketching is more easily accomplished with a 
 lead-pencil, the drawing may be gone over with 
 india ink, and then the turpentine cleaned off the 
 china before applying the color. There is nothing 
 so desirable to paint on as perfectly clean china, 
 and nothing so exasperating as to try and lay a 
 smooth wash over a sticky surface. 
 1 Turpentine is easily removed by either lavender 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 85 
 
 or clove oil, or alcohol. A few drops of either is 
 sufficient, y 
 
 Right here, perhaps, it is as well as anywhere 
 to state that " a few drops" has frequently proved 
 a stumbling-block to beginners. They are often 
 advised to add " a few drops " of this or that oil, 
 or, to be very definite, "two drops " of one kind, 
 and "five drops" of another. This may sound 
 very definite, but, as a matter of fact, is misleading. 
 
 A drop is a very variable quantity. A drop poured 
 from a bottle is rather more than if dropped from 
 the point of a fine needle ; and this, in turn, is con- 
 siderably less than if dropped from the blunt end 
 of a brush handle, or even from the brush itself, if 
 of large size. 
 
 Besides, the specific gravity of these different oils 
 and the state of the weather must be considered. 
 A drop of thick oil is larger in bulk and weight 
 than a drop of lavender-oil or spirits of turpen- 
 tine, and both are larger when cold than warm. 
 It is therefore a somewhat relative term among 
 china-painters, to indicate a very small quantity, 
 rather than to be taken literally, as in medicine, 
 where it is so necessary to be accurate that it is 
 regulated, and the dropper for correct measure- 
 ment accompanies the bottle. 
 
 If one intends to do constant work, a brush- 
 washer will be very desirable. 
 
86 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 This is a japanned tin box, and is fitted with a 
 lid or cover, which prevents rapid evaporation. 
 
 A smaller box fits in- 
 side, with a sieve in the 
 middle. Brushes can re- 
 ceive a thorough cleansing 
 in this box, without dis- 
 turbing the sediment at 
 the bottom. A wire fast- 
 
 Cut No. 18. 11. 
 
 ened across the top is to 
 press out the superfluous turpentine. 
 
 TRACING 
 
 If a design is to be copied exactly, tracing-paper 
 will facilitate the process. In conjunction with 
 the tracing-paper, there is often used a colored car- 
 bon or transferring-paper. Red or black is prefer- 
 able. Both of these, however, have a soft, smutty 
 surface, and make with the slightest pressure a 
 thick, heavy mark, that is very undesirable. It 
 is almost impossible to use it for fine work, like 
 an intricate geometrical border, with thin, narrow 
 lines, or for features of a small face, as in a Cupid. 
 
 There is a much better way of tracing and 
 transferring the design to be painted, — a way 
 in which this impression paper is dispensed with 
 altogether. This method is not only easier and 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 87 
 
 cleaner, but gives better and more accurate re- 
 sults. 
 
 Select a thin quality of tracing-paper, and, when 
 about to use it, wipe both sides with a soft rag, 
 slightly moistened with oil of lavender. This will 
 make it still more transparent, and enable the 
 amateur to see the copy better, and to follow the 
 outlines more closely and clearly in every detail 
 and feature of the subject. Place the tracing- 
 paper over the design, and go over every outline 
 with a sharp pointed lead-pencil, a soft one to be 
 preferred, because a light stroke is all that is 
 then sufficient. There is no necessity to use 
 pressure, and with a hard pencil this is involun- 
 tarily done. This process demands considerable 
 nicety and precision, and only experience will teach 
 the value of extreme accuracy. Perhaps a slight 
 deviation in the outlines of a floral design may 
 not be observed, indeed, may not be incorrect ; 
 but to vary the lines of the human face would be 
 fatal. A hair's breadth would destroy a likeness, 
 whether it be added or taken from, either eyes, 
 nose, or mouth. 
 
 Having obtained a clean, clear, and correct re- 
 production of the copy, brush the back of the 
 tracing lightly with powdered graphite. This is the 
 same substance from which lead-pencils are made, 
 and is reduced to an almost impalpable powder. 
 
88 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Very little is sufficient to be distributed over 
 a large surface, and a superfluous quantity will 
 produce unsightly and annoying smears over the 
 china. As little as possible is to be used ; just 
 enough to give the paper a tinge of darkness, 
 without being black. 
 
 If the paper be sufficiently moist with the lav- 
 ender before the graphite be rubbed on, it is not 
 necessary to use any turpentine on the china; 
 but if this be neglected, the surface of the china 
 must be wiped over with turpentine, and allowed 
 to dry before attempting to transfer the design. 
 This serves as a "tooth" and nicely takes every 
 line ; otherwise the china will not receive the im- 
 pression. 
 
 Place the tracing-paper in the exact position, 
 and fasten firmly to prevent slipping. This may 
 be clone with wax, or strips of gummed paper, — 
 the outer edges of a sheet of postage-stamps, 
 where the mucilage has spread, answers this pur- 
 pose admirably. 
 
 Then either with a very sharp pointed, hard 
 lead-pencil, or stick, — as the end of a brush-han- 
 dle whittled to a fine point, — go over each and 
 every line before made, as indicated. An agate 
 or ivory stylus is convenient for this purpose. 
 
 If these directions have been followed, it will be 
 found, upon removing the paper, that a perfect 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 89 
 
 picture is there, and an exact reproduction in out- 
 line of the copy. 
 
 The next thing to do is to go over the entire 
 tracing on the china with india ink, using water and 
 a very fine and pointed brush. This brush should 
 be kept separate from the painting-brushes, and 
 used exclusively for this purpose ; and care should 
 be taken to keep it straight and always to a point. 
 This is done to secure the drawing, and provides 
 beforehand against any unfortunate accident that 
 necessitates wiping off the painting and commen- 
 cing again. 
 
 The india-ink line should exactly follow the tra- 
 cing in a delicate, uniformly even, thin line. 
 
 After this is accomplished, a good plan, before 
 commencing to paint, is to cleanse the china, and 
 free it from every trace of graphite, and thus have 
 a clean piece of china on which to work. 
 
 This is easily done by wiping it over with a rag 
 slightly moistened with lavender. This evaporates 
 immediately, and leaves the china in a beautiful 
 condition to receive color. 
 
 This may seem a long, and perhaps even com- 
 plicated, process ; but it is the only process possi- 
 ble for those who are without previous instruction 
 in the elementary rules of drawing, f 
 
 One of the essential features in all painting is 
 first to obtain an accurate drawing ; and, uninter- 
 
90 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 esting as it may appear, the method herewith given 
 for tracing is the easiest way of transferring the 
 design. It requires time, considerable patience, 
 and nice handling ; but, when accomplished, half 
 the battle is won. 
 
 The subsequent work will be comparatively 
 easy. No detail should be omitted, as it will be 
 found to be the very foundation to future success ; 
 and no amount of care and attention bestowed on 
 the drawing is wasted. 
 
 A hand rest is very useful for certain kinds of 
 work, and especially for those whose hand is not 
 sufficiently steady without a support. 
 
 While there may be no use for one in decorat- 
 ing small articles that are easily held in one hand 
 while painting with the other, they will be found 
 convenient when painting large plaques and simi- 
 lar articles. One large enough to extend across 
 the plaque, and rest on the table, will be helpful, 
 and prevent accidents from contact with the hand. 
 If one of these be not obtainable, a ruler may be 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 9 I 
 
 held across the plaque steadily, which will give 
 firm support to the painting hand. 
 
 A rest for brushes will be found a convenient 
 adjunct. It is made of china, is five inches long, 
 and its object is to keep the brushes in use from 
 being bent, or corn- 
 any foreign matter if ^■■^SHiSfiHEM^ 
 
 J 0 Cut No. 20. 
 
 thrown down promis- 
 cuously. When doing some pieces of work, it may 
 be found necessary to dry the paintings quickly 
 and repeatedly, in order to proceed. A spirit or 
 alcohol lamp is convenient for this purpose. 
 
 A small jeweller's lamp with a handle is suita- 
 ble ; it is light in weight, and easily moved to and 
 fro over the painting without fear of smoking or 
 cracking the china, which it probably would do if 
 kept in one place. 
 
 / Where a kiln or oven is accessible, the lamp 
 may be dispensed with. China may be set in an 
 oven attached either to the kitchen range or a gas- 
 stove to dry, with perfect freedom. Should the 
 oven be so hot as to scorch the color, there is no 
 reason to be disturbed over it. It will eventually 
 be all right when it is fired, as it will be subjected 
 to much more intense heat than is obtainable in 
 any ordinary oven. / 
 
 An alcohol lamp is handy for warming gold, if 
 
92 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 there is no other means convenient. Gold is 
 more pliable when warmed. 
 
 A little steel-pointed erasing-pin (Cut No. 21) 
 is a useful instrument to pick up specks of dust, 
 if they accumulate before the paint is dry. A 
 home-made one will answer the same purpose. 
 Select a fine cambric needle, a No. 9, and insert 
 it by the eye end in a cedar brush-handle, having 
 about half of it exposed. These trifles all help to 
 make good work easy. / 
 
 Another dust-scraper, a steel blade, sharp on 
 both sides, terminating to a point, is of value to 
 the china-painter. (Cut No. 22.) 
 
 Three color erasers, one curved to reach around 
 handles and other crooked, inaccessible places, are 
 used sometimes for what their names suggest. 
 (Cuts Nos. 23, 24, and 25.) 
 
 Hydrofluoric acid is a valuable adjunct, but too 
 great caution cannot be exercised in regard to it. 
 It is a most powerful acid, and exceedingly dan- 
 gerous, destroying everything with which it comes 
 in contact. One puts his personal safety in jeop- 
 ardy every time it is handled. If dropped upon 
 the hand, it will produce the most excruciating 
 torture until its power is exhausted, which some- 
 times requires several days. Amputation has 
 sometimes been necessary. This acid comes in 
 rubber bottles, as it would eat through glass ; 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 
 
 93 
 
 and, as a precautionary measure against accidents, 
 rubber gloves should be worn when it is used. 
 
 No. 21. No. 22. No. 23. No. 24. No. 25. 
 
A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Place the bottle in a tin box, to prevent it from 
 falling over. 
 
 When using it, wrap a little raw cotton around 
 a pointed stick, moisten with water, and dip in the 
 acid, and then rub the china till the color is re- 
 moved. 
 
 Hydrofluoric acid should only be resorted to, to 
 remove a small inaccuracy or disfigurement after 
 firing, and is not intended to be used to take off an 
 entire decoration. 
 
 Sometimes a small pointed stick, like a tooth- 
 pick, will serve the purpose without the cotton. 
 Ample precaution for accidents should- be taken, 
 before using, to have plenty of water and rags 
 within reach. 
 
 Sweet oil is an antidote. The acid is usually di- 
 luted with water before using, as the fumes arising 
 from the pure acid are not only exceedingly un- 
 pleasant to inhale, but likely to attack the glaze 
 of the china near where it is applied. 
 
 Unless a person is exceedingly careful, and able 
 to guard against every possible accident, it should 
 be let severely alone. It is mentioned here as the 
 only thing to remove color when once fired. 
 
 An abundance of old, soft rags, as devoid of lint 
 as possible, will be found a great convenience, if 
 not an absolutely essential requisite ; and last, but 
 not least, among the needfuls, may be mentioned 
 
OTHER ACCESSORIES 95 
 
 plenty of courage and perseverance, determination, 
 and unlimited patience. Though not purchasable 
 commodities, these are quite as necessary to the 
 equipment for painting china as anything men- 
 tioned. 
 
 Boxes are made especially to contain this outfit. 
 They are of japanned tin or polished wood, and 
 are divided into compartments. The following is 
 one of many styles and sizes, is very compact, and 
 is recommended. 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 MONOCHROME 
 
 A monochrome, or Camaieu, is a painting done 
 with one color. 
 
 Sonic very beautiful effects may be produced 
 in this manner, provided the subject is attractive, 
 the technic all that is desirable, the chiaroscuro 
 correct ; in fact, if treated both skilfully and intel- 
 ligently. 
 
 While the beginner cannot hope to compass all 
 the qualifications of the expert, his first efforts 
 will probably be more acceptable, and give greater 
 satisfaction, if but one color is employed. 
 
 There are several reasons for this. One that 
 perhaps appeals to a large majority is the slight 
 cost of the experiment. 
 
 The expense of procuring a complete outfit has 
 undoubtedly very often proved a deterrent factor 
 against mineral painting. 
 
 The hesitation to incur the expense is more fre- 
 96 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 97 
 
 quently due to lack of confidence as to capacity 
 and ultimate success than to lack of funds ; and it 
 is useless to purchase a full complement of colors, 
 brushes, etc., unless there is a very definite de- 
 termination to continue. Therefore, if doubts are 
 entertained as to the ultimate success of the ven- 
 ture, it may be made at a very small outlay for 
 materials. 
 
 One color will afford some slight insight into 
 the manipulation of color and brushes ; and if the 
 attempt prove an utter failure, or offers no in- 
 ducement to continue, it would certainly be a satis- 
 faction to know the experience was not a costly one. 
 
 If the experiment of one color is successful, and 
 the beginner is sufficiently encouraged to continue, 
 there need no longer be any hesitancy in regard 
 to procuring anything and everything required. 
 
 After finishing one article, there is no mistaking 
 the inclination to continue or to stop. 
 
 But aside from the economical point of view, 
 first efforts should be confined to one color, on 
 principle. There will probably arise, at this stage 
 of the art, numerous difficulties to be overcome 
 with even one color, without being handicapped by 
 that of handling several colors. 
 
 Monochromes are much easier of accomplish- 
 ment than polychromes, and trifling incongruities 
 of both color and correctness as to light and 
 
98 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 shade are not nearly so pronounced as if the same 
 design was in the natural colors. Unless specially 
 warned, a beginner usually uses too much color ; 
 and if the subject be painted realistically, it will 
 be apt to be crude and harsh. 
 
 This fault is not so perceptible if one color is 
 employed, for these amateurish defects are then 
 less in evidence. 
 
 But monochromes must not be regarded by the 
 beginner with contempt, as indicating or betraying 
 ignorance and inexperience. 
 
 It is the amount of skill rather than the amount 
 of color bestowed on the work that emphasizes 
 proficiency. 
 
 The expert can infuse individuality and original- 
 ity, in addition to every degree of light and shade, 
 and other values, with one color as well as with a 
 dozen. 
 
 Moreover, monochromes are always desirable 
 for both utility and ornament. They are restful 
 and pleasing. 
 
 The Oriental nations understood this art of 
 using one color to perfection ; and, later, Europe 
 recognized its value, and began to imitate them. 
 The old Holland Delft-ware was a direct result of 
 this, and to-day blue and white decorations are 
 just as popular as they were centuries ago. 
 
 The recent revival of Delft designs in the blue 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 99 
 
 and white decorations affords abundant illustrations 
 and innumerable hints and suggestions of what to 
 do, and how to do it. 
 
 These curious old Dutch scenes, of flat, low, level 
 land, the inevitable waterways stretching out in 
 every direction, containing a variety of oddly fash- 
 ioned sailing-craft, the quaintly costumed peasants, 
 the sabotiers, and, of course, the ubiquitous wind- 
 mill, are the characteristics of this style of paint- 
 ing, and quite within the scope of the veriest tyro 
 in art. 
 
 A reference to the color plates will reveal sev- 
 eral shades of blue, any one of which may be used. 
 Old Holland blue, Delft blue, old blue, old Rouen 
 blue, all make charming blue monochromes. 
 
 After securing the outlines by india ink, and hav- 
 ing the china perfectly clean, commence to paint. 
 
 /'Have everything in readiness and within reach 
 before squeezing out the color from the tube. If 
 the metal top refuses to yield without pressure, 
 and will not unscrew easily, do not force it. 
 Light a match, and hold the tube so that the top 
 is in the blaze, and it will become loose almost 
 instantly, and easy to remove. 
 
 Squeeze color always from the very bottom of 
 the tube, and by degrees as the color is pushed from 
 that end of the tube, fold it over. This keeps the 
 color always together in a compact mass. 
 
100 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 The quantity to be taken out must be regu- 
 lated by the size of the design. It is not neces- 
 sary to take out very much, even for a large piece 
 of work. 
 
 The cost of colors will be found to be rather in 
 their waste than in their use. 
 
 Very little color covers a large surface ; and, 
 when using only one color, if the supply is ex- 
 hausted, it can instantly be renewed by squeez- 
 ing out more from the tube. If, however, two or 
 more colors are used to produce a certain shade, 
 it would be better to mix at once all the subject 
 requires, rather than trust, in a hit-or-miss fash- 
 ion, to obtaining the exact tint by a second mix- 
 ing. But in using only one color this perplexity 
 is obviated. 
 
 The certainty of matching a previously mixed 
 tint is by no means assured, and an access of 
 color is far preferable to a deficiency. Besides, the 
 superfluous color need not necessarily be wasted. 
 
 Add a few drops of lavender-oil, and mix or rub 
 with the palette knife until these ingredients are 
 thoroughly incorporated. 
 
 If the lavender is very fresh, it is exceedingly 
 volatile, and if the weather is warm and dry, it will 
 evaporate rapidly ; under these conditions a few 
 drops of fat oil will delay evaporation, and render 
 it more manageable. 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 101 
 
 The lighter the tint required, the thinner must 
 be the color ; and even where a heavy, dark shade 
 is indicated, it is better to arrive at it by several 
 successive thin washes, than attempt to obtain the 
 full strength of the color with one application. 
 
 Before another painting, the color must be thor- 
 oughly dry, or even fired. Firing will give better 
 results, perhaps, to the beginner, as the attempt 
 to go over the first painting a second time before 
 firing frequently results in disaster. 
 
 China is not responsive to the brush. It has a 
 hard, glossy surface, does not absorb color, and, 
 until dexterity is acquired in handling the brush, 
 more color is apt to be removed than applied, 
 when going over a previous painting a second 
 time before firing. This is one of the most exas- 
 perating difficulties to overcome in china-painting. 
 
 To be able to place one wash of color over 
 another, without "lifting" or "picking up" the 
 under tint, indicates clever handling. It requires 
 lightness of touch, decision, experience, and gen- 
 eral proficiency. 
 
 All those not in possession of these attributes 
 had better defer the attempt until fully qualified. 
 More color may be applied with ease after firing, 
 and this is the safer plan for the beginner to 
 adopt. 
 
 If one has a distinct idea of exactly what is to 
 
102 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 be done, it is almost equivalent to an accomplished 
 fact. Having the conception, the next thing to do 
 is to put it into execution. This operation must 
 be achieved without hesitation. 
 
 First definitely decide what to do, then do it. 
 Do it in the best manner possible ; and if, . with 
 limited experience, it is an utter failure, wipe it all 
 off, benefit by the experience, and try again. It is 
 the only remedy. To attempt to patch it makes 
 it all the worse, and, at its best, a botch. 
 
 Practise laying one color over another, until no 
 disastrous consequences follow. Try it over and 
 over and over again, until an assured confidence is 
 manifested in every stroke of the brush. 
 
 To control the handling of the brush, so that it 
 obeys the will, is an acquired faculty ; and until 
 this is attained, advancement in the art of china- 
 painting is impossible. 
 
 j The beginner is naturally reluctant to stop paint- 
 ing with the design still incomplete. There is an 
 irresistible impulse to add a few touches here and 
 there, to strengthen a color, to deepen a shadow, 
 to accentuate a detail ; and only after repeated fail- 
 ures will the utter futility be apparent. In ninety- 
 nine cases out of a hundred, the beginner yields 
 to the impulse, and disappointment follows. 
 
 All of which means that there is an art in 
 knowing when to stop. 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 103 
 
 If the beginner would be content to lay in the 
 color for the first firing in nearly flat washes, or 
 only approximate the light and shade in broad 
 masses of color, until some skill was acquired, and 
 dexterity in manipulation was assured, how much 
 better it would be. 
 
 The knack of working over color is not beyond 
 any one's ability, and in time one becomes so pro- 
 ficient as to progress the work in hand to a high 
 degree of finish before firing. 
 
 To return to the monochrome, which is supposed 
 to be landscape, with some floating white clouds 
 on a pale blue sky, a windmill in a conspicuous 
 place, and the most prominent object in view. In 
 the foreground there may be a rowboat on a canal, 
 and a village in the distance just at the horizon, 
 where sky and water meet. 
 
 With a large brush, begin at the top of the 
 design, and paint in first the sky, and then the 
 most distant effects, gradually advancing the work 
 forward. Try the brush on the tile, to test the 
 tint and condition of the color, before applying to 
 the article to be painted. The sky is not dark, 
 but must be delicately treated, and one painting 
 will probably be sufficient. The color should ap- 
 pear exactly as it is expected to when finished. 
 \ Blue never fires paler ; some blues even seem 
 to get brighter and " bluer " with each subsequent 
 
104 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 firing. Therefore, if the color is too dark, thin it 
 with lavender until the desired and correct tint be 
 produced. 1 
 
 Paint the sky exactly as indicated in the copy. 
 With short, swift strokes cover the space as ex- 
 peditiously as possible. Where the white of the 
 clouds is visible, omit color entirely, but paint the 
 surrounding china lightly, using less color. As 
 the horizon is reached, dilute the color with more 
 lavender, to lighten the tint. This is generally 
 effected by simply dipping the end of the brush 
 in the lavender. The brush will be found suffi- 
 ciently charged with color to give the desired tint. 
 
 After this is clone, and it should, even at this 
 stage, present an approximate approach to the 
 copy, with the pad begin to "dab" the color. 
 
 Hold the pad at right angles with the china, and 
 quickly and lightly strike it in short, successive 
 touches, barely allowing the pad to come in con- 
 tact with the china. 
 
 This process is to be continued until a uniform 
 or a graduated tint is acquired. The spaces left 
 white will be found to have a tinge of color just 
 sufficient to cover the china, and subdue the glit- 
 tering white glaze. This almost imperceptible tint 
 is distributed from the pad, which will be found to 
 absorb some of the color. 
 
 This blending should be commenced at the top, 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 I05 
 
 and continued downwards ; and if by the time the 
 bottom is reached, the top has dried, it must not 
 be retouched. If, on the contrary, too much oil 
 has been used, and it refuses to dry, padding may 
 be resumed, if there still exists inequalities in 
 the tint to be smoothed out. Perhaps a clean 
 pad may be necessary, if the one first in use is 
 surcharged with color. And this blending should 
 continue until the color is at the point of drying. 
 This will prevent any undue accumulation of small 
 floating particles of dust. 
 
 Mineral colors, and most particularly the gold 
 colors, seem to possess a special affinity for dust, 
 attracting every small atom that is within a radius 
 of several feet of the worker. This is very vexa- 
 tious and also ruinous to one's peace of mind as 
 well as to the china. 
 
 It must be avoided at all hazards, even at the 
 sacrifice of time, labor, and personal convenience. 
 
 Dust is fatal in its consequence to good work ; 
 and although specks of dust and lint are destroyed 
 in the kiln, there is quite enough evidence left of 
 their previous existence. 
 
 Particles of dust accumulate color ; and it seems 
 to settle around each atom, leaving a spot of color 
 that is unavoidably perceptible. 
 
 Too much oil will inevitably produce this defect. 
 The remedy is to add more color, powder color if 
 
I06 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 convenient, and after wiping off every trace of the 
 spoiled color on the china, to begin the work over 
 again. 
 
 Having erred once from using too much oil, and 
 seen the direful consequences, so difficult to oblit- 
 erate, is an object-lesson, and of more real benefit 
 than pages of printed matter. 
 
 Judgment will teach how little to use in order 
 to avoid failure in the future. 
 
 All tinting except ground-laying is managed 
 in a similar manner ; and if these suggestions have 
 been followed, there is nothing new to be added in 
 reference to tinting. Directions for ground-laying 
 will follow. 
 
 In continuing the landscape, after the sky, comes 
 the most distant objects ; and whether these be hills, 
 trees, houses, or water, they should be vague and 
 rather indefinite, — more suggestive than distinct. 
 This treatment lends an atmosphere, enhances 
 the distance, and gives a perspective otherwise 
 unattainable. 
 
 One of the very worst possible features of paint- 
 ing is to ignore this tenet. To paint everything 
 visible on one plane, and at an equal distance from 
 the beholder, is positively bad. 
 
 As objects are removed, they grow gradually 
 less distinct in form and color, in direct proportion 
 to the distance ; and the greater the distance, the 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 less detail is observed. A great deal of bad dec- 
 oration is the result of ignorance or indifference to 
 these facts, and their importance cannot be over- 
 estimated. 
 
 A flat decoration or conventional ornament is not 
 governed by the observance of such laws as are 
 required in a natural, realistic treatment ; but in 
 a landscape, perspective is an essential requisite, 
 and this may be delineated in all truth and sincer- 
 ity with one color as well as with a dozen. 
 
 After simply indicating, in a rather vague and 
 shadowy manner, the most distant objects, by 
 little color and light touches, add more and more 
 color and strength to the details as the work pro- 
 gresses towards the foreground. 
 
 Above all, avoid hard, sharp lines anywhere. In 
 nature they do not exist ; and they have no place 
 in a reproduction, even in the most feeble effort. 
 
 Having obtained a soft, delicate, smooth sky by 
 blending, a contrary course must be pursued to 
 represent the stream of water flowing through 
 the landscape. Although to a certain extent it is 
 a reflection of the sky, or the surrounding sce- 
 nery and nearest adjacent objects, — the echo is a 
 different movement. Whereas a blender was used 
 to straighten out inequalities of color and brush- 
 marks in the sky, one must never be employed in 
 a like manner for the water. 
 
Io8 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 The brush must be used horizontally ; and let 
 the brush-marks show this direction. Into this the 
 shadows and reflections may be painted perpendic- 
 ularly- with fine effect. • When nearly dry, erase 
 with any fine-pointed tool (a brush or stick) slightly 
 moistened with either turpentine, lavender, or even 
 water, some thin lines of color here and there, 
 and the water-effect will be greatly enhanced. 
 
 These thread-like lines of white china indicate 
 ripples ; they should be made delicately, and in 
 short, straight, horizontal lines. 
 
 A few are all-sufficient ; and these should not 
 appear in a haphazard fashion, nor must any regu- 
 larity be maintained. 
 
 By observing any painted landscape, including 
 a water-view, the value of these fine white lines 
 will be perceived at once. Should color, by pad- 
 ding or otherwise, encroach within the outlines of 
 the windmill, clean it off neatly before painting it. 
 It will be much easier to paint on clean china than 
 china that is smeared with color. 
 
 Paint the windmill with considerable strength 
 in color, and with due regard to form and detail. 
 Avoid over-working. Anything and everything 
 may be added after firing, but nothing can be re- 
 moved. The nearest object is the boat ; and here 
 full liberty is allowed to paint in any amount of 
 detail, — the stronger the better. 
 
INSTRUCTION 
 
 The nearer and more distinct this is, the farther 
 off will the rest seem; and if these suggestions 
 have been understood and carried out, everything 
 in the picture plane will at once assume its proper 
 and appropriate position. The sky will be over- 
 head, and not hang like a curtain behind the 
 scene. The distant objects will be on a level with 
 the eye, and not travelling up-hill. The windmill 
 will be the middle distance, and the boat in the 
 foreground. 
 
 If this is not apparent, the work is a failure ; and 
 it is much better to do it over again than perpet- 
 uate a mistake by having it fired. 
 
 An amateur had better not attempt to finish 
 up for one firing, although monochromes can be 
 brought to a very high degree of finish by a skil- 
 ful worker with but one visit to the kiln. But 
 until one becomes an adept, two, or even three, 
 firings are desirable. 
 
 If the object is to imitate the old Delft-ware, no 
 gold should be used in connection with it. If the 
 scene was painted on a tile or panel, a quaint little 
 ebony frame should complete it ; but if this style 
 of decoration is used on ornamental articles or 
 table-ware, the edges and handles may be of the 
 same color. 
 
 It is thus more characteristic. But this does 
 not mean that monochromes must never have any 
 
110 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 gold decoration. On the contrary, a little gold is 
 a great addition, and enhances the elegance of 
 decorated china very considerably. 
 
 Other colors than blue are frequently used for 
 monochromes, and no one need confine his efforts 
 to any one particular color. 
 
 Violet of iron is equally as pretty, and affords a 
 variety that is charming. 
 
 Violet of iron requires refluxing for thin washes, 
 and moreover needs a strong fire to glaze well. 
 
 Deep red brown and violet of iron are frequently 
 combined to great advantage ; and a rich, warm, 
 monotint is the result. Brown is often used also ; 
 and sometimes a combination of grays of a dif- 
 ferent scale and brown form pleasing effects. 
 
 Two, three, or four browns may be used very 
 effectively, and the painting be none the less a 
 monochrome. But the browns so used should har- 
 monize. Yellow ochre, sepia, yellow brown, brown 
 No. J, and brown No. 4, is a charming scale. 
 
 A small article can be made very attractive by 
 tinting with an even, pale, delicate tone of color, 
 and working over this a design in the same color. 
 Some of the greens, with a maidenhair fern de- 
 sign, or -violet of gold, with violets, are pleasing 
 combinations. In fact, monochromes are unlimited 
 in their variety. They are invariably admired, 
 always safe, and generally easy. 
 
LANDSCAPES 
 
 Landscapes in colors are always interesting, and 
 what has been written in regard to perspective 
 and general treatment with one color is duly ap- 
 plicable in reference to painting a landscape in 
 natural colors. 
 
 The sky may be painted with deep blue green, 
 and clouds formed in the same way, or wiped off, 
 before the color dries, with a piece of raw cotton 
 wrapped around a pointed stick, keeping edges 
 soft. 
 
 If clouds have a shadow tint on them, it may be 
 made with warm gray and air blue ; a delicate vio- 
 let gray, or a deeper tone, may be made by mixing 
 deep blue green and violet of iron together in any 
 desired proportions. 
 
 The distance must be kept gray, and conse- 
 quently gray tones enter largely into all the local 
 colors to produce a far-away appearance. 
 
 1 1 1 
 
112 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Suppose, for instance, a group of trees, with a 
 red-tiled roof cottage in their midst, form the most 
 distant objects. 
 
 Although without any doubt those trees are in 
 reality as vivid and green as those in the fore- 
 ground, yet, if painted so, they would appear too 
 near, and would fail to convey the impression of 
 distance. They do not appear so in nature ; for the 
 atmosphere intervenes and acts like a veil, slightly 
 obscuring, without concealing, color and form. 
 
 This misty distance is grayish in quality, and is 
 represented better by a greenish gray than by 
 grayish green, if this distinction can be appreciated 
 and felt. The difference is slight, but is recog- 
 nized by artists. 
 
 The same grayishness must be perceptible in 
 the red tiles. The intervention of atmospheric 
 qualities also reduces the red ; and both red and 
 green must be painted even lower in tone than if 
 they were not in such close combination. Red 
 and green are complementary colors, and in juxta- 
 position each renders the other more vivid. So 
 it is manifest that in the present instance they 
 unmistakably influence each other, even when 
 gray predominates. The green in the gray of the 
 trees, and the red in the gray of the housetop, 
 will by contrast appear stronger than they really 
 are. 
 
LANDSCAPES 
 
 113 
 
 There must be an adjustment in proportion to 
 color as well as of form ; values must not be lost, 
 and a balance of color is essential to a perfect 
 composition and harmony. What is technically 
 known as " values " in a painting is the strength 
 or proportion of color used to express certain ob- 
 jects, with the relative force of light and shade as 
 it pertains to distance. 
 
 Remote objects are thus made to differentiate in 
 form and color from those nearest the spectator. 
 The relative value of light and shade is of more 
 real importance than detail. 
 
 In landscape painting, lay in the first washes of 
 color in broad masses with as much freedom of 
 handling as the subject admits. 
 
 Reserve details for second firing ; and possibly a 
 third firing will be necessary, in order to accen- 
 tuate and strengthen certain portions, and work it 
 up to its final completeness. 
 
 A sunset sky, glowing with the brilliancy of rich, 
 strong colors, may be easily depicted with deep 
 blue green, silver yellow, and deep red brown. 
 
 A beginner had better paint this sort of sky for 
 two or three firings. For the first, use the pale 
 tint of blue at the top, gradually fading off to noth- 
 ing near the horizon. Leave about one-quarter of 
 the lower part of the sky white, and have it fired. 
 This space is reserved for the red and yellow, 
 
114 A MANUAL FOR CHIN A-P A INTERS 
 
 which may be put in with safety for the second 
 firing. 
 
 If this precaution is not observed, it is highly 
 probable a novice would get the blue and red and 
 yellow mixed ; and instead of clear, bright colors, 
 they would become muddy, as these colors, if al- 
 lowed to impinge in the blending, will inevitably 
 lose their brilliancy and purity, and assume gray 
 tones. 
 
 Apple green and yellow- for mixing will contrib- 
 ute the light tones of green for spring and sum- 
 mer landscapes. Stone emerald green, chrome green, 
 broivn green No. 6, will give a large range of tints 
 for darker foliage. The deepest accents may be 
 put in with dark green No. J. 
 
 Sepia is good for the local color of paths and 
 roads. Some neutral gray may be added if sepia 
 should prove too yellow. 
 
 Water is usually a reflection of sky tints, a trifle 
 grayer if in large bodies. If a placid stream is 
 flowing near or at the foot of trees, the water par- 
 takes of their color. It is quite impossible to give 
 more minute directions that will cover so vast a 
 field. 
 
 It would be advisable to have a good colored 
 picture to copy, or, better still, Nature itself, and 
 whatever color is indicated in the various parts, to 
 use it without hesitation. 
 
LANDSCAPES 
 
 115 
 
 When familiar with the use of colors, it will be 
 time enough to make purely imaginary pictures ; 
 and until this is arrived at, it is better to adhere 
 to copying correct reproductions. 
 
 A mere suggestion of a landscape is sometimes 
 seen as a background to figures or Cupids. Intro- 
 duced in this way, they emphasize the foreground 
 figures ; but to do this the landscape must be kept 
 subordinate, and rather pale delicate tints are em- 
 ployed, although a slight exaggeration of color is 
 allowable. For instance, trees are often seen of a 
 distinctly purple or violet tinge, but applied so del- 
 icately as not to appear obtrusive. If too vivid in 
 color, tone down with gray. Details may be 
 painted, but never strongly. When this treat- 
 ment of a background is resorted to, it should be 
 regarded in this light, and kept strictly within 
 the limits of its decorative qualities. 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 Flowers are usually the favorite subject for dec- 
 oration. 
 
 First attempts should be confined to single flow- 
 ers. By " single " is not meant one solitary- 
 flower ; but the word is used in a botanical sense, 
 to express those blossoms with but one row of 
 petals. Better success follows if some simple little 
 floral design is attempted, rather than some pre- 
 tentious, complicated arrangement of such double 
 flowers as roses and chrysanthemums. 
 
 A wide margin is allowed the amateur for selec- 
 tion ; but such simpler flowers as yellow tulips, 
 scarlet poppies, purple violets, white dogwood, 
 pink wild roses, blue forget-me-nots, and purple 
 and yellow pansies are best on which to com- 
 mence. These are not suggested as though no skill 
 were necessary to portray their special beauties, 
 
 116 
 
FLO ITERS 
 
 117 
 
 but as offering less difficulties than some others, 
 and usually giving the greatest satisfaction, and at 
 the same time affording opportunity to use a vari- 
 ety of colors and manipulation. Tulips and pop- 
 ies are painted with the two easiest colors to use. 
 They require broad washes of color, and great 
 freedom in handling of the brush. Pansies are 
 always pleasing ; and if the beginner does not suc- 
 ceed perfectly at first in obtaining the exact shade 
 aimed at, this failure need not be proclaimed from 
 the housetops. / There are so many varieties of 
 pansies, that almost any color would pass undis- 
 puted. Violets, wild roses, and forget-me-nots are 
 prime favorites with beginners ; and if they do fail 
 to catch their refined and delicate beauty, if the 
 endeavor to perceive it is present, and felt, these 
 first efforts should be viewed with leniency if not 
 with unqualified approval. 
 
 An amateur's first efforts usually give greater 
 satisfaction than any subsequent work. Even the 
 most glaring of faults are totally obscured to their 
 partial vision, and the most palpable errors are 
 bravely defended. 
 
 No one ever entirely forgets this first time he 
 touches a brush. Nothing in after years quite 
 equals this exciting hour. 
 
 The intense interest with which this first work 
 proceeds ; the care with which it is conveyed to 
 
H 8 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 the kiln ; the pardonable pride with which it is 
 finally deposited in the care and to the mercy of 
 the firer, and the reluctance of leaving it ; the 
 anxious hours of waiting till it is fired ; the keen 
 delight in going for it, mingled with the fear that 
 "something has happened ; " the thrill of pleasure 
 of finally receiving it in good condition, and the 
 complacency with which it is contemplated as a 
 work of art, — is an experience most china-painters 
 have gone through, even though many would scorn 
 to admit it. This is indeed entirely as it should 
 be. If defects and deficiencies were as percepti- 
 ble to the amateur as to the' professional, there 
 would probably be lacking sufficient courage to 
 continue. 
 
 Intelligent criticism, even though severe, should 
 be gracefully, even thankfully, received, and duly 
 appreciated rather than resented. 
 
 There is a vast difference between fulsome 
 flattery and captious fault-finding. Both are det- 
 rimental, and are usually indulged in from some 
 unworthy motive. 
 
 No one has any authority or justification to 
 criticise who is not fully qualified to point out the 
 remedy for every fault and failure. To point out 
 a mistake is one thing ; to show how to rectify it 
 is another. 
 
 Honest criticism, kindly bestowed, is of inesti- 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 mable value ; but hypercriticism, which is gener- 
 ally conferred gratuitously, circumvents its object, 
 and may be disregarded. 
 
 Hesitate to invite criticism if there is danger of 
 its proving unwelcome, and only appeal to those 
 in whose opinion every confidence is assured in 
 advance. This discursive digression is not so 
 irrelevant as it may seem, and the writer feels 
 justified in making it. 
 
 There are two generally accepted methods for 
 amateurs by which floral designs may be painted 
 with ease. 
 
 One is where the local color is applied in almost 
 flat tints for the first firing. That is, if the flower 
 be pink, pink alone is used, but in varying degrees 
 of strength. The form and direction are both 
 indicated, but without shading or gray tones, and 
 with but little detail. Color is washed in rather 
 broadly, but very delicately. It is then fired, and 
 then modelled and finished with gray tones and any 
 other touches of color it may require. 
 
 This is easy, because it preserves the drawing ; 
 and after firing, it is in excellent condition to finish. 
 
 Another way is just the contrary. The model- 
 ling is done first, entirely with gray tones, and no 
 local color is applied until after firing. 
 
 Before firing, it resembles simply a design in 
 gray ; but the grays must be made with a reference 
 
120 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 to the color to be used eventually. That is, if for 
 pink or yellow flowers, the grays must correspond 
 and harmonize with the pink or yellow that is to 
 provide the local color. 
 
 After it is fired, color is washed on in clear 
 tones, the deepest accents added, and then fin- 
 ished. Either plan may be adopted; the former, 
 however, is more generally in use. 
 
 In no event must flowers be painted and finished 
 with but one color, except in monochromes ; but 
 the shape, shadows, and rotundity — in short, the 
 modelling — must be accomplished with gray tones. 
 By the introduction of grays only can this effect 
 be produced, and in no other way. 
 
 To paint a pink rose, for instance, with only 
 pink, and in the shadows to use only more pink, 
 would never do. It would be very bad, first, 
 because it would fail utterly to express form, as 
 all the subtle varieties of light and shade, cast 
 shadows, reflected and transmitted lights, could 
 not be delineated with pink alone ; and next, if 
 pink were applied thick enough to give an idea 
 that shade was even intended to be so repre- 
 sented, it would probably blister in the firing, or, 
 what would be equally disastrous, would require 
 such a strong heat to develop as to ruin every 
 other color. 
 
 No flower can be properly painted without grays. 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 121 
 
 Unless there has been a study made of flowers, 
 either singly or in clusters or groups, it surprises 
 us to see how very little local color may be used. 
 
 Perspective is equally as important in painting 
 flowers as landscapes. If a bunch of pink roses 
 be placed in a vase, and set in a strong north light 
 or under a skylight, and viewed from a short dis- 
 tance, it will be observed that not more than one 
 or two, perhaps, will receive the direct rays of light, 
 and will be pink. If this fact is not perceptible, 
 half close the eyes, and the truth of this statement 
 will be at once realized. There will be delicate 
 half-tones and shades and cast shadows, which are 
 only represented by qualifying the local pink color 
 with other tones. 
 
 Rotundity exists and must be expressed in paint- 
 ing a bunch of roses as well as an opaque sphere. 
 In the latter case, it is plainly discernible and 
 apparent, even to the most ignorant. But if not 
 recognized as readily in a cluster of roses, it is 
 still present, nevertheless ; and it must be con- 
 ceded and so represented. 
 
 White roses will even disclose this fact more 
 perceptibly than pink ones. Although each sepa- 
 rate rose is distinctly white by itself, it can only 
 be so represented by gray tones. It must be thor- 
 oughly understood that " gray tones " does not 
 mean black and white ; that is, varying degrees of 
 
122 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 black on a white surface. In the aforesaid cluster 
 of white roses, for instance, no element of black 
 must enter ; only the softest and most delicate of 
 grays. These may be cool grays or warm grays, 
 but always gray. 
 
 Grays may be qualified by blue, green, pink, 
 yellow, or violet. They all enter more or less in 
 the painting of roses. 
 
 The lights only are in pure color. The highest 
 lights are usually cool in quality, while reflected 
 lights are always warm. Half-tones must have a 
 tinge of that color that is complementary to the 
 local color. 
 
 These suggestions are general, and by no means 
 infallible ; but are facts worth remembering when 
 painting not only floral designs, but draperies, 
 fruit, or anything where distinctive form and ro- 
 tundity have to be expressed. 
 
 To the uneducated all pink flowers are pink ; and 
 it will seem rather strange not to paint a pink rose 
 pink under all conditions of light, simply because 
 it is pink. These people will scarcely credit the 
 fact that when an artist wishes to paint a black 
 horse on canvas, he seldom or never uses black 
 paint ; but it is none the less true. 
 
 If these apparently inconsistent statements dis- 
 close any new ideas for thought and study, they 
 have not been made in vain. 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 123 
 
 " Pink Flowers may be painted with Carmine Nos. 
 I, 2, and J. Crimson lake and Japan rose are some- 
 times preferred. Superior English pink and rose 
 are other beautiful colors. There is but a slight 
 variation in tint, and perhaps one may be more 
 suitable for some designs than another. For gen- 
 eral use, perhaps carmine No. I is as good as any. 
 But never hesitate to use either of those mentioned 
 if preferred, or if it more nearly approaches the 
 shade the design requires. 
 
 In using these colors, the secret of obtaining 
 beautiful pink hues is to use them as thin as pos- 
 sible, — the thinner the better. There is no danger 
 of getting the color on too thin, whereas unpleas- 
 ant results follow if put on too thick. Pale color 
 can be always deepened if, after firing, it be not 
 dark enough. 
 
 Any of the colors mentioned will serve to paint 
 roses, both wild and cultivated, peonies, carnation 
 pinks, apple-blossoms, primroses, cyclamen, chrys- 
 anthemums, arbutus, azalias, morning-glories (con- 
 volvulus), fuchsias, hollyhocks, hawthorn, sweet 
 peas, anemones, or any pink blossoms. These 
 flowers differ somewhat in tint, and therefore 
 should not all be painted exactly alike. When a 
 deeper color is indicated, add a touch of a stronger 
 color ; and the addition of a little ntby purple for 
 a very dark pink, as in the heart of a rose, is pref- 
 
124 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 erable to piling on the carmines in the endeavor 
 to secure the same effect. 
 
 Any color, if applied too heavily, will blister in 
 firing, and chip off ; whereas several successive 
 washes of the same color, applied comparatively 
 thin, will attain the same result, and with no 
 danger of blistering. One wash of color should 
 be allowed to dry before another is placed over it. 
 
 Too much thick oil in any color will also cause 
 it to blister and bubble up in the firing. 
 
 Both of these accidents may be avoided. 
 
 When the work for the day is over, it should 
 present a dull, dry appearance ; but if any part of 
 the painting still looks moist or glossy, and is not 
 dry, the chances are that too much thick oil has 
 been used. 
 
 But if the color is on very, very thin, the excess 
 of oil will do no damage ; it is only where the 
 color is applied thick, that it forms a skin on 
 top, prevents drying underneath, and consequently 
 boils in the kiln, f 
 
 The manipulation of the brush for flower-paint- 
 ing requires that the sweep of the brush should 
 have a distinct direction. It must have the trend 
 of each petal or leaf. 
 
 Take very little color on the end of the brush, 
 and begin either in the heart of the flower or the 
 outer edge ; it is immaterial. But each petal must 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 125 
 
 be painted either from the centre outward, or 
 from the outer edge towards the centre ; never 
 crosswise, or up and down, or all around, but with 
 a distinct movement of the brush in the way it 
 grows. This fact must be remembered in refer- 
 ence to leaves of flowers. The leaf of the tulip, 
 or carnation pink, for example, is quite different 
 from that of the primrose or cyclamen, conse- 
 quently must have different treatment. 
 
 If the brush-marks are in evidence, but in the 
 right direction, it is not so grave a fault as though 
 they were contrariwise. 
 
 Every stroke of the brush must mean some- 
 thing, and should appeal to the beholder's intelli- 
 gence and appreciation, if not of art, then of 
 nature. The closed petal of a half-blown rose is 
 usually painted darker on one side. To simulate 
 this effect, take up color only on one side of the 
 brush ; the other side, moist only with lavender-oil, 
 will receive a faint tinge of color, and with one 
 sweep of the brush it will be found to have shaded 
 itself. This knack, to give perfect satisfaction, 
 must be practised till freedom is acquired in the 
 handling. It is only one of the many little "tricks 
 of the trade." A square shader is necessary for 
 this; it would be impossible to accomplish it with 
 a round painting brush. " 
 
 The rolling edges of the petals may be taken 
 
126 A MANUAL FOR CHIN A-P A INTERS 
 
 out with a clean brush ; that is, the color is 
 removed where it has encroached upon those por- 
 tions where it is essential to be light. 
 
 Never allow the edges of any flowers to be 
 perfectly straight. They will then look as if cut 
 out of paper and pasted on, rather than painted. 
 They frequently have crinkled edges and graceful 
 curves ; and these cannot be expressed with sharp, 
 hard lines. 
 
 Conventionalized treatment does not enter into 
 this scheme of instruction, as these directions are 
 given for delineating nature. Conventional and 
 semi-conventional designs have their place in dec- 
 oration. 
 
 Flowers so treated are frequently outlined ; in- 
 deed, it is a recognized characteristic. This gives 
 very definite form, and is strikingly effective, espe- 
 cially in bold designs, but is chiefly objectionable 
 as being foreign to nature ; and while art is not 
 a servile copy of nature, it should approximate it 
 sufficiently to be understood. 
 
 All flowers are capable of being conventionally 
 treated, and there is nothing to prevent its being 
 done very acceptably. 
 
 Flat washes of color are employed, and the de- 
 sign outlined. This outlining must be of uniform 
 thickness and color, — a clear, clean, definite line. 
 No hesitating or wavering lines are permissible, — 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 127 
 
 thick in some places, thin in others, dark here and 
 light there; but the outline must be symmetrical 
 in proportions, and usually of a much darker color 
 than the design itself. It may be done either 
 with a finely pointed brush or a pen. This gives 
 strength and force ; and this style of painting has, 
 and always will have, its advocates. 
 
 It is impossible, however, to dwell further upon 
 conventional ornament. It scarcely comes within 
 the scope of this Manual ; for in itself it is a vast 
 study, and already many volumes have been writ- 
 ten upon the subject. 
 
 ^/Blue flowers, such as forget-me-nots, lobelia, 
 myrtle, bluebells, etc., may be painted with deep 
 blue green. The cornflower requires a very much 
 darker blue, except for the highest lights. There 
 is a color made with special reference to this 
 flower, called cornflower blue. In lieu of this, deep 
 blue will answer. The buds of forget-me-nots have 
 a decided pinkish tinge, and must have additional 
 touches of carmine No. I to represent it. The 
 cornflower has also a tinge of red or purplish re- 
 flections, that are best made with a little deep 
 purple. 
 
 Silver yellow furnishes the yellow centre of a 
 forget-me-not, but the blue must be carefully re- 
 moved first. Add a little violet of iron to deep 
 blue green for those in shadow and most distant, 
 
128 A MANUAL FOR CHIN A PAINTERS 
 
 and the same, only very pale, for the vague and 
 indistinct flowers fading away in the background. 
 
 The green leaves of blue flowers may be very 
 yellow, and considerable yellozv for mixing may be 
 added to the greens used. Blue flowers seem to 
 require plenty of warmth surrounding them, and 
 yellows and browns are preferable to cool greens. 
 Blue is such a cool color in itself that it is not 
 pleasing without being balanced with the other 
 primary colors. 
 
 Shade the greens with olive green or brown 
 green No. 6. These are both warm greens. 
 
 Yellow flowers, like sweetbrier, roses, golden- 
 rod, primroses, sunflowers, pansies, daisies, dande- 
 lions, chrysanthemums, coreopsis, buttercups, jon- 
 quils, or daffodils, can all be painted with silver 
 yellow for the local color. 
 
 Silver yellow, in its full strength, is very rich and 
 brilliant, and is capable of producing a delightful 
 range of tints, in thinner washes. Orange yellow 
 may be added to strengthen deep tones, ox yellow 
 brown may be used with good effect. 
 
 Yellows may be shaded very satisfactorily with 
 brown green No. 6, but it must be used delicately. 
 For pale yellow flowers, blue and best orange are 
 recommended. Yellozv brown and deep red brown 
 are often seen on yellow flowers, — the former in 
 the deep shadows, the latter in the heart of the 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 129 
 
 flower, and in the transmitted light. Sometimes 
 a touch of deep red brown on a few of the outer 
 petals is very effective. 
 
 Brilliant red flowers, as the poppy, cactus, hibis- 
 cus, salvia (scarlet sage), and some berries, as the 
 holly, are best painted with capucine red for the 
 brightest parts, if a very vivid coloring is desired ; 
 deep red brown will be found to be red enough for 
 nearly all purposes. This color is easily modified 
 for dark tints by violet of iron. 
 
 There is nothing among the mineral colors that 
 is exactly an equivalent to scarlet or vermilion ; 
 but the close proximity to a vivid green — in the 
 leaf — will raise or heighten the color very con- 
 siderably, and it will unquestionably appear very 
 bright indeed. 
 
 Distant red flowers may be very faithfully rep- 
 resented by violet of iron ; and if a trifle of deep red 
 brown be added, an intermediate tone is produced. 
 
 Purple flowers, such as violets, pansies, lilacs, the 
 iris or fleur-de-lis, clematis, anemones, sweet-pea, 
 passion-flowers, morning-glories, thistle, clover, and 
 wistaria, are to be painted with light violet of gold 
 and dark violet of gold. With the former, if modi- 
 fied with carmine No. I, and the latter, if qualified 
 with deep blue green, every shade of lilac, violet, 
 and purple may be obtained. 
 
 A variety is even desirable when painting a 
 
130 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 group of any one of these mentioned flowers. A 
 lovely new color, called pansy, is a deep, full, rich 
 purple, somewhat darker and bluer than deep violet 
 of gold. Shading green may be added in shading 
 to good advantage. The two violets of gold are 
 very satisfying colors when fired, although a little 
 difficult to apply at first in flat, smooth tints, but 
 quite indispensable. Suppress any desire to lay 
 these colors on heavy for very deep tints ; by re- 
 painting and retiring, though, a very full, rich color 
 can be obtained. These are colors that require 
 considerable fat oil, and will surely blister in the 
 firing unless laid on thin. 
 
 If the pansy is a combination of purple and yel- 
 low, and the yellow petals have purple markings in 
 the centre, the yellow should be erased before vio- 
 let of gold is applied ; otherwise it would lose its 
 rich and brilliant color. 
 
 This erasing of color is done by a steel eraser, as 
 illustrated on page 93, or by using a short brush 
 just slightly moistened with turpentine, and wiping 
 off the color. If the brush is too wet, an ugly blot 
 will be made. The turpentine spreads, and pushes 
 the color before it. 
 
 Clove-oil does not seem to possess this vexatious 
 property to such an extent as either turpentine or 
 lavender-oil. The sharpened point of the brush- 
 handle or other stick, if moistened between the 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 lips, will clean off color beautifully, if used before 
 the color has been allowed to dry. J 
 
 Crimson flowers, like roses, peonies, carnation 
 pinks, etc., are a little difficult for the amateur. 
 Ruby purple is the only color that approximates 
 the crimson color of these flowers ; and, royal color 
 though it is, it does not always serve the purpose ; 
 it is not always true to nature. For some flow- 
 ers it is too bright ; and for others, again, it is not 
 bright enough. For the first fault, the remedy is 
 simple enough, as the color can easily be toned 
 down ; but it is not so easy to key it up to every 
 shade that may be required. 
 
 A very beautiful bright tint may be had by using 
 ruby purple first, and firing very hard, then giving 
 a thin wash of deep red brown, and firing lighter. 
 This will produce a good result, one which could 
 not be obtained if the two colors were mixed be- 
 fore applying. 
 
 A great deal of rubbish has been written and 
 spoken against using gold and iron colors together 
 on the same design. The caution is based upon 
 utter fallacy ; the colors may be used in the man 
 ner specified with absolute freedom and liberty. 
 
 Carmine applied first, and fired hard, may have a 
 thin wash of carnation No. I, and fired light, with 
 charming effect. While an indiscriminate mixing 
 of colors is to be at all times avoided, there is 
 
132 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 nothing to prevent washing any one color over 
 another, provided the necessity is felt. 
 
 If a green is felt to be too vivid, and the con- 
 sciousness exists that it requires toning down, that 
 a wash of carmine, violet of iron, or brown would 
 materially improve it, there is no reason why it 
 should not be used. If not bright enough, a wash 
 of yellow or a yellow brown will restore it. No 
 serious consequence will happen, and greater har- 
 mony will frequently result. There is no better 
 teacher than individual feeling, for color ; and if 
 the feeling is there, the inclination is to follow it. 
 In such matters one's intuition is to be trusted. 
 Crimson pitrple is not so brilliant as ruby ; and deep 
 purple and deep purple No. 2 are excellent colors 
 for shading and deepening the other colors. 
 
 Half ruby and half carmine No. i make an ex- 
 cellent local tint for first firing. 
 
 Flowers may be painted with the same freedom 
 where both red and yellow are employed. Tulips, 
 nasturtiums, carnation pinks, autumn leaves, chrys- 
 anthemums, trumpet-vine, etc., are all variegated 
 combinations of red and yellow. Carnation No. I, 
 mixed with ivory yellow and yellozv for mixing, in 
 equal portions, gives beautiful soft salmon and 
 shrimp pink tints. This shade is for woodbine or 
 honeysuckle, and also for some rose tints. Deep 
 red brown and silver yellow will do the same. 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 133 
 
 It is understood that where a red or yellow is 
 to be preserved in all the purity of its strength, it 
 should be placed directly on the white china, and 
 not mixed. Every color added to another influ- 
 ences it in direct proportion to the quantity intro- 
 duced. An excess of yellow, especially yellow for 
 mixing, will be frequently found to have totally 
 destroyed every trace of red, having devoured it 
 in the kiln. Professional decorators say of such 
 cases, that " the color has gone up the chimney." 
 
 Yellow tulips with red stripes may be painted 
 with yellow and red alternately, and softly blended 
 with a clean brush moistened with oil. There 
 should be no hard line where one color leaves off 
 and the other begins, but the colors must imper- 
 ceptibly merge and blend into each other. 
 
 There are many designs in brown that are ex- 
 ceedingly pretty. These consist of acorns, mush- 
 rooms, chestnuts, wheat, rye, button-balls, autumn 
 leaves, Norway spruce, red cedar, and pitch-pine 
 burrs and spines, and others. 
 
 They form a series of quiet, unobtrusive deco- 
 rations, that are in reality quite conspicuous from 
 the absence of brilliant coloring. 
 
 But few colors are necessary to portray any of 
 those mentioned — the lightest tones to be applied 
 first, and the darker ones gradually added. Yellow 
 ochre, sepia, or light brown will supply pale tints ; 
 
134 * MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 yellotv brown, chestnut brown, warmer tones ; and 
 brown No. J, brown No. 4, and black brown the 
 darkest that will be needed. Vandyke brown 
 will supply desirable rich, warm tones. 
 
 These brown designs look especially well on yel- 
 low or blue grounds, and even a slight flush of any 
 other color ; green, violet, or pink will be harmo- 
 nious, brown being viewed almost as a neutral tint, 
 as it never conflicts with bright colors. ; 
 
 White flowers, being the most difficult to paint, 
 have been left till the last. Among those most 
 frequently painted are roses, daisies, lilies, snow 
 balls, narcissus, hawthorn, clover, azaleas, chrys- 
 anthemums, Cherokee roses, magnolias, dandelion 
 seed, wild carrot, primroses, morning-glories, pelar- 
 goniums, carnation pinks, and cherry-blossoms. 
 
 One of the first problems the beginner encounters 
 is the difficulty of painting white flowers on white 
 china. A good plan is first to secure a correct 
 drawing, and to begin by painting- all around it. 
 
 For example, suppose the design is two or three 
 white roses in close contact, and a few tight and 
 half-blown buds trailing off in a graceful fashion 
 from the roses. The roses may have a slight flush 
 of color around them, or be surrounded by a mass of 
 leaves. Either will relieve the situation at once. 
 
 The white china serves as the local color, and 
 the modelling must be carefully done with pale 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 135 
 
 washes of delicate gray tones. These increase in 
 warmth towards the centre of the rose ; and green 
 and yellow, and sometimes light tinges of red, 
 are distinctly visible in the heart of a double white 
 rose. 
 
 The lights and shadows and species of flower 
 will indicate which colors to employ, and where 
 the warm and cool shades of gray properly be- 
 long. 
 
 White daisies may be painted in with some 
 delicate gray tint, ivarni gray being preferable, as 
 it supplies such soft, warm tones of gray. After- 
 wards the high lights may be added with white 
 enamel. Snowballs require considerable green in 
 modelling, and this may be qualified with warm 
 gray or yelloiv ochre for the half-tones and re- 
 flected lights. Hawthorn admits of touches of 
 carmine, and even ruby in some instances. Dan- 
 delion seeds are modelled in greenish gray, and 
 finished with tiny clots of white enamel. 
 
 This is best applied by using a small blender 
 brush, and rubbing into the enamel, which must 
 not be too thin nor too thick ; but by pressing so 
 as to separate and spread the hairs a trifle, and 
 then lightly touching the dandelion puff, it will 
 be seen that a tiny speck of enamel clings to each 
 hair, and in no other way can this delicate treat- 
 ment be effected. 
 
136 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 This same manner of applying enamel may be 
 used for button-balls, chestnut-burrs, or any rough 
 surface where it is desirable to have these minute 
 lightest points of light expressed by enamel. 
 
 Beyond giving these few general directions, it 
 is quite impossible to go further into detail. It is 
 deemed of more value to give general treatment 
 to cover many cases, and of more real advantage 
 and assistance to help the student to rely on him- 
 self for details, than to enter too minutely into 
 one design. The aim throughout this Manual is 
 to show the way, and teach the amateur to depend 
 upon himself and his judgment, and to put his 
 observation faculties into practice. 
 
 There can be no hard and fast rules laid down, 
 however ; and a beginner should always, if not 
 painting from nature or his own previous studies 
 from natural flowers, secure good colored models 
 from which to copy. When more proficient, a 
 black-and-white study will be all that is necessary. 
 
 Having an artistic study to copy, it is an easy 
 matter to select the necessary colors. There need 
 be no hesitancy in using whatever colors are indi- 
 cated. If a pink seems tinged with yellow, give 
 the pink a wash of yellow ; which yellow is a ques- 
 tion for individual judgment to decide. If it is a 
 distinct yellow, perhaps ivory yellow or silver yel- 
 low will be the correct shade. If lower in tone, 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 137 
 
 and not so yellow, but with a leaning towards a 
 fawn or brownish tinge, use best orange or yellow 
 ochre, or chestnut brown. When green is visible 
 on a white flower, it is usually a very yellow green ; 
 therefore add yellozv for mixing to either apple 
 green, stone emerald green, or moss green J, till the 
 proper tone is gained. 
 
 The general treatment adopted by flower paint- 
 ers is to paint without detail for first firing. What- 
 ever color is used, it must be applied very thin, to 
 obtain a pale shade. More color is added for the 
 second firing. After washing in the most prom- 
 inent flowers, or part of the design, with the pure 
 color, add gray for those surrounding flowers and 
 leaves which serve as a background, and represent 
 the vague, distant effects. These must be very 
 delicately done, with just sufficient color on the 
 brush to show. Very little will be distinctly vis- 
 ible on white china, and too little cannot be used 
 for the first firing. 
 
 Of course if this were to remain so, it would be 
 a weak representation ; but all the strength the 
 subject requires may be added subsequently. But 
 it is infinitely better to obtain and hold the values 
 at the very first painting, than to trust to luck or 
 any other haphazard method. Having secured the 
 proper values and modelling, the rest of the work 
 will progress finely. But too great stress cannot 
 
138 A MANUAL FOR CHIN A -PAINTERS 
 
 be placed upon these two important factors in all 
 painting. 
 
 After the first firing, and before commencing to 
 work on the actual design, is the time to give the 
 china some tint of color for a background. 
 
 This is usually some color harmonious, even 
 though a contrasting color, to the general color 
 scheme. For instance, silver yellow is a happy 
 color for violets. Russian green looks well with 
 pink flowers, carnation with white flowers, and 
 chestnut brown with blue flowers. Ivory yellow 
 and chestnut brown, used very thin, are good use- 
 ful colors for this delicate flushing, as they harmo- 
 nize with any color. 
 
 Perhaps the theory of color is not sufficiently 
 understood by the average amateur to enable him 
 to know exactly what color, and just what hue and 
 tint, to employ in connection with another color 
 to secure harmony, and obtain the best results. 
 
 While the subject of color is too vast to present 
 in a few words, a brief presentation of some im- 
 portant facts may be of value to the student. It 
 sometimes happens that a decoration wholly misses 
 an effect because of the lack of information as 
 to what the color scheme requires to bring out its 
 full beauty. A touch of color placed intelligently 
 will completely change the entire appearance by 
 altering the relative values of those employed. 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 139 
 
 Briefly, then, harmony of colors is an even dis- 
 tribution, or more properly a balance, of the three 
 primary colors. Red, blue, and yellow are called 
 primaries, or primitive colors, because they cannot 
 be produced by the mixing of any other colors ; 
 and on general principles no color scheme is per- 
 fect in conception or composition where the ab- 
 sence of one of these colors is actually, or felt to 
 be, wanting either in its natural state or in com- 
 bination. 
 
 This statement must not be misconstrued to 
 mean that an equal space on a given surface must 
 be covered by each of these three colors, as this 
 would be far from correct ; for in reality to appear 
 equal, blue must predominate to a very consider- 
 able extent. This, however, does not necessarily 
 mean the use of pure color, the primary blue, as it 
 also appears in green and purple. 
 
 These two colors and orange are called secon- 
 dary colors, and are a combination of two of the 
 primary colors, the remaining primary being its 
 complementary color. The tertiary colors are 
 formed from a combination of two secondaries. 
 
 Two colors containing one color in common, 
 green or purple for instance, both having more 
 or less blue, will, by contact, lose in the intensity 
 of the common color, and become weak. There- 
 fore, more blue is required in both colors to appear 
 
140 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 as they would appear apart from each other. 
 Harmony can be produced by contrast as well as 
 by analogy ; blue and orange is a contrast, but it 
 is also harmonious when about equal. Every color 
 in juxtaposition to another has a tendency to 
 tinge the other color with its complementary. 
 Place blue and red together, and the blue will as- 
 sume a greenish tinge, and the red a yellowish tone. 
 
 In the science of optics, and in all experiments 
 with the prismatic spectrum, blue predominates, 
 red comes next, and yellow least. This law is 
 exemplified in nature, for the blue of the sky 
 covers an area larger than any one other color 
 in an unobstructed space. 
 
 To be more explicit, the primary colors, if used 
 in this proportion, blue eight, red five, and yel- 
 low three, will harmonize or neutralize each other. 
 To prevent the predominance of the other colors, 
 there must be an amount of blue equal to the 
 quantity of red and yellow together ; this makes a 
 perfect equilibrium of color. A cursory glance 
 at Mooresque ornament proves that the Moors 
 thoroughly understood this. 
 
 A little pink — which is a variation or a tone 
 of red — in conjunction with blue is very pleasing, 
 when the blue is considerably in excess. When 
 the pink prevails, it is ineffective and common- 
 place. Since blue exists in more or less intensity 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 I 4 I 
 
 in two of the secondaries and three of the terti- 
 aries, its presence is readily recognized and felt, 
 should part of its proportion appear in this guise. 
 
 In the arranging of colors, the primary colors 
 hold the top or uppermost place. The secondary 
 colors come next, that is, in the intermediate 
 plane ; and the tertiary colors are the lowest. 
 Nature is a prominent exponent of this law, for 
 we have the (primary) blue above all in the 
 heavens, the (secondary) green coming next in 
 the trees and verdure, and the (tertiary) russet 
 tints in the earth at our feet. 
 
 It is also repeated in all flowering plants. The 
 primary color is to be found in the buds and blos- 
 soms, at the top or extremities of branches ; the 
 green foliage comes next ; and the olive or russet in 
 the lower part, the old leaves and stems and stalks. 
 
 When a primary (yellow) is tinged with another 
 primary (blue) to be contrasted with a secondary 
 (purple), the secondary should assume a hue of 
 the third primary (red) ; therefore a greenish yel- 
 low requires a reddish purple, and an orange red 
 a bluish green, and a bluish purple must take a 
 yellow green. 
 
 Variations of a color are called hues, and the 
 different intensities are tints. There are various 
 hues of blue ; there are greenish blues and purplish 
 blues, for instance ; and there are many tints in a 
 
I42 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 sepia monochrome, but no hues. Hues, therefore, 
 are obtained by the admixture with other colors. 
 Tones are produced by adding white, shades by 
 adding black. 
 
 Whatever color is used, it should be slightly 
 fluxed, unless it be a grounding-color. 
 
 Take a tinting-brush, and but little color, and 
 let it go all over the distant flowers and leaves, 
 and fade away at the edges to nothing. 
 
 This tint is to be blended or padded till it is 
 uniform, so that it is scarcely perceptible where 
 it begins or leaves off. 
 
 Sometimes two colors are thus introduced with 
 a good effect. Silver yellow on one side may join 
 deep red brown on another ; but one color must 
 blend or merge into the other very gradually and 
 softly. Deep blue green, or even Russian green, 
 and a tinge of carnation No. I, is another combina- 
 tion that is pretty. 
 
 Sometimes the same color as that of the local 
 tint of the flower is repeated with good effect. 
 
 This is especially fine if the article of china is 
 large enough to admit of this repeated color being 
 used to paint a scroll design ; in order, as it were, 
 to balance the color. 
 
 This design of simple color is most effective 
 in conjunction with white enamel or gold, either 
 raised or flat. This, in turn, should be applied in 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 M3 
 
 graceful, thin* lines of curves and scrolls and dots, 
 as a finish to the scroll design in color. 
 
 This sort of decoration is practically unlimited ; 
 and there is sufficient scope for the exercise of 
 much taste, judgment, originality, grace, and indi- 
 viduality. 
 
 Whatever color is used to give additional beauty 
 and effect, or warmth and harmony, it achieves 
 this end better by being allowed to extend over 
 all the decoration except the most prominent and 
 principal flowers. 
 
 This glazing process gives a wonderfully har- 
 monizing effect, but strong color cannot be so 
 used. It would change the undertone and origi- 
 nal intention if anything but a delicate wash, just 
 a flush of color, were used. 
 
 This will soften and unite with the local col- 
 oring with an exceedingly beautiful result ; and, 
 without changing the color, it mellows it to har- 
 monize and correspond with the surrounding tint. 
 
 Beyond the accompanying foliage, green is not 
 as frequently used as other colors. 
 
 One of the favorite green decorations consists 
 of the hop-vine. It is graceful, and easily ar- 
 ranged and painted. Another one partakes of 
 the nature of ferns, of which the maidenhair va- 
 riety is the most popular. Grasses may also be 
 introduced with effect in very many articles. 
 
144 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 The greens thus used should harmonize, and 
 two, or, at most, three, need be used. Various 
 tints can be produced with one green and yellow 
 for mixing, and best orange or a brown. Brown 
 green A r o. 6 is always in harmony with the greens. 
 
 A few tiny red berries, at irregular intervals, 
 scattered among the ferns or grasses, relieves the 
 monotony of green, and enlivens and lights up 
 the whole decoration. Discrimination must be 
 exercised as to the size and quantity ; for, from 
 the nature of the color, — red, — they will prove 
 conspicuous, even when small and far between. 
 
 Mignonette is a lovely, though a somewhat diffi- 
 cult, flower to paint. It is, however, done with 
 two or three greens, yellow greens, and the red 
 touches are deep red brown. 
 
 Leaves are usually considered difficult for the 
 amateur to paint ; and he will frequently fail here, 
 even. after having gained an insight into the paint- 
 ing of the flower. 
 
 The cause of failure may be attributed to sev- 
 eral reasons ; notably, too great a similarity one 
 with another, not enough variety in the color, too 
 much color, and an utter disregard of the direction 
 a leaf should be painted. 
 
 Rose-leaves afford an infinite variety in their 
 treatment, and a happy diversity is aimed at for 
 pleasing results. Some are quite yellow green, 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 H5 
 
 some are a strong bright green, others again are 
 olive and have brown largely in evidence. The 
 backs of some are bluish gray, others a pinkish 
 gray. In some of the tender shoots ruby is de- 
 cidedly seen, and also on the extreme points of 
 older leaves. Leaves should be painted rather 
 delicately for the first firing, even for those even- 
 tually intended to be made dark, as there is gen- 
 erally a light portion visible. 
 
 Dip the brush in the color, and begin by paint- 
 ing: one-half of the leaf from the central vein. Let 
 the brush follow imaginary veins. Use apple green 
 and yellow for mixing in any desired proportion to 
 begin with, but do not paint the entire leaf with 
 this one tint. If that portion of a leaf on the 
 right side of the centre is bluish, as it might be 
 if in a strong light, gradually add a yellow green, 
 and next a darker green, and perhaps on the ex- 
 treme edge an olive or brownish tinge is required. 
 The other half of the leaf, that is, on the left of the 
 depression through the middle, is somewhat darker 
 than on the right side, and possibly graduated to 
 quite a yellow green on the end. 
 
 It is somewhat difficult to give clearer, or, in 
 fact, any definite directions for painting leaves. 
 There is an infinite variety in shape, size, and 
 color ; and while some helpful hints may be offered, 
 no cast-iron rules can be laid down. / 
 
I46 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 China-painting cannot be taught entirely by ver- 
 bal or written directions. Recipes may be given 
 for making cake, but not for painting china. 
 
 The best method of learning to paint leaves, 
 flowers, or anything else, and, in fact, the only 
 right way, is to study them. Study them from 
 every point of view. Observe them singly and in 
 groups. Not only once or twice, but hundreds of 
 times. Not only for a week or a month, but for 
 years. 
 
 Study the relative value of light and shade, 
 always of more importance than detail ; not that 
 detail can be disregarded, but it is not of primary 
 consideration, and comparative correctness is. Ab- 
 solute accuracy will follow relative exactness natu- 
 rally in due course of time. 
 
 Those best depict the human figure who have 
 studied the human frame and its anatomy. Flow- 
 ers and leaves have also a frame and an anatomy. 
 Botany will assist in acquiring an intimate knowl- 
 edge of them, and to know how to paint them they 
 must be understood. 
 
 No one can paint flowers successfully who does 
 not love them. First love, then study, and then 
 paint them. 
 
 Flowers must be painted so that, in their refined 
 and exquisite loveliness, they appeal to more than 
 one sense. Their exceeding delicacy must be felt, 
 
FLOWERS 
 
 147 
 
 their natural gface and beauty must be seen, and 
 even their fragrance recognized. 
 
 A superficial knowledge will never accomplish 
 this ; nothing but indefatigable study, and a pro- 
 long-ed, earnest endeavor. These are wholesome 
 truths ; but the fact is, no art or science was ever 
 acquired without a serious and well-sustained effort. 
 
 When painting what is termed a " Dresden style " 
 of decoration, which consists of tiny flowers scat- 
 tered at irregular intervals, without much method 
 beyond a fair powdering of blossoms, much of the 
 modelling with gray is omitted. These garlands 
 and clusters and single blossoms sometimes consist 
 of the same flower, and are then painted in one 
 color or two colors. For instance, violets may be 
 chosen, and the surface of the article be liberally 
 sprinkled with violets, either single blossoms or 
 in groups of two, three, four, or five, showing the 
 flower in every possible position and light. 
 
 Then, again, a variety of flowers may be chosen ; 
 and pansies, tulips, roses, and others may be seen 
 on the same piece of china. These are usually 
 finished with but little variation in shading. Bright 
 colors prevail, and the general characteristics are 
 preserved ; but the absence of gray tone is notice- 
 able, the forms being retained with light and dark 
 shades of some color which should be strongly 
 contrasted. In this kind of decoration, which is 
 
148 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 exceedingly delicate and dainty, but entirely di- 
 vested of real art, one should study the methods 
 adopted by the genuine Dresden works. 
 
 Commonplace to a certain extent, yet it may 
 be made to be very beautiful and attractive ; and 
 from its variety of brilliant color and the numer- 
 ous subjects selected for the design, it is singularly 
 pleasing to the majority of people. 
 
 Without requiring much mental or physical labor, 
 lovely results follow. Decorating in the " Dresden 
 style " makes no serious demands on one's ability 
 or experience, and, furthermore, can be quickly 
 accomplished. These considerations are not apt 
 to be forgotten. 
 
TINTING AND G R O U N D- L A Y I N G 
 
 There are two methods of covering china with a 
 solid color, either of a uniform or graduated tint. 
 
 One is called tinting, and the color is applied 
 wet ; that is, it is mixed with thick oil, turpentine, 
 and lavender or clove oil. The latter is preferable 
 if a large surface is to be covered. 
 
 The color, after having sufficient thick oil incor- 
 porated with it to make it pliable and manageable, 
 is then diluted with lavender-oil till it is of proper 
 consistency to apply in order to obtain the desired 
 shade. The more oil of lavender, the lighter will 
 be the color, and the more time will it allow of 
 being blended to a uniform tint. 
 
 A large brush is used, the color laid on as 
 quickly as possible, to prevent its drying un- 
 equally, and long, rapid strokes are necessary. 
 
 It will by no means present a smooth, even tint 
 149 
 
150 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 until it is made so by the dexterous use of a 
 blender ; but this inequality of tint need not dis- 
 tress any one, as the blender, be it a brush or 
 pad, will soften out all previous brush-marks, and 
 smooth it beautifully even. It will also remove 
 more or less color, for which an allowance should 
 be made. 
 
 Graduated tints are produced by applying the 
 same color in different degrees or depths of tint. 
 
 Another method, whereby stronger effects are 
 obtained, is where two, or perhaps more, colors are 
 introduced in their several successive shades, and 
 blending to form a graduated effect. For instance, 
 silver yellow, yellow brown, and brown No. J and 
 brown No. 4 will furnish a fine range of graduated 
 tints, from a pale yellow, through a series of inter- 
 mediate tones, to a deep, dark brown. There is 
 a wide margin for individual selection, and vary- 
 ing degrees of intensity are easily obtained. 
 
 Carnation, deep red brown, and violet of iron, or 
 Vandyke brozvn, is another good combination. 
 
 Yellozv for mixing, and stone emerald green, olive 
 green, brown green, shading green, and green No. f 
 will form a chromatic scale of greens. 
 
 Moss green J at top of a cup, and light violet of 
 gold or carmine at the bottom, is another blend- 
 ing of tints sometimes seen. So also is deep bine 
 green and carmine. 
 
TINTING AND GROUND-LAYING I 5 I 
 
 To be able to blend one color into another with- 
 out injuring either tint will be found useful in the 
 painting of flowers, fruit, fish, sunset skies, and 
 be serviceable in many other instances aside from 
 tinting. 
 
 Tinting is in itself comparatively an easy task. 
 No special skill is required, beyond a certain knack 
 in the handling. It is never a very artistic per- 
 formance, though frequently a necessary one ; and 
 a certain dexterity is decidedly of advantage. 
 
 Ground-laying is where the color is dusted on, 
 being applied while in the form of a dry pow- 
 der, on a previously prepared surface. There is a 
 special vehicle or medium for this purpose, called 
 "grounding-oil." It is a thick, heavy, varnish-like 
 substance ; and although possessing a dark brown 
 color in even a small body, when diluted with tur- 
 pentine, ready for use, so little is apparent that it 
 generally has to have a trifle of lampblack added, 
 in order to see when it has been equally distrib- 
 uted over the surface to be tinted. The lamp- 
 black burns away. 
 
 Pour a little of the grounding-oil in a saucer, 
 and add enough turpentine to allow free and easy 
 manipulation. Without turpentine it would be 
 rather troublesome to manage, as it has a sticky 
 body. The paler the tint is to be, the more tur- 
 pentine is to be added. 
 
A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 When all is in readiness, with a flat brush paint 
 the china with the prepared grounding-oil. No 
 special haste is required, but it must be applied 
 smoothly and evenly. 
 
 To be certain of obtaining a uniformity in the 
 distribution of this oil, use a pad to blend with, 
 and the advantage of previously coloring the oil 
 with lampblack is immediately perceptible. 
 
 If this oil be uneven, and thicker in some places 
 than in others, the color will appear uneven when 
 fired. 
 
 When a perfectly smooth, even surface is pre- 
 sented, set the article aside for a while, until it be- 
 comes in a "tacky" condition. When it reaches 
 this state, do not be tempted to touch it ; it will 
 surely leave a defect. 
 
 At the time of applying this grounding-oil, apply 
 some also on a separate piece of china, which can 
 repeatedly be touched, till assured it is in proper 
 condition to dust the color on. This sometimes 
 requires five or ten minutes, sometimes several 
 hours. It depends on the state of the oil, the 
 amount and condition of the turpentine, and the 
 atmospheric conditions. When it has become dry 
 enough to be just right to receive the color, it will 
 not make the color moist nor damp. 
 
 Have the color out loose on a china tile or plate, 
 and with a ball or wad of fine raw cotton, dip into 
 
TINTING AND GROUND-LAYING I 53 
 
 it, and lift it from the tile or plate, and very lightly 
 apply, by letting it fall where it has been prepared 
 to receive it. Sufficient will adhere to produce the 
 desired result, and no more. The superfluous pow- 
 der may be lightly brushed or blown off. 
 
 In applying the color to the china with the cot- 
 ton charged with color, care must be taken that no 
 part of the cotton touches the china without the 
 intervening powder. Contact would mar the effect. 
 Neither must color be rubbed on. It must be 
 applied by the lightest touch imaginable, and with 
 a slight rotary motion of the cotton keep the 
 color well in front of it. After it is entirely cov- 
 ered, gently dust off the superfluous color with a 
 flat camel's-hair brush. After this is accomplished 
 satisfactorily, set the article so decorated aside, 
 beyond the possibility of mishap. It takes some 
 time to become dry and hard, and during this time 
 is liable to be injured by the slightest contact. 
 These accidents are irreparable. 
 
 Tinting by this means has several advantages 
 over the moist tinting. The full depth of the color 
 can be gained in one firing; and since it requires 
 some little time to dry, designs can be cleaned out 
 very easily. For instance, a part of a plate may be 
 so tinted, with a scroll extending irregularly across 
 one-half of it. It is then quite an easy matter to 
 continue the design directly across this bit of 
 
154 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 color, as the color is very readily removed. A 
 piece of cotton wrapped firmly around the point 
 of a stick will clean off every trace of color thor- 
 oughly. Color so applied can be graduated in tint 
 by adding more turpentine where the color is to 
 decrease in strength. 
 
 A complete list of colors prepared especially for 
 tinting and ground-laying can be seen by refer- 
 ring to the color pages. These are all used for this 
 purpose except the last, permanent yellow, which is 
 a relief color ; that is, it is used to simulate the 
 stamens, as seen in the centre of wild roses, and 
 so forth. These grounding-colors are well fluxed, 
 and will glaze if applied only in a thin wash ; but 
 if painting colors are substituted, they require addi- 
 tional fluxing, if they are to be applied very thin 
 as a tint. Gold bud is a strong, brilliant color. 
 Celadon and maise are prime favorites. Isabella 
 and Chinese yellow are useful, as their colors are 
 not too pronounced to conflict with any other color. 
 
 Coral red should pay but one visit to the kiln. 
 
HEADS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 Figure-painting is the highest branch of art. 
 Very many who can acquire the art of painting 
 flowers on china, and can accomplish various other 
 decorations quite acceptably, fail utterly when at- 
 tempting a head, especially if it be a portrait. 
 
 It requires special adaptability. This includes, 
 primarily, aptness, then training, and finally expe- 
 rience. 
 
 It is by no means an easy task. 
 
 The first, and probably the most important, thing 
 to do, before applying color, is to secure an abso- 
 lutely correct drawing on the china. It should be 
 done with india ink, very delicately, and should 
 be strictly accurate in every particular. 
 
 i55 
 
i 5 6 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 If this drawing is not perfect in each and every 
 detail, the painting will be a failure. 
 
 Faultless outlines furnish the key-note of the 
 subsequent work ; and if this essential feature 
 cannot be an assured fact in advance of color, 
 figure-work should be left severely alone. 
 
 A careless drawing or tracing invariably results 
 in irretrievable failure, unless one has had sufficient 
 experience and training to know exactly how to cor- 
 rect errors in drawing. 
 
 This ability requires not only skilful drawing 
 and cultivated perceptive faculties, but a knowl- 
 edge of anatomy. But how few who paint china 
 are wrlling to go through a systematic course of 
 serious study of the human figure, and become 
 familiar with muscles, joints, bones, etc., before 
 attempting to paint ! Those who are indifferent to 
 the advantages derived from previous preparation, 
 usually turn out indifferent work, and fancy that 
 others are just as oblivious to imperfections as 
 themselves. Now, while ignorance is to be de- 
 plored as a misfortune rather than a fault, there 
 exists no reasonable, nor even possible, excuse for 
 cultivating it ; and surely those who persist in 
 perpetuating deformities and malformations on 
 china, not only ostentatiously exhibit their igno- 
 rance, but at the same time expose their egotism 
 to an unwarrantable degree. 
 
HEADS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 I 57 
 
 It is to labor under a very serious mistake to 
 repudiate the first principles of art and laws of 
 nature, the culminating point of which is reached 
 in the vain idea that it passes unobserved if cen- 
 sure and criticism are withheld. 
 
 If these same efforts were with equal energy 
 directed in a better channel and more worthy 
 cause, it would eventually prove a more profitable 
 investment. No one ever regretted time and la- 
 bor bestowed in serious study. Those who excuse 
 themselves from this, from whatever motive, are 
 culpably negligent in cultivating any latent talent 
 they may possess. 
 
 Little chubby Cupids and cherubs, in whatever 
 attitude or occupation they are depicted, are inva- 
 riably a source of admiration, and form a pleasing 
 ornament for almost every article of china. 
 
 Carefully drawn and painted, they are truly a 
 delightful decoration, and are universally a favor- 
 ite and appropriate design. 
 
 But alas ! the monstrosities too often seen are 
 anything but a pleasure to behold. 
 
 Their involuntary infirmities are so manifest 
 that the revelation rather excites sympathy and 
 commiseration than pleasure. Nor is this pity 
 restricted to the grotesque little creatures ; but it 
 is extended to where it rightfully belongs, — their 
 creators. 
 
158 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Poor little knock-kneed, cross-eyed, bloated, and 
 dropsical specimens ! Generally utterly divested 
 of every vestige of bone, muscle, and joints, and 
 stuffed with cotton instead. 
 
 Fingers and toes are recklessly added or omitted 
 — a few more or less apparently a matter of no 
 consequence — and with an utter disregard to any 
 regularity as to size, shape, and proportion. 
 
 And as though these deformities were not suf- 
 ficiently harrowing, another torture is usually in- 
 flicted, — that of compelling these little parboiled 
 creatures to wear wigs ! The most superficial 
 examination reveals this fact. 
 
 Handicapped with all these disfigurements, these 
 freaks continue to thrive and multiply, and are 
 offered for admiration, for exhibition, for sale ; 
 and adverse criticism is resented by the perpetra- 
 tors as a personal offence. 
 
 This severe criticism, by no means without 
 ample justification, is given to demonstrate the 
 necessity of the extreme caution and accuracy 
 required in obtaining a correct drawing in advance 
 of painting Cupids, or any human form. 
 
 It is immaterial by what method this end is 
 attained, whether by freehand drawing, or tracing, 
 but it is imperative. After the drawing, the next 
 thing is the preparation of the palette. 
 
 While asserting no superiority in the method of 
 
HE/IDS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 159 
 
 mixing and applying flesh tints herewith given 
 over those of others, it is claimed to be thoroughly 
 reliable, and, after many years' experience and 
 tests, has invariably given satisfactory results. 
 
 It is not difficult of comprehension, is easily 
 applied, and its absence of any complicated fea- 
 tures justifies its recommendation to beginners. 
 This does not militate in the slightest degree 
 against others arriving at same results by different 
 means. 
 
 In selecting a subject to commence on, it is 
 advisable to obtain a good colored study, rather 
 than a black-and-white picture, from which to 
 work. 
 
 By following the directions, however, it will be 
 just as easy ultimately to work from a simple out- 
 line as a shaded picture ; but at first it would be 
 better to become familiar with the treatment by 
 having an excellent colored picture to copy. It 
 will afterwards be comparatively easy to utilize a 
 black-and-white study or photograph as a model, 
 knowing well where the separate shades belong. 
 
 A profile is rather an easier subject than a full 
 face, and it is advisable not to commence on a 
 small head. One about three or four inches in 
 length will teach the manipulation better than a 
 very small one. 
 
 It is a mistake to suppose a very small head is 
 
l6o A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 easy to paint on account of its size, or that the 
 smaller the head the less the amount of labor to be 
 bestowed upon it. While to a limited extent this 
 may be true, the large head admits of greater free- 
 dom in handling, and breadth in treatment of de- 
 tail ; and this freedom could never be acquired if 
 efforts were entirely confined to wee, small faces. 
 While, on the contrary, a perfect familiarity in the 
 painting of a large head is most valuable assistance 
 in the painting of a miniature. 
 
 Another note of warning must be sounded. As 
 a first experiment, avoid a portrait or any well- 
 known subject. The variation of a hair's breadth 
 is fatal to the first, and the most insignificant 
 change becomes pronounced and prominent by 
 comparison if a hackneyed subject be imperfectly 
 portrayed. A simple fancy or ideal head, one 
 devoid of complicated accessories in the way of 
 draperies, is preferable to any other on which to 
 begin. 
 
 The colors necessary for flesh are carnation No. 
 I, ivory yellow, yellow for mixing, deep blue green, 
 violet of iron, brown M., or 108, sky blue, pearl 
 gray, yellow brown, warm gray, gray No. 2, neutral 
 gray, and flux. Their preparation consists in pro- 
 ducing by their combination a local flesh color, a 
 warm shadow tint, and a cool shadow tint. 
 
 First, squeeze out a very small quantity of car- 
 
HEADS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 161 
 
 nation, and add to it about one-third flux and a 
 drop or two of fat oil. Dip the end of the palette 
 knife in the lavender, and with what oil clings to 
 it rub and thoroughly mix these two ingredients. 
 Then divide and place one-half at the top of the 
 tile ; this is for lips, cheeks, and, if a Cupid is to be 
 painted, all extremities, like fingers, toes, elbows, 
 knees, which generally take on a rosy hue. 
 
 To the balance add an equal quantity of ivory 
 yellow and yellow for mixing. While it might 
 make no difference in subsequent results if inad- 
 vertently too great a proportion of ivory yellow 
 were used, it would very materially change matters 
 if an excess of yellow for mixing were allowed. 
 
 It is well to be careful, and to avoid dangerous 
 consequences ; err on the safe side by having too 
 little rather than too much yellow for mixing when 
 adding it to red. 
 
 With a little lavender, thoroughly incorporate 
 these three colors into one tint, — that of the 
 local flesh color. Place this beside the fluxed car- 
 nation. 
 
 Next make the warm shadow tint by mixing in 
 the same manner equal portions of deep blue green, 
 violet of iron, and brown M., or 108. 
 
 Then take equal portions of sky blue and pearl 
 gray to make the cool shadow tint. 
 
 With these as a foundation, and judicious mix- 
 
1 62 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 I 
 
 ing, any complexion may be represented, and any 
 subject painted, irrespective of the particular light 
 and shadow in which it is seen. 
 
 A man's face is usually painted stronger in color 
 than a woman's ; and a Cupid's is more pink than 
 either, and has a larger proportion of carnation in 
 its composition. 
 
 With a large brush and the least possible color 
 go rapidly over the entire face. All irregularities 
 in color and brush-marks are easily obliterated by 
 blending ; use first a brush and then a pad. 
 
 It must be a pale, delicate, uniform tint, but 
 must not be padded till dry, as the modelling must 
 be done before it dries, or it cannot be done at all 
 without considerable trouble and some experience 
 in dealing with this difficulty. It will save much 
 time, labor, and subsequent disappointment, if it 
 becomes too dry to continue, to wipe this first 
 wash off entirely and begin anew, after adding 
 more lavender-oil. 
 
 In order to satisfactorily accomplish the model- 
 ling, — ■ that is, to blend into this laid local flesh 
 tint the shadow tints where they belong in broad 
 masses, — -the color must be kept "open," and oil 
 is the only medium. 
 
 Too much oil is as bad as not enough, as it will 
 accumulate unsightly specks of dust before drying. 
 Two or three failures will abundantly exemplify 
 
HEADS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 163 
 
 these errors, and will prove of more real advantage 
 than a dozen printed pages. 
 
 Knowing the cause of failures, it is easy to avoid 
 them in future. To possess a realizing sense of 
 the original source of the trouble is equivalent to 
 rectifying it. 
 
 While this local flesh tint is still in good con- 
 dition, with a small blender brush slightly tinged 
 with the pure carnation (fluxed), blend in the addi- 
 tional color on the cheeks, with just a suspicion 
 on the chin, and the lobe of the ear if visible. 
 
 This must be accomplished quickly and nicely. 
 Use but little color, and that little where it be- 
 longs, and not over the entire cheek. It must 
 fade away imperceptibly into the local flesh color. 
 Then, with a similar brush rubbed into the warm 
 shadow tint, apply wherever indicated in broad 
 masses ; and between this and the local flesh color, 
 and applied in the same manner, comes the inter- 
 mediary tone, the cool shadow tint, that is to 
 unite them into one gradually deepened shadow. 
 
 This cool shadow tint is also used on the temples 
 and at the roots of the hair on the forehead, on 
 the receding surface of the nose, and to model 
 the chin. 
 
 It is almost impossible to go further into details 
 on a purely imaginary head, and at the same time 
 be sufficiently general to cover other cases. 
 
164 4 MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 The dark shadow must never extend to the 
 edge of that side of the face in shadow. Rotun- 
 dity can only be expressed by the introduction of 
 a half-tone reflected light. It is, indeed, the same 
 principle that is so easily demonstrated in any 
 opaque, spherical object, if placed on a polished 
 surface. 
 
 This reflected light on a face is indicated with 
 yellow brown; and it may extend under the chin 
 to where it meets and connects with the light. 
 
 A tinge of yellow light is also present under the 
 eyebrows and under the nostrils. 
 
 It is attention to all these minute, though neces- 
 sary, details that reveals skill and labor ; and their 
 absence betrays unequivocally the crude attempts 
 of the amateur. 
 
 Wipe out any evidence of color that has spread 
 over the eyes and mouth during the blending or 
 padding, and paint them in with a small brush. If 
 the iris of the eyes is blue, use deep blue green ; 
 if gray, use gray No. 2 and neutral gray ; if black, 
 use black brown. Never use black, not even for 
 the pupil of the eye, but use neutral gray. 
 
 The iris of the eye must always be shaded with 
 regard to the light in which it is viewed. Some- 
 times a strong reflected light is visible, and some- 
 times it is entirely in shadow. Before the color 
 dries, take a pointed stick, — a toothpick will do, — 
 
HEADS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 I6 5 
 
 and moisten between the lips, and with one touch 
 remove the color where the sight of the eye is 
 indicated. The sight is the highest point of light, 
 and gives a bright, intelligent, liquid look, seen in 
 youth, and without which a sad, sombre, dull ex- 
 pression takes its place. 
 
 Under the eyelids use gray No. 2, and shade 
 the white of the eye slightly with the cool shadow 
 tint. Add a mere touch of carnation in the corner 
 nearest the nose. Under the eyes is faintly dis- 
 cernible a violet tinge, which may be made by add- 
 ing a little warm gray to the cool shadow tint. 
 
 The lips are painted with carnation shaded with 
 gray No. 2 ; and perhaps a touch of violet of iron 
 may be required if a strong shadow is seen. 
 
 This first painting must be kept as delicate as 
 possible. Nowhere must there appear any strong 
 color or harsh lines. The mouth and eyes must 
 be soft on the edges or outlines ; and though every 
 feature should be definitely formed, there should 
 be no evidence of sharpness. 
 
 The local color for the hair may next be washed 
 in. This is best done by a simple mass of light 
 and shade, and with but little, if any, detail. 
 
 No blending is permissible in the painting of 
 hair. The brush-marks must follow the direction 
 the hair takes from the crown of the head. Use 
 the color a trifle dry, and press the brush down in it 
 
1 66 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 until the hairs spread out in a somewhat indepen- 
 dent fashion, separate and free from each other. 
 
 Lift the brush without disturbing this condition, 
 and with it paint the hair. It will be found to indi- 
 cate the object in a better and easier manner than 
 any other method. 
 
 Ochre and sepia will form a good foundation for 
 light hair. Shade with black, neutral gray, or black 
 brown. These, with brown No. 4, chestnut brown, 
 and pearl gray, are sufficient for every variety and 
 color of hair. Sometimes for black hair a very blue 
 tone is required in the highest lights ; then a touch 
 of sky blue or air blue may be added to neutral 
 gray to produce this effect. 
 
 The eyebrows are painted with the same color as 
 the hair. For the first firing, however, but little 
 more is required than simply indicating them. 
 And it is altogether unwise to try and paint the 
 eyelashes at this stage of the work. Having ac- 
 complished this much in an almost flat, free treat- 
 ment, it may now be carried to a much higher 
 degree of finish by means of stippling. 
 
 The same colors are used, and too great caution 
 cannot be exercised in the correct accomplishment 
 of this process. Very little color and dainty touches 
 are requisite, and there is an amount of nicety in 
 the manipulation that is only acquired by patient 
 practice and perseverance. 
 
HEADS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 167 
 
 By this means a few little strengthening touches 
 may be added before firing; but if any doubt exists 
 as to the stippling being well done, it had better 
 not be undertaken until after firing. In that event, 
 if not accomplished perfectly, and to one's entire 
 satisfaction, it may be washed off, and done again, 
 and all the labor undergone for the first firing will 
 not be in vain ; for after an article is fired, the 
 second painting may be applied and washed off 
 repeatedly without disturbing the original work. 
 
 Before having it fired, glance it over thoroughly, 
 critically ; if it fails to satisfy expectation, there 
 should be no hesitation in cleaning it all off, and 
 trying again. It is the only way. It is worse than 
 useless to continue, hoping to redeem a bad piece 
 of work at the next painting. Decorators should 
 not deceive themselves by thinking that any per- 
 ceptible defects will pass unnoticed, nor are they 
 excusable on the plea that it is the first attempt. 
 On the contrary, every successive firing renders 
 them even more pronounced. 
 
 The instant an apology of any kind is necessary, 
 depend upon it, there is something radically wrong. 
 " It is pretty good for the first attempt," or "for a 
 beginner " usually means it is pretty bad. In this 
 case no one should be lacking in courage to erase 
 it, and do it over again. 
 
 After firing, the same process of applying color 
 
A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 is pursued until finished. This may be in two, 
 three, or four firings ; and perhaps five firings may 
 be necessary. 
 
 The quality of the work depends entirely upon 
 the fineness of the stippling, especially in minia- 
 ture work. A large head may receive broader 
 treatment, and fine effects be executed, without 
 resorting to much stippling. 
 
 In order to portray thin, transparent, white dra- 
 pery over a nude figure, the flesh is painted consid- 
 erably paler than that which is exposed, and then 
 the high lights, as produced by folds of drapery, 
 are made by wiping off with a clean brush the 
 color where necessary. 
 
 Sharp, crisp, high lights may be reserved to be 
 taken out when dry. 
 
 The white china may then be delicately shaded 
 by soft gray tones, and the effect is complete. 
 
 Other draperies are to be painted first with 
 the local color very thinly applied, to produce the 
 palest shade of the lightest parts. The lights 
 and shadows are to be massed in without regard 
 to detail ; but in a general way they indicate the 
 folds, and preserve half-tones and reflected lights. 
 
 Different fabrics demand different treatment, to 
 represent the material or texture, so all kinds can- 
 not be painted alike. This must be thought out 
 in advance. 
 
HEADS, FIGURES, CUPIDS 
 
 169 
 
 Backgrounds should be considered, and kept sub- 
 ordinate to the figure, and may be left till after 
 the first firing to be painted ; or the background 
 may be painted first, before the head. In either 
 way, there must be no harsh line between the head 
 or figure and the background ; one must be soft- 
 ened into the other. The color of the background 
 may join and encroach a trifle on the flesh, hair, 
 or drapery, to avoid any strong line of demarca- 
 tion between the two ; and yet they must be kept 
 separate and distinct, as it is very easy to muss 
 and muddy up flesh tints. 
 
 Where the hair floats out over a background, it 
 must be kept very soft, and partake somewhat of 
 the background tones. In painting the hair, it 
 must be brushed into the background, as though 
 pushing out the background in front of the brush 
 to make room for the hair. A broad, flat, clean 
 brush, slightly moistened with lavender, can ac- 
 complish this effect with a light touch, and almost 
 with one sweep of the brush. 
 
 Hands are always difficult to the amateur. Each 
 finger and finger-nail has to be modelled, joints, 
 knuckles, and dimples indicated ; and these sepa- 
 rate delineations all to bear relation to the whole 
 hand. 
 
 Unless one is fully qualified to prevent failure, 
 and anticipate happy results, subjects should be 
 
170 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 chosen where the hands and bare feet are not in 
 evidence. 
 
 There is another method of painting small heads 
 or figures, such as Cupids ; and perhaps it would be 
 rather easier for a beginner who is copying from 
 a black-and-white picture. This is to model first 
 in gray tones, and apply local color after firing. 
 It is simply reversing the previous method. If 
 this is done, there can be no better way than to 
 use Brunswick black, and qualify it with warm 
 gray, a touch of carnation, and yellow brown. 
 These combinations will produce several desirable 
 shades, cool, warm, and intermediate, and must be 
 placed on the figure where they belong, as the 
 light and shade fall. Where the clear tones of 
 flesh color are to appear, keep free from any sus- 
 picion of gray tones. Have the china white until 
 after it is fired, then wash in the flesh tint. 
 
 If any jewellery is to be represented, never be 
 tempted to apply gold ; it would be entirely too 
 realistic, besides exceedingly inartistic, vulgar, and 
 in execrable taste. Gold must be simulated by 
 color, a bright though light shade of yellow, shaded 
 with chestnut brown or yellozv broivn, and a touch 
 of neutral gray with brown No. J. 
 
DECORATION OF 
 TABLEWARE 
 
 Inappropriate decoration is especially 
 inexcusable on articles of tableware ; 
 for nowhere is it more noticeable and 
 offensive. 
 
 It is usually more the result of 
 thoughtlessness than ignorance. A 
 certain amount of harmony should pre- 
 vail as to design and treatment, and the designs 
 should be rather more suggestive than an effort at 
 realism. While the tea and coffee plant would 
 be suitable for respectively a tea and coffee pot, 
 a beefsteak or fried eggs would be an absurd dec- 
 oration ( ? ) for a platter in the regulation break- 
 fast set. And while clover blossoms and bees 
 would be a pleasing decoration on a honey-jar, 
 caterpillars on a muffin-dish, because " it is the 
 grub that makes the butter fly," would be entirely 
 too realistic to be agreeable. 
 
 171 
 
172 A MANUAL FOR CHIN A-P A INTERS 
 
 On fancy articles, however, such as are made for 
 the desk and toilet-table, and many other trifles 
 made more for ornament than actual utility, a 
 diversity of decoration is allowable, and almost 
 any ordinary unique or picturesque effect be suit- 
 able. Even the wildest flights of fancy may be 
 indulged without going beyond the boundary of 
 a fitting decoration, although an extravagant use 
 of ornament is to be avoided at all times. 
 
 Anything overloaded with ornament and color, or 
 gold, becomes conspicuous ; and the design ceases 
 to have its true place and value as a decoration-: 
 On the contrary, it is apt to be regarded as some- 
 thing entirely apart from, and not in conjunction 
 with, the article itself. 
 
 If a person is particularly clever in any one 
 special decoration or motive, it is advisable to 
 apply it to only those articles to which it is suit- 
 able, and not to decorate everything promiscuously 
 with the same design, as though the idea had 
 been copyrighted, and was being worked for all 
 it was worth. 
 
 Another defective decoration is where a princi- 
 pal ornament is divided, or comes to an abrupt 
 termination while incomplete, by a projection or 
 edge, as in the broken shoulder of a plate or 
 vase. It is one of the impossibilities sometimes 
 attempted by the amateur who knows no better ; 
 
DECORATION OF TABLE IV ARE 1 73 
 
 but it is one of the most pronounced faults in 
 decoration, and loudly proclaims a lack of knowl- 
 edge of the "eternal fitness " of things in general, 
 and of china-painting in particular. 
 
 * Another fault of the novice is to have a floral 
 design spring from the extreme edge of the plate 
 or saucer, i 
 
 Stems should not start from this outer edge, but 
 should be gracefully curved well within the edge, 
 and have the circular trend of the article. Even 
 where a straight, stiff growing plant is selected as 
 the subject, some graceful lines may be imparted, 
 even though liberties be taken with its natural 
 formation. 
 
 A realistic treatment of the growth of the stalks 
 of the lily, or fleur-de-lis, is quite permissible on a 
 tall vase or umbrella stand ; but a reduction of 
 this same design would be altogether out of place 
 on a small round plate. Therefore, not only must 
 the motive be appropriate, — and perhaps affording 
 a suggestion, — but, what is of equal importance, 
 it must be arranged in an artistic manner. First 
 decide on a subject for the design, and then adapt 
 it according to the space it is to occupy ; and it is 
 worse than useless, besides a waste of time, to try 
 and make a square design fit a round space, or an 
 oblong design satisfactorily fill a triangle. 
 
 Another requirement is the appropriateness of 
 
174 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PA INTERS 
 
 the decoration, in direct relation to the object for 
 which the article is to be used ; and while this 
 does not necessarily mean to paint cows on milk- 
 pitchers, yet some discrimination must be exer- 
 cised in painting a table service, and something 
 else is required beyond the design that simply 
 indicates by illustration the intention of the article 
 in question. Decoration is not intended to be an 
 ornamental label. 
 
 SOUP PLATES 
 
 In decorating a set of soup-plates, the design, if 
 a floral one, should be a conventional arrangement, 
 and confined strictly to the edge or border of the 
 plate. A realistic treatment of flowers or figures 
 is not regarded with favor, owing to a certain 
 degree of incongruity in eating a possible bisque 
 of lobster from the petals of a wild rose, or in 
 beholding Cupids disporting themselves in a pool 
 of consomme. 
 
 The very best decoration for this service is a 
 geometrical design, which may include a set figure 
 or monogram in the middle of the plate, and the 
 border. 
 
 Any color desired may be introduced in this con- 
 nection ; and the design may be as intricate and 
 elaborate as one chooses, and may be enhanced 
 
DECORATION OF TABLEWARE 175 
 
 with enamels or raised pastework, or both. In 
 obedience to a passing fashion at present in vogue, 
 an irregular border of some solid color, outlined 
 with relief paste, and introducing some graceful 
 scrolls and latticework, would be appropriate. The 
 solid color may conform to symmetrical figures at 
 regular intervals, or take on as fantastic shapes as 
 fancy suggests. 
 
 When a solid color is employed, it is also prefer- 
 able to have the entire set of any service, from 
 soup-dishes to after-dinner coffees, of one uniform 
 tint, rather than a heterogeneous mingling of 
 various colors. 
 
 Some years ago this sort of thing, that resem- 
 bles nothing else so much as crazy patchwork, 
 was indulged in by a few who apparently thought 
 it a matter of congratulation to possess a set 
 of cups and saucers where " no two were alike." 
 The name "harlequin" was quite appropriately 
 applied to such sets. 
 
 But by degrees people began to realize how 
 strongly such a set savored of " job lots," and 
 abandoned the idea. 
 
 Any one can have a lot of odds and ends col- 
 lected at random, or the remnants of previous sets 
 saved from the total wreck of the rest of the set ; 
 but to own a complete unbroken set of cups and 
 saucers that have been decorated with a given 
 
176 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 and visible motive is decidedly more elegant and 
 refined. 
 
 There are, to be sure, exceptional cases, where 
 such historical or other value is placed upon china, 
 that it is even deemed a privilege to eat or drink 
 from it. But for the average tableware, a set of 
 any one of the courses should possess some uni- 
 formity, either in the design, color scheme, or 
 treatment. There is a wide latitude even here to 
 permit a departure from monotony ; for unless a 
 geometrical design is employed, there can be quite 
 a diversity of ideas, all ringing the changes on one 
 subject. 
 
 The selection of one particular blossom as a 
 motive will allow it to be depicted in every form 
 possible. Or one color may be used entirely, 
 and thus introduce many flowers of that color. 
 
 A monochrome style only limits the color, not 
 the design. 
 
 But there should exist some similarity, some con- 
 necting link, by which the motive is recognized, 
 and that holds the several pieces together. 
 
 There are many articles of tableware that in 
 style and shape suggest the treatment. For in- 
 stance, a Louis XV. calls for rococo scrolls, and a 
 Louis XVI. seems to demand floral festoons, while 
 an Empire shape requires a more severely classic 
 and dignified treatment. The only outside orna- 
 
DECORATION OF TABLE IV A RE I J J 
 
 ment that could appropriately be introduced would 
 be an Egyptian motive, like the favorite lotus 
 for example. 
 
 Entre and dessert plates are susceptible of any 
 style of decoration, and may be as elaborate as one 
 fancies. 
 
 If the entre is served in a separate dish, shell, or 
 ramikin, for instance, any pictorial or picturesque 
 ornamentation is permissible. One of the favorite 
 decorations is the court beauties of Marie Antoi- 
 nette's time, or the queens of England. 
 
 Cupids are a charming subject, and raised paste- 
 work, jewels, and enamels may be used ad libitum. 
 
 These latter decorations are out of place on 
 plates where a knife and fork are used. 
 
 Single dishes for olives, bonbons, radishes, salted 
 almonds, etc., may be treated in any style, save 
 one, and that is a realistic repetition of the afore- 
 said articles. The comparison is never agreeable 
 between real olives and radishes and their pic- 
 tured duplicates. On the contrary, a cider pitcher 
 should be ornamented with branches and clusters 
 of apples, and a pitcher for lemonade with lemons. 
 A tankard may be decorated with the hop-vine or 
 grapes, and either be appropriate. It depends 
 upon its ultimate use. But here the intention is 
 significant, and does not conflict with the natural 
 object. The exterior decoration is simply indica- 
 
I78 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 tive of the contents, "the outward and visible 
 sign " of the interior. Wheat and rye form an 
 appropriate motive for the decoration of a bread- 
 plate ; hops also may be used as suitable, and all 
 may be treated either naturalistically or conven- 
 tionally. But cucumbers on a pickle-dish is too 
 great an attempt at realism. 
 
 While all pictorial effects are to be avoided on 
 plates, dishes, etc., that are to contain food, almost 
 any decoration one fancies is permissible on cups 
 and saucers, because the decoration here does not 
 come in direct contact with the contents, and the 
 ornamentation is not obscured as it is on plates 
 when in use. There are numerous articles for 
 table use, where the decoration must, of necessity, 
 be outside, or where it does not conflict with the 
 things more material. On such articles, and on 
 the innumerable pieces of furniture for toilet, desk, 
 etc., including smoking-sets, and many boxes and 
 baskets, no restriction on the style of decoration 
 is placed. 
 
FISH SERVICE 
 
 Fish have long been a favorite subject of deco- 
 ration for this course of the dinner ; but it is in 
 questionable taste. 
 
 A simple design of shells and seaweeds and 
 mosses, including the accompanying water effects, 
 are more appropriate, because these are the legiti- 
 mate resting-places for fish. This motive is equally 
 suitable for oysters and other crustaceans, and also 
 for a salad service, especially if the salad be lob- 
 ster, shrimp, crab, or other shellfish. 
 
 Marine views, including some arrangement of a 
 seine, also suggest a suitable decoration. Some- 
 times the fish-net may be done in flat gold directly 
 over and irrespective of the rest of the design. 
 
 Emblematic devices, such as anchors, chains, 
 ropes, bits of coral, oars, and fishing-tackle are 
 quite in keeping, and may be introduced in many 
 fanciful forms, if not on the main body of the or- 
 namentation, then as a border. 
 
 179 
 
180 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 If these are modelled in relief with raised paste 
 on a border, they prove quite decorative. 
 
 Small shells are easily accessible, and can readily 
 be reproduced. It certainly requires no especial 
 talent to copy these direct from the natural object. 
 The outlines are few, and shells are usually of 
 simple construction. 
 
 A few cents will purchase all that are necessary 
 from which to model an entire fish service, as they 
 can be arranged and rearranged many times with a 
 corresponding variety. One or two with a pink 
 lining, and the dark shell of the mussel, are almost 
 necessary in the collection ; the rest may be left to 
 individual selection, but may include some bright 
 colors and iridescent effects. In fact, there is 
 a wide margin in selecting as to form, size, and 
 color ; and the latter may always with advantage 
 be exaggerated. 
 
 A small group of two or three are all-sufficient, 
 with some tall, graceful grasses and a few floating 
 weeds. 
 
 First paint in the sky effect with a very pale 
 blue, with or without clouds ; this should not ex- 
 tend far beyond the shells, but fade off into the 
 china, near the edge of the plate. 
 
 The shells may come next in turn, but without 
 any detail, beyond indicating their form and color. 
 Leave the deepest accents for the second firing. 
 
FISH SERVICE 
 
 181 
 
 Then the water is painted in horizontally. Water 
 is usually a reflection of the sky tints, a little 
 grayer, perhaps, and, under certain conditions, a 
 trifle greener. With but very little color in the 
 brush, gently sweep it straight across. Let the 
 brush go directly over about one-quarter, or even 
 one-half, the shells, and they will instantly appear 
 as though that part were under water. Avoid any 
 pressure, or the color will be swept off the shells 
 with the brush ; but touch it so lightly that it does 
 not disturb the under tint. 
 
 The reflections are easily emphasized with a 
 few touches ; and the ripples are indicated by 
 removing the color, and leaving the white china 
 showing. 
 
 Tiny fish, and an occasional little crab, may be 
 introduced, but are details that may be omitted 
 with no appreciable loss in the design. The lob- 
 ster and crab must never be painted red, if seen 
 in their natural habitat, because they only assume 
 this brilliancy of color after they are boiled. 
 
 Seaweeds may be most admirably depicted with 
 carnation or carmine for the pale pink, and deep 
 red brown for darker touches, while the deepest 
 accents may be put in with violet of iron. This 
 latter color may be used very freely for seaweeds, 
 and will serve for the local color of several vari- 
 eties. Rose-leaf green and brown green No. 6 and 
 
1 82 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 shading green are good colors for the green weeds 
 and mosses. Yellow ochre, chestnut brown, brown 
 No. j, and brown No. 4 will give the more sober 
 tones. 
 
 To paint fish is not so difficult as many suppose. 
 If the knack has been acquired' of softly blending 
 one color into that of another, and still preserving 
 the colors in clear tones, the rest will be compar- 
 atively easy. 
 
 Fish look better in motion than in repose; be- 
 sides, in action they are capable of many graceful 
 curves that are preferable as a mere matter of 
 decoration to the straight-out fish, that, too fre- 
 quently, alas ! is a dead fish. 
 
 Most fish are modelled in soft, delicate silvery 
 grays, with sometimes color around the head and 
 gills and fins. Whatever color is indicated in the 
 particular fish being copied, that color must be 
 used. If yellow is not felt to be warm enough, 
 add some red. If the white of the china is too 
 cold, give it a thin wash of ivory yellow or silver 
 yellow or yellow brown, as the subject requires. 
 With a palette of pearl gray, royal Copenhagen 
 gray, neutral gray or Brunswick black, air blue or 
 deep blue green, chrome green and Russian green, 
 rose-leaf green, brown green No. 6, shading green or 
 black green No. 7, silver yellow or Albert's yellow, 
 yellow brown, brown No. J, brown No. 4, Vandyke 
 
GAME SET 
 
 l8 3 
 
 brown, violet of iron, and deep red drown, any kind 
 of fish designs may be painted. 
 
 Scales are indicated by thin lines of color, only 
 a trifle darker than local tint. 
 
 The sight or high light of the eye must be pre- 
 served at all hazards, or it will be indubitably a 
 dead fish; and a dead fish is to be avoided.* It 
 neither adds to the decoration nor to one's appe- 
 tite ; in fact, it is altogether very uninviting and 
 unattractive. 
 
 Fishes are only endurable when unmistakably 
 alive and in action. Therefore, about one-half of 
 the design (more or less is immaterial) should be 
 under the water, and a faint landscape may inter- 
 vene between the water-line and the sky. 
 
 GAME SET 
 
 A game set, it is decreed by fashion, consists of 
 a realistic treatment of edible animals and feath- 
 ered fowl, both wild and domestic, depicted in 
 their various haunts, occupations, and attitudes. 
 
 To paint such a set satisfactorily requires rather 
 more experience in the handling of the brush than 
 in the painting, for instance, of a floral design. 
 A happy rendition of fluffy feathers and brilliant 
 plumage is not easy of accomplishment ; and in- 
 stead of the soft, downy feathers, these delicate, 
 
184 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 dainty creatures are too often seen covered with 
 hairs and bristles. 
 
 Birds are a difficult subject for those who are 
 unable to paint without tracing the design in first, 
 as it is next to an impossibility to make a definite 
 outline and still preserve the softness around the 
 edges that the subject requires. Even with the 
 greatest of care it is difficult to avoid a certain 
 harshness. 
 
 The several features to be observed in depicting 
 birds are rotundity of form, anatomy, and the soft- 
 ness and smoothness of their plumage. The two 
 first mentioned attributes must be expressed in 
 treating other game, together with some other 
 genera] characteristics with which they are usually 
 identified. 
 
 To represent action in animal life necessitates a 
 knowledge of muscles, bones, and sinews required 
 in movement. It is presupposed, however, that the 
 amateur will not undertake to portray animals or 
 birds without a good model from which to copy. 
 If possible, a colored plate should be procured 
 that is reliable. This will set aside any doubts as 
 to the correct shades, and the amateur can judge 
 exactly what colors to use. 
 
 Game is usually depicted as in the midst of its 
 appropriate surroundings. That is, if a landscape, 
 it must be that with which that particular game is 
 
GAME SET 
 
 I8 5 
 
 associated, — in short, its habitat ; and, above all, 
 this should be subordinate to the principal motive 
 of the decoration. While this may be treated as 
 delicately and daintily as is possible, a just regard 
 for harmony and perspective must be observed. 
 
 To give undue prominence to the game, and to 
 give too vague and shadowy an aspect to the sur- 
 roundings with which it comes into immediate 
 contact, is a forced situation, neither natural nor 
 agreeable. 
 
 Thought and care must also be bestowed upon 
 proportion, as a conspicuous disparity in size pro- 
 claims the absence of all knowledge or respect for 
 the laws of perspective. To see a stag's antlers 
 tower to the tree-tops of the forest is absurd ; but 
 no less so than to see him alert and visibly startled 
 at what evidently is miles away, and entirely be- 
 yond even his keen sense of hearing. 
 
 Hunting emblems can be introduced very effect- 
 ively, either in connection with the main motive on 
 the border, or alone so as to contribute a pleasing 
 and adequate decoration for a game set. There 
 can be no mistake in the intention, and emblems 
 are to many preferable to realistic pictures. 
 
 It is a mooted question, open to discussion, 
 whether it can ever be regarded as in good taste to 
 paint natural objects in a realistic manner on dishes 
 intended ultimately to contain the actual article. 
 
1 86 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Symbolical devices convey the suggestion very 
 significantly, and without the introduction of any 
 discordant element. 
 
 However, those who wish to paint game may 
 make a selection from the following : pheasant, 
 partridge, teal, snipe, woodcock, ducks (of which 
 there are several varieties, wild and tame, as the 
 canvasback, mallard, and redhead), quail, grouse, 
 land-rail, wild turkey, wild geese, and chickens, 
 both wild (prairie) and domestic. Perhaps the 
 regular barnyard fowl and the peacock are as rich 
 in color for decorative purposes as anything. So 
 much for winged game. Other subjects chosen 
 are the wild boar, stag, deer, antelope, rabbits, 
 squirrels, and hares. Hunting-dogs are also used 
 on game-plates. 
 
 Most of the winged game is somewhat sober in 
 color, of quiet, low tones of brown, which vary 
 from a yellowish tint to dark hues. The colors 
 are at once apparent to the amateur. The pheas- 
 ant can have a tinge of violet of iron or deep picr- 
 ple on the breast, and touches of chrome green 
 on the neck. Teal have a few bright blue green 
 feathers in the wing, and chrome green will rep- 
 resent this brilliant effect. 
 
 Nearly all animals, birds, and insects partake 
 in a more or less degree of the same colors as 
 their haunts. This is a wise provision of Nature 
 
GAME SET 
 
 I8 7 
 
 for their protection ; from the polar bear, whose 
 safety lies in his resembling in color the eternal 
 snow of the Arctic region, to the radiant plumage 
 of the humming-bird, which allows it to flit in se- 
 curity from one brilliant-hued flower to another in 
 the tropical regions. Numerous instances abound, 
 but it would be a digression to continue them ; 
 but even a knowledge in the abstract of these 
 facts will prove both of interest and value in their 
 application. 
 
 The iridescent effects seen on the necks of some 
 wild game may be reproduced with a little care, 
 by touches of the clear, strong color indicated. It 
 may be a bright blue, — deep blue green ; or green, 
 — chrome green ; or purple, — deep violet of gold ; or 
 crimson, — ruby ; or a vivid red, — deep red brown. 
 These colors will combine well, and when in con- 
 tact one with the other produce gorgeous effects. 
 Discrimination should be exercised, however; for 
 very little of these brilliant, rich colors will give 
 striking effects. Harmony, rather than strong 
 contrasts, must be the aim. 
 
 It is better to keep color subdued, rather than 
 to exceed the quality and value that art requires 
 and nature demands. 
 
y, more troublesome for the 
 
 beginner to portray than 
 either the landscape or a floral design. 
 Especially will this be the case in the 
 
 /V smaller fruits and berries, such as the 
 
 blackberry. 
 
 The rotundity of the fruit must be 
 observed, and can only be expressed by 
 a proper arrangement of light and shade, 
 half-tones, and reflected lights. 
 An apple or an orange consists of one large 
 sphere, but a blackberry is composed of numer- 
 ous .spheres (seed-vessels) clustered together; and 
 not only must the rotundity of each one of these 
 spheres be preserved and represented, but when 
 taken together collectively they form another 
 spherical shape, — ■ that of the entire berry, which 
 demands a certain similar treatment. To depict 
 1 88 
 
FRUIT 
 
 fruit naturally requires a little thoughtful care, and 
 attention to a few details. 
 
 The light must come from the same direction ; 
 in other words, the reflected lights cannot be seen 
 on both sides at once, any more than the high 
 lights. Then, also, some fruit — grapes, for instance 
 — have a transmitted light, which, if properly ob- 
 served, considerably heightens the natural effect. 
 
 A transmitted light is where the strong rays of 
 light — sunshine — are conveyed directly through 
 the object. This may be observed to some extent 
 on a semi-opaque body, such as the thick leaf of 
 the rubber-plant, if placed in a strong sunlight, 
 and, in fact, on all flowers and leaves to a more or 
 less degree. But when the rays of the sun fall 
 upon a semi-transparent substance, like a grape, 
 the effect is very perceptible. It gives a richness 
 and a glow of color that otherwise the grapes 
 would not appear to possess. It renders them 
 mellow and juicy ; and they are at once converted 
 into something deliciously luscious, while the ab- 
 sence of this light deprives them somewhat of this 
 quality. 
 
 Not only is each separate grape to be consid- 
 ered, but as it affects the mass when it takes its 
 place in a bunch. 
 
 The same general style should be adhered to 
 when decorating a set of fruit-plates. If whole 
 
190 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 fruit is adopted, whole fruit should be seen on all 
 the pieces. Only whole fruit should be used for 
 decorative purposes. Cut or divided fruit is too 
 pictorial in effect to be exactly appropriate to the 
 exigencies of applied design. It would necessarily 
 involve the use of the largest of fruits, — pineapple, 
 shaddock, and melons ; and these would have to 
 be reduced out of all proportion. On the same 
 principle, bananas are to be tabooed. They are 
 not capable of being gracefully arranged ; and so 
 many others are, that they should be used in pref- 
 erence. Whether the design be placed in the 
 centre or on the edge of the plate, it matters not, 
 as it is a question entirely of individual selection ; 
 but there must be uniformity. 
 
 Another prevailing fashion is to allow both the 
 blossom and the ripe fruit to be seen together. 
 While this is seldom seen in nature, it is entirely 
 admissible from a decorative point of view. It 
 lends a certain variety that is attractive, while 
 not interfering with the original scheme ; that is, 
 it still remains strictly a fruit, and not a floral, de- 
 sign, if the blossoms are kept subordinate, as they 
 should be. 
 
 There is only one fruit in which this plan could 
 not be carried out, for it deviates from all others, 
 inasmuch as it does not mature from a blossom ; 
 and that is the fig. 
 
FRUIT 
 
 I 9 I 
 
 Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, goose- 
 berries, currants, and cherries are among the 
 small fruits suitable ; and oranges, lemons, pears, 
 peaches, apples, plums, and grapes are among the 
 larger fruits best adapted for plate decoration. 
 Some of these are frequently seen in several vari- 
 eties ; so that, in fact, it is quite an easy matter to 
 decorate a dozen plates, using either the berries 
 or the larger fruits entirely. For instance, purple 
 plums and green gages are two distinct varieties ; 
 and there are several more, with as many more 
 varieties of grapes, from which to select. 
 
 Blackberries admit of vast possibilities as a 
 motive for decoration ; for while essentially black, 
 they permit the introduction of considerable color, 
 while the blossom remains white. 
 
 The unripe berries are of a yellow green ; and 
 these, in turn, are red before they reach the ripe 
 stage, when they assume a rich, velvety black, 
 with reflected lights of crimson. Neutral gray 
 and sky blue will produce the lightest tones, stone 
 emerald green and yellow for mixing for the green 
 fruit, with touches of ycllozv broivn in the reflected 
 lights. Carnation will give the red tones, with 
 ivory yellozv for the lightest portions, and deep 
 purple for the crimson touches on the dark side 
 of the berry. A white spot in the china may 
 be left for the high light, or the color may be 
 
192 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 cleaned off with a toothjjick moistened between 
 the lips. 
 
 The foliage of the blackberry is very decorative, 
 especially in the autumn tints. They are then 
 very brilliant, turning from green into yellow, red, 
 and russet tints. They afford an abundant oppor- 
 tunity for color, aside from the decorative quality 
 of graceful form. 
 
 Strawberries may be painted with deep red brozvn 
 and silver yellow, shaded with violet of iron and 
 deep blue green. 
 
 Raspberries may be represented with carnation 
 and ivory yellow, shaded with orange and deep blue 
 green, with deepest accents of shading green ; but 
 this must be applied with discretion. 
 
 Gooseberries may be portrayed with moss green J 
 and yellozv for mixing, shaded with rose-leaf green 
 and chestnut brown in the reflected lights. 
 
 Ox-heart cherries lend themselves admirably for 
 china decoration. They are of a creamy white, with 
 just a blush of color on one side. Ivory yellozv and 
 carnation will produce these effects. Shade with 
 deep red brown, violet of iron, and deep blue green, 
 with yellow brown for the reflected light. 
 
 Red currants are made with deep red brown and 
 violet of iron. 
 
 Oranges may be painted with either Albert's 
 yellow or silver yellozv, with orange yellow in the 
 
FRUIT 
 
 193 
 
 stronger lights. Yellow brown and deep red brown 
 on the outside edge of the shadow side, and be- 
 tween this and the local color a shading tone of a 
 somewhat greenish tinge, are employed. Brown 
 green No. 6 will do for this. 
 
 Lemons are cooler in quality ; and while they 
 resemble oranges, they do not have the rich, bril- 
 liant, warm yellow tones. Ivory yellow and silver 
 yellozv will answer for lemons. 
 
 Apples that are a combination of red and yellow 
 are rather more effective than fruit that is green, 
 russet, or all red. Silver yellozv and deep red 
 brown and violet of iron will give excellent local 
 color, with yellozv brown and shading green for 
 the shadow side. 
 
 Peaches are best represented with equal parts of 
 ivory yellow, yellow for mixing, and carnation for 
 local color, deepened with pure (but fluxed) carna- 
 tion ; deep bine green on the upper edge to indicate 
 the delicate bloom, yellow brown on the under side. 
 
 Plums and grapes also possess this beautiful, 
 tender bloom, rather difficult for the novice to 
 portray. 
 
 The best method to paint fruit is to begin by 
 painting the light part first. The receding edges 
 and retreating surfaces must be largely qualified 
 by gray tones. Plums, peaches, and blue or purple 
 grapes have very pale blue edges and high lights. 
 
194 * MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Next apply the local color, next the shading color, 
 and lastly the reflected light. 
 
 The brush must follow the trend of these differ- 
 ent tones of light and shade, and one free sweep 
 of the brush should indicate where they belong. 
 Then, with a blender, before the colors dry, begin 
 at the light part, and gently and softly blend one 
 color into the next. This process is easily over- 
 done, and the result is a loss of purity of color and 
 of rotundity. 
 
 Glossy fruit, like blackberries, currants, cher- 
 ries, plums, grapes, etc., must have a distinctively 
 strong, high light. Should the white of the china 
 be left to represent this, moisten a pointed stick 
 and remove the color ; but if this is neglected, a 
 touch of white enamel may be applied previous 
 to the last firing ; but this method is an artificial 
 means of procuring this end, that is not so artistic 
 as reserving the spot on the china free from color. 
 
 The colors mentioned are simply suggestions 
 for the aid of the beginner, and are by no means 
 the only ones to be used. 
 
 Warm gray is a color that enters largely into 
 the palette for fruit-painting, and is especially use- 
 ful for the distant effects. Yelloiv ochre is almost 
 equally useful. Lacroix's new color, pansy, will 
 be found indispensable for plums, blackberries, 
 and purple grapes. 
 
\ 
 
 NUT PLATES 
 
 195 
 
 Greenish grapes are painted with moss green J, 
 silver yellow, and chestnut brown. To this add 
 carnation or deep red brown for the Tokay grapes. 
 While these various colors should be distinctly 
 seen, they must be so graduated one into the 
 other, that where one leaves off and the other 
 begins must not be perceptible. 
 
 A few brown leaves, faded into the " sear and 
 yellow," are at times a great addition, and relieve 
 the monotony of the greens, which usually pre- 
 dominate over the fruit. 
 
 A worm-eaten leaf (or two) with a hole in the 
 middle, or a piece out of the edge, is very nat- 
 ural, and also quite characteristic of many of the 
 fruits. 
 
 NUT PLATES 
 
 Nuts, like fruit, when used for decorative pur- 
 poses may have the blossom and leaves attached. 
 This liberty is licensed by common consent, and 
 has been universally adopted by china-painters. 
 
 The ripe, whole nut is frequently seen within an 
 outer shell or burr, which has burst open, disclos- 
 ing its contents. 
 
 The chestnut is a good example of this, and 
 makes an excellent subject for a design. But both 
 nuts and fruit should be kept entirely whole. The 
 
196 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 effect is too pictorial for decorative purposes if 
 they are broken. 
 
 Nuts are usually of rather sombre, subdued 
 browns, and are associated with autumn tints. 
 Browns possess a neutral quality that contrasts 
 and harmonizes with almost all primary and sec- 
 ondary colors. In fact, a full, dark, deep, rich 
 color can be used with great advantage in combi- 
 nation with the quiet, low tones of brown. And 
 nuts are more in keeping with the full growth and 
 glow of autumnal tints than any delicate, pale 
 spring shades. However, it is, after all, a matter 
 of taste or fancy; and the everlasting "fitness of 
 things " need not always enter into such minor 
 details of applied art. 
 
 Yellow or warm browns look well in conjunc- 
 tion with blues and greens ; and cool, dark browns 
 require either a yellow or red near them in order 
 to balance. 
 
 While it is generally conceded that raised paste 
 designs should be omitted from plates where a 
 knife and fork will be sure to come in contact with 
 them, they are quite correct on plates intended for 
 the nut course. 
 
 A conventional design of either the nut or its 
 foliage is exceedingly good and artistic for a nut 
 service, and so also is a geometrical design, if the 
 natural treatment of the nut is not desired as the 
 
NUT PLATES 
 
 197 
 
 decoration. Almost an unlimited variety of de- 
 signs may be made from the leaf, burr, and nut 
 of the chestnut. 
 
 A fine gamut of browns may be produced from 
 orange, brown M., yellow ochre, yellow brown, chest- 
 nut brown, brown No. J, brown No. 4, Vandyke 
 brown, and black brown. All nuts can be repre- 
 sented properly and naturally with some of these 
 colors. 
 
 The leaves surrounding the nut need not conflict 
 with any predominating color ; and if green is out 
 of the question, as not corresponding with the rest 
 of the color scheme, the leaves may be painted en- 
 tirely in low tones of yellow, brown, red, or even 
 olive and russet tints. Nuts really belong to the 
 last, long lingering tones of color, as seen late in 
 autumn, before the blight of winter. 
 
 Those most generally employed are both spe- 
 cies of the chestnut — the horse-chestnut and the 
 edible variety, hazelnut, filbert, chincapin, Brazil- 
 nut, butternut, almond, English walnut, black wal- 
 nut, shellbark (or hickory nut ; they are similar in 
 appearance), pecan, and sometimes the peanut. 
 
 The arrangement of the design on tableware, 
 from fish to nuts, is altogether a matter of individ- 
 ual preference or fancy. The exact centre is not 
 to be selected as having any special advantage in 
 point of symmetry; and the extreme edge is rather 
 
198 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 an ultra style, but leaves the decoration uncovered 
 while the plate is in use. One is equally as correct 
 as the other ; but as extremes are usually ex- 
 travagant, even an imaginary demarcation should 
 be avoided. An intermediary course can with 
 safety and propriety be adopted, and the decora- 
 tion be gracefully arranged between the edge and 
 the middle. 
 
 Nut plates are appropriately decorated entirely 
 in flat or raised gold, — this may be in two distinct 
 colors, red gold and green gold, — and bronze may 
 be added to enhance certain effects. 
 
 With but little trouble, any small design can be 
 modelled cpiite realistically — nuts in this case — 
 with raised paste, and good and novel effects 
 created. Quite elaborate designs, consisting of 
 baskets and dishes of fruit, nuts, fish, etc., have 
 frequently been seen, introduced on the borders, 
 in medallions that were gems of art and realism, 
 combined with the happiest of effects. 
 
 Sometimes the leaves only of fruit, flowers, or 
 nuts are of raised paste, the rest of the design in 
 colors. 
 
ENAMELS AND JEWELS 
 
 Enamels are transparent, opaque, and semi- 
 opaque. 
 
 To enamel, really means to ornament with a 
 vitreous substance ; and it can be applied to vari- 
 ous materials, — gold, copper, china, etc. 
 
 Under the general acceptation of the word, all 
 mineral colors are enamels ; for when they are 
 used to decorate the surface of the china, the 
 operation is not complete until they are fused to 
 the glaze. But by common consent the word en- 
 amel refers especially to the opaque relief colors 
 when applied to china, and is so used most gen- 
 erally in this connection to distinguish relief colors 
 from painting-colors. 
 
 All painting-colors are enamel colors, but all 
 painting-colors are not relief enamels. Lacroix fur- 
 nishes three white enamels, — Chinese white, per- 
 manent white, and relief white, or Aufsetzweiss, the 
 last mentioned being preferred for general work. 
 
 199 
 
200 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Enamels can be procured like the other colors, 
 either in tubes, or as dry powder in vials. When 
 in tubes they are prepared ready for use, with the 
 addition of enough turpentine to render them 
 manageable. If enamel becomes too oily, alcohol 
 is preferable to turpentine. 
 
 If the powder is used, there must be its right 
 proportion of thick oil thoroughly incorporated 
 with it before the turpentine is added ; and under 
 no circumstances is it advisable to use any other 
 medium. If too much thick oil is added, the 
 enamel will boil and blister in the kiln, and pre- 
 sent a very unsightly appearance, a failure too 
 apparent to pass unnoticed. 
 
 Enamels are usually applied in clots or hemi- 
 spheres ; in ornamental scrolls ; to simulate jew- 
 els ; to heighten the high-light effects on floral 
 designs, drapery, lace, fish, etc. ; and, in fact, 
 almost any style of decoration is susceptible of 
 being finished this way. 
 
 It should, however, be used with restraint, or it 
 ceases to be artistic, especially when used to indi- 
 cate a point of light. Considered from a decora- 
 tive point of view, it is entirely permissible to add 
 high lights in relief with the aid of opaque enamel; 
 but it is a question open to dispute whether this 
 treatment is artistic. 
 
 Perfect art requires no such material or realistic 
 
ENAMELS AND JEWELS 
 
 20 1 
 
 aid to produce any such desired effect. High 
 lights are usually left unpainted, and the material 
 painted upon supplies the effect. On china it is 
 represented by the glazed body of the ware. In 
 a pure aquarelle the white paper supplies this 
 necessary feature, and to lose the high lights in 
 either is indicative of either carelessness or inex- 
 perience. 
 
 When enamel is to be applied in dots, it must 
 be of just such consistency as will form little 
 raised hemispheres of the desired size, and must 
 dry as soon as possible afterwards. 
 
 If the enamel is too soft, it will flatten out and 
 spread ; and if the dots are close together, they will 
 connect with each other instead of being distinctly 
 separate, as they should be. 
 
 If this condition of the enamel results from too 
 much thick oil, it can only be rectified by the ad- 
 dition of some dry powder. If the enamel is too 
 thin, from too much turpentine perhaps, a little 
 time until it evaporates is all that is necessary 
 to bring it into good working condition. 
 
 If the enamel is too stiff, it will not form nice 
 shaped dots ; they will be apt to be irregular in 
 form, and will be raised up to a peaked point, 
 instead of a smooth top, and this is far from artis- 
 tic or skilful. 
 
 Sometimes this defect may be remedied by care- 
 
202 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 fully and lightly touching this pinnacle of enamel 
 with a brush moistened with turpentine. 
 
 But if the enamel works in this stiff way, it 
 needs a trifle more turpentine if clots are being 
 made ; but if long strokes or scrolls are to be 
 made, it will need thick oil, in order to give the 
 elastic quality that is necessary. 
 
 Small dots and touches of enamel can be ap- 
 plied with any pointed tool instead of a brush ; 
 and many can make a much smaller dot by pla- 
 cing the enamel on the desired spot with the aid of 
 a toothpick, or a point of a fine needle inserted 
 in the end of a brush-handle, than with the brush 
 itself. The method is entirely optional. 
 
 Enamel applied in dots is a very pretty and ef- 
 fective decoration ; but, like all geometrical figures, 
 they must be symmetrical, otherwise they are in- 
 artistic and inelegant. They must be of uniform 
 size and shape and at equi-distant intervals. It 
 requires rather more mechanical than artistic skill 
 to do this work faultlessly. 
 
 Colored enamels are mixed, prepared, and ap- 
 plied in the same manner. It is an easy matter, 
 however, to produce any desired shade, without 
 being under the necessity of buying colored enam- 
 els. White enamel may be tinted with any of 
 the painting-colors, but they will fire about three 
 shades darker than when applied. 
 
ENAMELS AND JEWELS 
 
 203 
 
 Jewels are sometimes simulated by this method. 
 Turquoise, for instance, is admirably imitated with 
 the addition of deep blue green to Aufsetzweiss. 
 This pale blue enamel will also be useful for paint- 
 ing forget-me-nots in relief. 
 
 To make a turquoise-green shade use night green ; 
 for rose pink, use carmine ; for dark red, use deep 
 red brown, and either of the strong yellows, — Al- 
 bert, egg, or silver, will yield satisfactory shades. 
 
 In addition to these, there are a few colored 
 enamels that can be applied directly on gold be- 
 fore it is fired. These are, however, limited in 
 number, and consist of but one or two shades of 
 each color. 
 
 While enamels should dry quickly after being 
 applied, in order to retain their shape ; no artificial 
 means must be adopted to accomplish this end. 
 
 Modelling may be done with enamel, and verv 
 beautiful effects will result if skilfully done. 
 
 Pate-sur-pate is but another name for a similar 
 process ; and while articles decorated with figures, 
 Cupids, etc., are valuable specimens of this method 
 of modelling with one paste on another, very fair 
 imitations may be accomplished with a dexterous 
 handling of enamel. 
 
 First it is necessary to have the china tinted. 
 Usually a dark, rich color is preferred, as it lends 
 itself better to shading purposes in the subsequent 
 
204 J MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 work. China may be tinted and fired, or it may 
 be purchased in the deep underglaze blue, the 
 exact shade and depth of color of which can only 
 be obtained under the glaze. 
 
 For flowers and leaves, charge the brush with 
 white enamel, and, if possible, have more on one 
 side or corner of the brush than the other. This 
 will facilitate the modelling, as the enamel must 
 be thicker in some places than others. The 
 flowers are, when finished, modelled in low relief ; 
 and the ground color shows through to more or 
 less extent for the shadows. Therefore, the en- 
 amel is placed on thin for the shades, and piled on 
 heavier for the lights. A petal of a flower can be 
 done with one sweep of the brush, and afterward 
 more enamel applied where required. 
 
 Very pretty festoons of floral designs can be ac- 
 complished by this method of handling enamel, 
 but it requires a degree of skill and familiarity of 
 the subject that amateurs as a rule do not possess. 
 But by practice it can be done ; and the end justi- 
 fies the trouble, and amply repays the time be- 
 stowed in learning. 
 
 Enamel shrinks somewhat in the firing, but to 
 no appreciable extent. The most common failure 
 in the use of enamels is that they fly off the 
 china in the kiln, usually carrying away with 
 them the glaze upon which they rested. 
 
ENAMELS AND JEWELS 
 
 205 
 
 But the china is more to blame than the enamel. 
 The real reason for this disappointing failure is in 
 the unequal expansion and contraction during the 
 operation of firing. 
 
 When the glaze of the china contracts in the cool- 
 ing process more and quicker than the enamel, or 
 vice versa, it is evident one or the other must give 
 way, or, in other words, be expelled, as the spot 
 covered by the enamel will no longer continue to 
 hold the drop of enamel if the two surfaces do not 
 fit. It is a law of nature that must be obeyed, 
 in china-painting as well as in china-making. 
 
 Following a disaster of this kind will inevitably be 
 the impulse to repair damages. But the success of 
 this undertaking is highly doubtful, as when fired 
 again they may stay on, and they may not ; and if 
 they do, the chances are that the others will drop 
 off, and, in the end, the last state may be worse 
 than the first. Sometimes fluxing enamel will 
 obviate this difficulty, but it is by no means an 
 infallible remedy. 
 
 The china best adapted for an enamel decora- 
 tion is a soft glazed china, like the English ware. 
 French china is too hard to stand the treatment 
 with any degree of assured success. Enamel can 
 be applied with quite a feeling of safety, and be 
 tolerably certain of subsequent results, if English 
 china is selected. 
 
206 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Enamel should only be applied for the last firing, 
 as a second firing sometimes proves treacherous. 
 
 Use an ivory or horn palette knife with white 
 enamel. 
 
 White enamel is sometimes applied in another 
 manner, that yields excellent results that it would 
 be impossible to obtain otherwise. 
 
 It is where it is employed to represent a rough 
 or uneven surface, of a burr for instance, and where 
 it is applied to simulate infinitesimal specks of 
 light on such blossoms as the wild carrot or elder 
 plant. The flower is first painted and modelled in 
 greenish gray tones, and then a short, scrubby 
 brush (an old quill blender), after being rubbed in 
 the enamel, is gently and very lightly touched on. 
 It should leave the tiniest specks of enamel imagin- 
 able, each separate and distinct ; and the effect is 
 most pleasing. Applied too heavily, or in too 
 great quantities, or if blended together, the entire 
 beauty would be lost. It must be applied with 
 care and caution, and with some judgment and 
 discrimination, and not in a hit-or-miss fashion. 
 
 So-called jewels are small fragments of colored 
 glass, made to imitate precious stones, such as 
 ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz, and amythest. 
 These are transparent ; but there are several 
 varieties of an opaque nature, such as turquoise, 
 opal, and bronze "jewels." 
 
ENAMELS AND JEWELS 
 
 207 
 
 They come in several sizes, and the accompany- 
 ing cut is an actual representation of their shape 
 and size. Some are plain, with a smooth surface, 
 and others have the resemblance to cut jewels, and 
 all are polished to a high degree of finish. 
 
 These require a special and separate firing ; for 
 as they are made of glass, they will not endure the 
 intense heat necessary to develop china colors. 
 They will melt in the kiln, and slip off from 
 where they were intended to remain as permanent 
 fixtures in the ornament ; nor is this the worst 
 
 Nop, 2, 4. 6. s. 10. 
 
 Cut No. 26. 
 
 feature connected with this attempt at jewelling, 
 as they have a most depressing fashion of attach- 
 ing themselves in some very inconvenient and un- 
 desirable place. 
 
 Of course there is less danger if the article can 
 be placed in the kiln in a flat position, and fired 
 perfectly level, as the tendency to slip is then 
 diminished, just as it is aggravated in due propor- 
 tion to the angle of elevation. There is still an- 
 other way of fastening jewels, and a comparatively 
 secure way too ; and that is by the aid of some 
 
208 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 strong cement, after the piece is entirely finished. 
 This naturally precludes another firing. 
 
 This method of attaching jewels is not to be rec- 
 ommended ; it is not artistic ; and to employ such 
 artificial means is not legitimate, but false art. 
 
 True art never resorts to a subterfuge, nor yields 
 to the spirit of imitation. The using of jewels at 
 all is not genuine art, but, like other devices, per- 
 fectly permissible in decorative work. 
 
 A profusion of jewels detracts from the motive. 
 But to be truly effective their use must be consid- 
 erably suppressed. Too many should never appear 
 on one article, nor should more than one, or at 
 most two, varieties be employed. 
 
 Beware of that irresistible impulse of choosing 
 many or large ones because they are cheap. But 
 to keep up the fiction of "jewels," they must be 
 used as though they were in reality as costly as 
 the things they represent, and as though they cost 
 ten dollars apiece rather than ten cents a dozen ; 
 and small sizes are preferable to large ones. 
 
 Jewels are fastened to china in two ways, — 
 either with a transparent cement that is made for 
 the purpose, or with relief paste. This latter, be- 
 ing yellow and opaque, sometimes detracts from 
 the beauty of color and translucent effect of the 
 jewel, but is an easy and reliable method of se- 
 curing the appearance of a good setting. First 
 
ENAMELS AND JEIVELS 
 
 209 
 
 place a small drop of the relief paste, and with a 
 pair of nippers or pincers lift the jewel, and put it 
 on top and exactly in the middle of the spot of 
 relief paste. Gently press on the jewel, and the 
 relief paste will be pushed out all around in a little 
 rim. This will set in a moment, and will become 
 quite hard. It can then be gilded and fired, and 
 the effect of a gold setting is complete. 
 
 Another pretty way of setting a jewel is in a 
 circle of tiny dots, either of enamel or relief paste, 
 which latter is gilded. 
 
 The jewel effect is somewhat enhanced if sur- 
 rounded by gold in some way ; and a jewel planted 
 without due regard to its being a culminating 
 point of the ornament, or in a haphazard fashion, 
 apropos of nothing, is useless, inartistic, and in- 
 excusable. 
 
A 
 
 RAISED PASTE 
 
 Raised-paste designs are made by the medium 
 of relief paste, mixed with its proportion of thick 
 or fat oil and turpentine. The relief paste that 
 comes as dry powder is infinitely to be preferred 
 to that in tubes, as this latter usually has an ex- 
 cess of oil. There is more difficulty among ama- 
 teurs in being able to get the paste in good 
 working condition than in putting it on. After 
 it is in a perfect condition, it will not remain so 
 very long at a time, and requires constant atten- 
 tion and manipulation. 
 
 It is one of the phases of decorating where the 
 knife is of equal value to the brush, and is in use 
 about as often. 
 
 Mix the powder with the smallest possible 
 amount of thick oil. 
 
 In this connection very little oil must be made to 
 go a long way ; for if too much thick oil is used, 
 
 2IO 
 
RAISED PASTE 
 
 2 I I 
 
 the design of raised-paste work will not stand 
 up in thin, fine lines, but will fall and flatten out. 
 Moreover, too much oil keeps it from drying ; and 
 if, before it dries through and through, it forms a 
 skin or coating on the outside, it prevents all the 
 oil beneath it from drying, by keeping it covered, 
 and not exposed to the air. 
 
 The result is a bubbling up of the oil in the 
 firing, and a rough, uneven thread of raised paste, 
 instead of a uniform wire-like edge. 
 
 In making long lines and scrolls of raised paste, 
 more thick oil is required than for making dots. 
 With a knife rub the oil and powder together till 
 it is in one compact mass, and then dilute with 
 turpentine till the proper consistency is secured. 
 It is a useless waste of time and material to at- 
 tempt to do this kind of work with any other than 
 perfectly fresh spirits of turpentine. 
 
 This is absolutely essential to assure immediate 
 drying, and the sooner this is accomplished the 
 better. For this reason there are occasions where 
 alcohol is even preferable to any more turpentine. 
 Every time the paste becomes too thick to be 
 entirely under control, it must be diluted with tur- 
 pentine. The mere dipping of the knife in the 
 turpentine is all that is necessary ; as sufficient 
 will probably adhere to it for the purpose, as it 
 does not need to be more than moistened. 
 
212 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 This very little quantity will soon evaporate, 
 and the process must be repeated. Now, every 
 time turpentine is added and evaporates it leaves 
 its modicum of thick oil in the residuum until 
 it finally becomes too fat to use. Then more 
 powder is added to take up the superfluous oil. 
 
 The secret of good raised-paste work, beyond 
 the execution or brush work, is in keeping it in a 
 uniform and manageable condition. 
 
 Relief paste should be of the consistency to 
 work smoothly, and to leave the brush in an even 
 line. It should have an elastic quality, and be 
 entirely under control. Having once secured this 
 tough quality, it by no means is certain to re- 
 main so throughout the day's work, but requires 
 constant attention and replenishing. 
 
 For long lines or scrolls it must be stringy ; and 
 if it is not, but breaks off and refuses to go on, in 
 long unbroken lines, it is "too short," and needs 
 more oil to make it pliable. Only add a drop at 
 a time ; for a drop too much is equally as trouble- 
 some as too little, and the lesser quantity is easier 
 rectified. 
 
 Relief paste may be made "shorter" for dots 
 than for long lines ; for dots it is desirable to dry 
 at once. 
 
 A good plan is to have a contrasting tempera- 
 ture by slightly warming the relief paste and 
 
RAISED PASTE 
 
 213 
 
 chilling the china. It sets almost immediately 
 without spreading. 
 
 Raised paste designs should be dried thoroughly 
 before firing, and only by natural exposure to the 
 air. Artificial means will not hasten the process. 
 
 To be perfectly satisfactory, raised paste should 
 be fired before applying gold. Although some 
 success has been frequently attained by using 
 gold over un fired paste work, yet it is a doubtful 
 expedient ; and it is infinitely better, especially for 
 the inexperienced, to fire it first. 
 
 Raised paste work will stand repeated firings, 
 and if applied properly it will not chip off. 
 
 One cause of failure is when in making a long 
 line the raised paste barely touches the china, or 
 skips it altogether, thus forming a miniature bridge 
 from one point to another, which, after firing, will 
 crumble and fall off. 
 
 To apply raised paste, lift the paste on the ex- 
 treme point of the brush, and drag the brush 
 along the china so that the paste gradually leaves 
 it. The handling of the brush is very different 
 from painting, and is a little difficult at first, as the 
 inclination is to press down on the brush as in 
 painting. This involuntary movement is almost 
 irresistible until one has had some practice. The 
 method of application of relief paste is similar to 
 that for enamel. 
 
214 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 In both, a line of graduated thickness can be 
 made by starting at the heaviest point, and very 
 gradually lifting the brush away from the china, 
 and the line will dwindle down to a fine point. It 
 is not so easy to reverse this method. 
 
 Arabesques of raised paste are of great value in 
 decoration ; but a too profuse display is bewilder- 
 ing, and diverts the mind and eyes from the real 
 motive of the ornament. 
 
 A restrained use of scrolls in connection with 
 other and color designs enhances the general 
 effect, but this rococo must be gracefully and 
 skilfully treated. Raised paste designs means gold, 
 as it is always a basis for applying gold, and a 
 lavish exhibit of gold is not refined decoration. 
 
 It almost seems like an ostentatious parade of 
 the extent of one's purse rather than taste or 
 artistic feeling, and certainly contains an element 
 of vulgarity that too strongly smacks of the com- 
 mercial rather than the artistic value. 
 
 A quaint and unique method of applying relief 
 paste is to model objects and devices directly on 
 the china, converting the design into a sort of bas- 
 relief. Birds and butterflies ; implements identified 
 with sport, warfare, music, or painting ; heraldry, 
 griffins, harpies, etc., can be thus represented, 
 either in miniature, or with a large, bold treatment. 
 
GOLD 
 
 Gold placed directly on china is called " flat 
 gold." When on relief paste, it is called "raised 
 o-old" There exists a slight confusion in refer- 
 ence to gold that a few words may dissipate. The 
 trade recognizes two forms of gold, — one the real, 
 pure metal, technically known as " burnish gold " 
 (which has been precipitated by acids, and chemi- 
 cally reduced to a fine powder, and then is mixed 
 with its modicum of oil, turpentine, etc.), and the 
 other known as "liquid bright gold," which, per- 
 haps, strictly speaking, is more in the nature of 
 a lustre. 
 
 Burnish gold — that is, a gold capable of being 
 burnished with an agate until it assumes the high- 
 est degree of polish, and is as brilliant and bright 
 as the name implies — is known variously in the 
 trade as "Roman," "matt," "dead," "burnish," 
 etc. ; but these names are given simply in order 
 to distinguish one preparation from another. No 
 other significance can be attached to these trade 
 
 215 
 
21 6 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 names. This same kind of gold is also known as 
 "red gold," " yellow gold," "green gold." These 
 are but modifications, the name indicating the sev- 
 eral shades attained by different alloys. 
 
 Burnish gold may be obtained, like colors, either 
 in the dry powder form, or already mixed with oil 
 and turpentine ready for use. In the dry state it 
 is to be thoroughly incorporated with about its 
 even bulk of thick oil, and then diluted with spirits 
 of turpentine till of the proper consistency to use. 
 
 Liquid bright gold is, as its name indicates, a 
 liquid, and comes in small vials, and is the cheap- 
 est kind of gold. The working qualities of liquid 
 bright gold may be dismissed with a few words. 
 
 It is to be poured out on a small water-color 
 slant or well preparatory to using, and no particu- 
 lar care is necessary to apply it evenly. Indeed, 
 there is no object in trying to lay it on smoothly 
 or evenly, as it will fire of a uniform brightness 
 in spite of the irregular appearance it presents 
 before firing. 
 
 If too thin, it " creeps " beyond where it is 
 intended to be ; and to avoid this rather vexatious 
 occurrence, it is well to allow it to evaporate a 
 trifle before attempting to apply it. This it will do 
 in a very few moments, and it works much better. 
 
 As evaporation still continues, it will, unless 
 used immediately, become too dry, and recourse is 
 
GOLD 
 
 217 
 
 then to be had to the " essence," a special me- 
 dium that comes to dilute liquid bright gold. 
 
 Nothing else must be used for this purpose un- 
 der any circumstances. 
 
 Liquid bright gold develops at a low tempera- 
 ture, and comes from the kiln with a bright and 
 brilliant lustre. 
 
 It requires no burnishing to give it a polish, but 
 shines with such a striking, vulgar glitter as to be 
 offensive to most people. Its relative cheapness, 
 and the ease and swiftness with which it may be 
 applied, are the only things that can be said in 
 its favor. 
 
 It is simply horrible in its obtrusive garishness, 
 and blatantly proclaims the base imitation it surely 
 is. There is really only one use for it, and that is 
 as a foundation for burnish gold, and then only as 
 a matter of economy. 
 
 In addition to being ugly and inartistic, it does 
 not wear well ; and the slightest accidental contact 
 will develop into a disfiguring mark on the china 
 during firing. A careless person had better avoid 
 using it altogether. Applied thin, it fires a pur- 
 plish hue, of a slightly iridescent character, that 
 is by no means pretty. 
 
 When a mistake is so in evidence, it never is 
 pretty, although accidental effects have been at 
 times of great beauty and value. 
 
218 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Perhaps only a mineral painter will realize the 
 difference between a mistake and an accident. 
 
 There is a relief paste for liquid bright gold ; 
 but it is not recommended as enhancing any dec- 
 oration, and it may with advantage be omitted 
 entirely. 
 
 Wherever this gold touches, there will be an 
 ugly smirch when fired, though entirely unper- 
 ceived before. If this accident is suspected, alco- 
 hol is the only thing that will positively eradicate 
 it, for turpentine will not remove it entirely. 
 
 One of the difficulties that beginners very gener- 
 ally encounter is in the application of gold. 
 
 This is not surprising, as the appearance and 
 working qualities are so entirely different to the 
 colors. 
 
 First attempts sometimes are successful, but 
 this is more frequently due to good luck than 
 good management. Failure invariably results from 
 applying gold too thin or too thick. In the first 
 case, it probably arises from the apparently small 
 quantity one obtains for the money, which induces 
 an effort to be economical. 
 
 The inevitable result of this is that after firing, 
 it all rubs off. 
 
 The amateur naturally at first attributes this 
 defect to under-firing, believing that if properly 
 fired it must adhere. But one important fact is 
 
GOLD 
 
 219 
 
 overlooked : if the gold was there before firing, it 
 must necessarily be there afterwards. Therefore 
 the amateur may rest assured, if gold rubs off after 
 the article has been properly fired, that he has 
 failed in placing it there. There must be a suffi- 
 cient deposit of gold to completely cover the sur- 
 face of the ware, otherwise the article in question 
 Will not be gilded. 
 
 The amateur always has the most positive proof, 
 if the gold was under-fired ; for if the colors, and 
 especially the gold colors, have not been under- 
 fired, the gold is not, as the same heat required 
 to develop these will develop gold. 
 
 By degrees the amateur realizes that more gold 
 is required, and in the endeavor to have enough 
 on, fails in an opposite direction, and over-does it 
 by getting on too much. The result is equally as 
 bad and disappointing. 
 
 Gold applied too heavily will blister and peel off, 
 leaving the china bare, and perhaps this last state 
 of affairs is just a little worse than the first ; for 
 in the former case another application of gold 
 and another firing will probably restore it, while in 
 the latter condition, after concealing these defects 
 with more gold, there is by no means any assur- 
 ance that another firing will not blister it else- 
 where. 
 
 It will therefore be obvious that the perfect ap- 
 
220 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 plication of gold requires skill and ability, and 
 only by experience and vigilant examination of the 
 work, both before and after firing, can any degree 
 of proficiency be secured. 
 
 It is as much a matter of feeling as seeing, and 
 this fact will be undoubtedly understood and rec- 
 ognized. After using gold for a while, and closely 
 observing it in its several varying phases, one 
 becomes accustomed to it, and a feeling of con- 
 fidence will assert itself ; and not until then is 
 successful gold-work assured. 
 
 As this Manual was expressly written to assist 
 the amateur in painting china, — in short, to use 
 materials, and not produce them, — no formula will 
 be given for the preparation of gold. 
 
 There are several well-known methods of pre- 
 cipitating gold that are readily obtainable ; but 
 there is nothing artistic in reducing gold dollars 
 to a chemical solution, and there are some exceed- 
 ingly disagreeable and objectionable features con- 
 nected with it that it is well to avoid if possible. 
 
 It cannot be too strongly urged upon the ama- 
 teur to purchase only that gold prepared by ex- 
 perts who have made a legitimate business of it, 
 and have tested their right of approval. They 
 have the knowledge, the experience, the appurte- 
 nances, to produce it of uniform quality, and to 
 disburse it in uniform quantities. 
 
GOLD 
 
 221 
 
 Competition has had the tendency to reduce the 
 cost of gold preparations to "cut-rate prices;" but 
 one fact must not be overlooked, that there is a 
 standard commercial valuation placed on this pre- 
 cious metal, and a dollar's worth will always cost a 
 dollar. And usually when persons only pay fifty 
 cents for a dollar's worth, it requires no " ready 
 reckoner " to calculate how much real gold they 
 buy, and how dearly they are paying for some- 
 thing that is not gold. 1 
 
 The best and most honest way of buying gold 
 is by the pennyweight, from any reliable source ; 
 for one is then tolerably sure of obtaining what 
 one pays for. This-commends itself from an econ- 
 omical point of view ; but that which is prepared 
 and ready for use is recommended on account of 
 its convenience, and the saving of time and labor 
 it insures. 
 
 When gold is prepared and made ready for the 
 amateur, it is compounded with other ingredients. 
 Different formulas vary in these compositions ; 
 but enough has already been written to show the 
 
 1 There are so many preparations of gold on the market now 
 that it would be invidious to recommend any special one. Both in 
 quality and quantity they are very much alike, the most noticeable 
 difference being in the color. Therefore on this account, variation 
 in color, it is wise to provide one's self with sufficient from one 
 manufacturer to complete what is in hand. 
 
222 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 necessity of flux, as gold, like color, must have 
 some medium by which it can be united in the 
 kiln to the glaze. 
 
 Other ingredients are added for manifold pur- 
 poses, and if they exist in excess, to give bulk or 
 weight, it is obvious that the quantity of gold is 
 reduced in proportion ; and the quality and color 
 of the gold will depend upon the ratio of the gold 
 to the other ingredients. 
 
 Mercury, silver, lead, copperas, bismuth, silica, 
 borax, and lampblack enter more or less into some 
 formulas — not all at once, but for various pur- 
 poses. Other compounds are less frequently used. 
 
 The color of gold varies in its natural state, but 
 may be artificially changed to many tints. 
 
 Gold may be alloyed or adulterated with silver, 
 but the deep, rich color of gold is sacrificed in 
 consequence. 
 
 Silver pales the tint, and added beyond a cer- 
 tain proportion changes the color to a greenish 
 shade commonly called "green gold." Compared 
 with gold, very little silver is used, therefore it 
 cannot be had except in the powder. It has the 
 same propensity to tarnish as any other silver. 
 
 As "green gold " costs the same as red or yel- 
 low gold, silver may be added by the purchaser to 
 either ; but it would be advisable to fire a sample 
 before applying it on anything of consequence. 
 
GOLD 
 
 223 
 
 While a slight admixture of silver with the gold 
 changes its color somewhat, it materially increases 
 its bulk and working capacity, which may perhaps 
 offset the deterioration of tint. It does not affect 
 its wearing quality, and for many purposes is 
 equally as good as the richer gold. 
 
 Unfluxed gold, otherwise known as "hard gold," 
 is prepared deficient in this respect (of flux), in 
 order to be used over color, the color supplying 
 all the flux that is necessary. If fluxed gold were 
 used over a highly fluxed color, there would be an 
 excess of flux, which mars the beauty of gold. 
 
 But fluxed gold may be used over matt colors, 
 as these are lacking in glazing properties, or flux. 
 
 Gold shows to much better advantage if placed 
 directly on white china, and it is advisable to so 
 use it whenever practicable. 
 
 Gold obtained ready for use, mixed with oil and 
 turpentine, is placed on a small square of glass 
 that is generally fitted in a box for protection. 
 This may be used from this same glass, or re- 
 moved to another larger piece, where its manipula- 
 tion will be easier. 
 
 The gold palette may be a china tile; but, 
 whether it be china or glass, it must be kept for 
 this purpose alone. 
 
 Ground glass is not to be recommended, as 
 either ordinary plain glass or china is preferable. 
 
224 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 If the gold be thick and unmanageable, it will 
 soon become soft and in good condition by slightly 
 warming it. Add sufficient turpentine, and with 
 the palette knife rub or stir it up thoroughly by 
 turning it over and over. 
 
 This turpentine will soon evaporate ; and it will 
 be necessary then to add more, for it must be kept 
 in just the right condition to flow easily from the 
 brush. Care must be taken that it is not thin 
 enough to spread beyond where it is intended ; but 
 if too much turpentine is accidentally dropped on 
 the gold, fresh gold may be added, or a sufficient 
 time allowed for it to evaporate. But it must not 
 be forgotten that every time the excess of turpen- 
 tine evaporates, it leaves its deposit or residue of 
 thick oil, and in course of time the gold becomes 
 "too fat" for use. The dry, powdered gold will 
 best rectify this unavoidable condition. 
 
 Alcohol poured over it will to a certain extent 
 force the superfluous oil out of it, by pushing it 
 away in advance of the alcohol, as it spreads out 
 in all directions from the gold, and may be wiped 
 off the palette. Sometimes this is all that is ne- 
 cessary to restore it to good working condition. 
 
 Gold that has become " too fat " is a good basis 
 upon which to experiment for green gold, by add- 
 ing silver. It will prove comparatively cheap too, 
 as silver is inexpensive. 
 
GOLD 
 
 225 
 
 Gold is costly, and it is well to take all possible 
 precaution against wasting a particle of the pre- 
 cious metal. To this end is recommended two 
 wide-mouthed bottles, one for turpentine, one for 
 alcohol, having them both plainly labelled. 
 
 Every time it is necessary to dip either brush 
 or palette knife into turpentine in the course of 
 using gold, more or less will float off, and being 
 heavy will sink to the bottom, and unless secured 
 in some such way as here suggested it will be lost. 
 These bottles should be kept exclusively for these 
 specified purposes, and in a little while the accu- 
 mulation will be surprising. 
 
 The amount of gold saved in this way in the 
 course of a year, at no trouble or inconvenience, 
 amounts to considerable. The turpentine may 
 be poured off carefully without disturbing the gold 
 settled on the bottom ; and it can then be removed 
 with the palette knife, and transferred to the pa- 
 lette. 
 
 The same deposit will be found to have accumu- 
 lated in the alcohol bottle, which should be kept 
 to wash brushes and knife. 
 
 Gold and colors must be kept rigorously separate, 
 and not used with the same implements. There 
 should be separate brushes, separate knife, and 
 separate mediums, — oil, turpentine, and alcohol. 
 
 A brush once used in gold can never be cleansed 
 
226 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 sufficiently to paint with again ; but a brush once 
 used in color, and freed from every trace of it by a 
 thorough washing in alcohol, can be used in gold. 
 
 If space permits, a table-drawer, or at least a 
 box, should be set aside to contain only the gold 
 accessories. Too much stress cannot be laid on 
 the injunction to keep them apart and clean. 
 
 Brushes in use constantly in gold need not be 
 washed out. They will remain pliable over night, 
 and if not, soon can be made soft with the aid of 
 turpentine. When a steel palette knife becomes 
 clogged with gold, dip it in turpentine, set fire to 
 it, and it can be freed at once from all gold. 
 
 In its " chemically pure " state, gold would never 
 be taken for what it is by the amateur unaccus- 
 tomed to seeing it in this condition. When ready 
 for use, it somewhat resembles, in color, consist- 
 ency, and stickiness, a poor, cheap quality of mo- 
 lasses in cold weather. 
 
 As it comes from the dealer, it is too thick to 
 use until diluted with turpentine. Being a heavy 
 metal, it is necessary to keep stirring and turning 
 it over every little while to keep it in good condi- 
 tion for use. 
 
 In applying gold, lay it on rather thin, but evenly 
 and smoothly, going over the same allotted space 
 two or three times, till of uniform thickness, and 
 until the china is thoroughly covered. 
 
GOLD 
 
 227 
 
 There is no need whatever of doing more than 
 to completely cover the china. Gold is opaque, 
 and more than is actually required is altogether un- 
 necessary and wasteful. As it does not show, no 
 one will be any the wiser. It neither looks nor 
 wears any better by applying it thick, and there is 
 always the risk of its blistering in the firing. 
 
 Gold wears better if applied twice and fired twice, 
 and this method is recommended for all tableware. 
 
 For economy, liquid bright gold may be used for 
 the first firing, as a foundation for the real gold ; 
 but, while this may answer for ornamental articles 
 that are seldom handled, it should not be used on 
 articles of utility. 
 
 If a piece of china is only to have one firing, 
 the gold should be laid on twice, allowing time to 
 dry after the first and before the second applica- 
 tion. 
 
 Imperfections can frequently be discovered be- 
 fore firing, and regilded. 
 
 There must be enough gold to conceal the glim- 
 mer of the glaze on china ; and if, upon closest 
 scrutiny, it still glistens through the gold, it is 
 proof positive that there has not been a sufficient 
 quantity laid on ; and if there is not enough before 
 firing, it is a foregone conclusion that there will 
 not be after firing. 
 
 Glazed colors must be fired first, before gold is 
 
228 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 put over them ; but gold may be laid over matt 
 colors before firing, provided the colors are en- 
 tirely dry. It requires a skilful and trained hand 
 to accomplish this nice piece of work satisfactorily. 
 Nothing short of perfection in the handling of the 
 brush could execute a gold design over an unfired 
 color, as the slightest deviation would ruin the 
 decoration, and it cannot easily be remedied. 
 
 The only recourse would be to clean off all color 
 and gold, and do the work all over again. 
 
 As this is discouraging, the amateur is advised 
 to have the color fired first before attempting to 
 work gold over it, until he is sufficiently expert to 
 feel entire confidence in the undertaking. 
 
 Avoid, if possible, placing gold over yellow, even 
 though fired, and silver over pink. 
 
 Gold under-fired will rub off, and if over-fired 
 will be glazed, and will not respond to the bur- 
 nishing-tools ; both of these mishaps are disappoint- 
 ing, but not beyond repair. 
 
 In case of accident, and if it is necessary to 
 remove some of the gold after firing, either bur- 
 nish or liquid bright gold may be successfully 
 abstracted with aqua regia, 1 used similarly to di- 
 rections given elsewhere for hydrofluoric acid. 
 
 1 Aqua regis or regia, literally " royal water," was the name 
 given to this compound by the ancients because it could dissolve: 
 gold, the most truly regal mineral known, the king of metals. It 
 
GOLD 
 
 229 
 
 ggfflfjf'fl 
 
 When gold comes from the kiln, it has a dull, 
 dead appearance, something the color 
 of yellow ochre, and entirely devoid of 
 any lustre. 
 
 To obtain this wonderful radiance 
 that no other metal possesses, three 
 methods are employed, according to 
 the degree of brilliancy required. It 
 may be rubbed with a glass brush, 
 scoured with burnishing-sand, or bur- 
 nished with an agate. 
 
 A glass brush consists of a bundle 
 of spun-glass threads fastened securely 
 together up to within half an inch of 
 both ends. As this wears away, — and 
 it does so rapidly if used constantly, 
 — the string may be unwound, but 
 
 consists of two, three, or four parts nitric acid, and 
 one of muriatic or hydrochloric acid. Aqua regia 
 is a powerful acid, but not quite so dangerous as 
 hydrofluoric. This latter acid is a mixture of one 
 part of fluor-spar with two parts of sulphuric acid. 
 These are heated in a lead still, and the vapor that 
 is evolved is hydrofluoric acid. It will eat into, 
 corrode, and dissolve all metals except lead and 
 platinum. 
 
 Hydrofluoric acid and aqua regia are very power- 
 ful and dangerous to handle, owing to their caustic 
 
 b . Cut No. 27. 
 
 qualities, and should only be resorted to in extreme 
 
 cases, and, when not in use, put safely away and out of every- 
 body's reach. 
 
230 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 must . be tightly secured again before using. By 
 this means the entire brush may be utilized ; for 
 as the brush-end is worn off, it is easily renewed. 
 If it becomes soiled, it can be artificially worn off 
 by passing it a few times over sandpaper. 
 
 These extremely fine threads of spun glass, 
 finer than fine needles, are very brittle, and apt to 
 break off and stick in one's hands, causing consid- 
 erable annoyance, if nothing more serious. 
 
 An excellent precaution against this unpleasant 
 result is to wear gloves ; and to prevent this glass 
 fibre from clinging to dress, draperies, or carpet, 
 the article to be burnished should be held over 
 paper, which can afterwards be folded up and 
 thrown away. 
 
 It is almost invisible, but makes its presence 
 manifest very sensibly if it gets on the hands. 
 And if any of these splinters (they are very 
 light, and will float away on the air) fall on unfired 
 color, there is no possible way of repairing the 
 damage. It will not be noticed till fired, and 
 then they will be very much in evidence. 
 
 The other method of polishing (with sand) is 
 preferable on this account if no other. 
 
 Burnish-sand is a remarkably fine white sand 
 of uniform size, and does not scratch the gold, as 
 one who is not informed to the contrary might be 
 likely to imagine. 
 
GOLD 
 
 231 
 
 With a piece of chamois-skin or a soft woollen 
 cloth — a piece of old flannel will do, though it 
 must be absolutely clean, and free from dust or 
 grease — lightly moistened with water, and dipped 
 in the sand, then transferred to the surface of the 
 gold, rub gently and evenly till a beautiful lustre is 
 obtained. It requires no effort or manual labor ; 
 still, if properly fired, there is no danger of doing 
 any damage by the pressure needed to polish the 
 gold. If there are any crevices where the sand 
 cannot reach, as, for instance, around a handle, 
 the glass brush, being flexible, should be used. 
 
 Both glass brush and sand give the gold a lovely 
 lustre of an almost satin-like finish, that positively 
 glows with its soft, brilliant, though subdued polish. 
 But gold is capable of a still higher degree of bril- 
 liancy ; and to obtain this full and shining splendor 
 burnishers are brought into requisition. 
 
 These come in various shapes, to go into all 
 sorts of crannies and crooks of the different styles 
 and sizes of china, and are fitted with wooden han- 
 dles. They are of agate, bloodstone, or jasper, 
 there being but a slight variation in these stones. 
 
 These tools must be kept perfectly smooth, as 
 any irregularities would disfigure the gold by 
 scratching it. Burnishers' putty, a piece of sole- 
 leather, and " elbow-grease " will keep these im- 
 plements in good condition, and free from any 
 
232 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 roughness. In using these burnishers, rub the 
 gold always one way, and rub hard. 
 
 Burnishing is laborious, and it is no easy task 
 to burnish a large surface. 
 
 Scratches must be avoided at all hazards, and 
 this is best accomplished by following 
 the gold in one direction. 
 
 Gold will burnish better if it has not been han- 
 dled, or allowed to come in contact with anything 
 but the proper implements ; and if it can be done 
 as soon as removed from the kiln, while still warm, 
 all the better. 
 
 After burnishing, polish with whiting or rouge, 
 to give it a fine, satin-like finish. 
 
 Burnishers. 
 
GOLD 
 
 233 
 
 Under the bloodstone burnisher, gold is soon 
 made to assume a very glossy aspect, and, although 
 intensely luminous, is not generally admired as 
 much as the more subdued radiance obtained by 
 either the glass brush or sand. This bright and 
 brilliant glitter always seems to possess an ele- 
 ment of vulgarity that it is well to avoid... By 
 using either the glass brush or sand, gold is di- 
 vested of this vivid exhibition, and assumes a soft 
 sheen and lustrous elegance that is refined, chaste, 
 and artistic. 
 
 There is another way of finishing gold that is 
 very beautiful and artistic, but requires a great 
 deal of patience, skill, and labor ; and this is to 
 etch a design with the agate point. 
 
 It may be a geometrical design, used as a 
 border or an all-over design, as arabesques and 
 scrolls ; or it may simply be intended to burnish 
 the high lights of flowers, fruits, landscapes, etc. 
 Indeed, here is a wonderfully wide scope for indi- 
 vidual taste, ingenuity, and expertness. 
 
 To be able to draw freehand designs on the un- 
 burnished surface of gold with the agate, requires 
 not only a knowledge of drawing, but a steady 
 hand as well, as an unfortunate slip of the bur- 
 nisher would leave a disfiguring mark. 
 
 The only remedy in this event is to have the 
 article fired again, when the previous burnishing 
 
234 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 disappears, and to try again. Some designs, if 
 repeated or continued in gold, and finished in this 
 way, add very much to the decorative effect. 
 
 Gold grapes and leaves, for instance, introduced 
 on or in a punch-bowl, enhance its gorgeousness 
 and attractiveness. 
 
 Tp obtain the best results, apply the gold twice, 
 fire twice, and polish twice with sand. For the 
 third firing, simply paint with gold, veins, edges, 
 high lights ; in short, treat it as one method of 
 modelling. It will be comparatively easy, as the 
 fresh application of gold, being brown, shows up 
 very nice and clear. 
 
 After firing, this last addition is very percepti- 
 ble, and is to be burnished with the agate point, 
 leaving the main portion unburnished. It will 
 have a soft lustre anyhow, and will, by contrast, 
 be very effective and handsome. 
 
 Gold is usually applied with a brush ; but some- 
 times for a fine tracing or delicate line-work, as 
 in a lace border for example, it may be applied 
 with a pen. 
 
 A finely pointed pen is all that is necessary ; and 
 there comes an especially fine pen, that artists 
 use for pen-and-ink drawings, that is used for this 
 purpose. It is steel, but if kept perfectly clean 
 and free from rust will not corrode nor injure the 
 gold in the least. 
 
GOLD 
 
 235 
 
 The same pen must not be used alternately for 
 burnish gold and liquid bright gold. The pen 
 must be supplied or fed with a brush. 
 
 If a straight band or line is desired around a 
 plate or dish, or, in other words, a circle, a wheel 
 must be employed. It is the only way by which 
 a uniform width can be obtained. It requires 
 some little practice to use one successfully, and, 
 though a mechanical contrivance, is not so easy to 
 use as it looks. 
 
 As gold is too expensive to waste in repeated 
 trials of either pen, brush, or a wheel, deep red 
 brown or capucine red is suggested with which to 
 experiment until dexterity is acquired. 
 
 Monograms in gold form a favorite design for 
 the centre of tableware ; and elaborate letters have 
 many graceful curves, fine lines, and delicate scrolls 
 and touches. As in all other gold decoration, 
 these should have two applications and two firings. 
 The first application, whether done with a brush 
 or pen, is comparatively easy ; but after firing, it 
 will be found by no means so easy to adhere 
 strictly to the previous outlines. 
 
 A * 1 trick of the trade" that is worth knowing; 
 will obviate this difficulty, and produce results in 
 much less time than with either pen or brush. 
 When the gold is in prime working condition, in- 
 stead of charging a brush with it, use a finger of 
 
236 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 the right hand, — preferably the middle one, as it 
 is the longest, — and dip it in the gold, and after 
 securing enough, apply directly to the previous 
 gilding. Hold the plate in the left hand, breathe 
 on it to give it moisture, — by condensation, — and 
 with a rotary motion of the finger charged with 
 gold rub the gold over the monogram or lace-work. 
 
 At first there will be nothing but what resem- 
 bles a smear of gold. Continue rubbing with a 
 rotary motion, and in a minute or so the white of 
 the china will be cleared up, and the gold will all 
 be on the monogram, leaving the surrounding sur- 
 face clean. 
 
 This must be accomplished, however, on gold as 
 it comes from the kiln, and not after burnishing. 
 It is the slight roughness of the fired gold that 
 furnishes a "tooth" to take up the fresh gold. 
 
 If it were first burnished, fresh gold would not 
 adhere. This process is perhaps not artistic, but 
 it saves time and labor. 
 
 Extreme edges may be gilded without the aid of 
 a wheel. First charge the brush well with gold, 
 and rest it firmly, though without pressure, across 
 the edge. The brush is now at right angles with 
 the article. Should it be a cup, for example, either 
 move the hand or cup around in one direction, 
 and the gold will leave the brush quite evenly. 
 
 If the cup is too recently painted to touch (to 
 
GOLD 
 
 237 
 
 move it) place it on a block, and move the block 
 around, keeping the hand containing the brush 
 steady and still, but in direct contact with the 
 edge. 
 
 Pretty bronze effects can be secured by first 
 tinting, preferably with a matt color, firing, and 
 then giving it a thin wash of gold. The gold must 
 be very thin indeed, and may be blended to render 
 it even, though this regularity is by no means 
 always desirable. 
 
 China made with a relief pattern treated this 
 way is effective, as the gold settles into the inden- 
 tations. 
 
 After firing, the color is still distinctly visible, 
 and over all is spread the sheen of gold. It 
 glitters and glistens with every movement as 
 it reflects the light, and fairly sparkles if tiny 
 specks of gold have been distributed regularly 
 over the surface. 
 
 Gold must always be used with discretion ; for 
 while a little enhances china decoration, and adds 
 considerably to the general effect and finish, if 
 regarded solely in the same relation as a gold 
 frame is to a picture, a profuse display is vulgar, 
 and is more indicative of the depth of one's purse 
 than the breadth of his understanding-. 
 
 Some labor under a misapprehension that " gold 
 covers a multitude of sins " in other directions, 
 
238 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 and, in consequence, use it lavishly and indiscrim- 
 inately. It should only be used as an accessory, 
 not as the conspicuous ornament, except where it 
 is to be the principal feature of the decoration. 
 
 An extravagant misuse of gold materially de- 
 tracts from the painting, while a repressed use of 
 it tends to heighten the decorative effect. 
 
 It is never the quantity of gold-work, but the 
 quality of it, that proclaims the artist. 
 
 Bronzes are also used in the decoration of 
 china. These vary in shade, and may be had of a 
 greenish, brownish, and reddish tinge. The colors 
 are by no means pronounced ; but they produce 
 dark, rich, sombre effects, that in their subdued 
 coloring are very pleasing. They afford a strik- 
 ing contrast to gold and color decoration, but, as a 
 rule, are too heavy in appearance to be in general 
 use. However, there are occasions when these 
 bronzes are appropriate, and produce desirable 
 effects that could be obtained in no other way. 
 
 Bronze powders come in paper packages, and, 
 like gold, are sold by the pennyweight. They are 
 mixed with thick oil, and then diluted to the 
 proper consistency by spirits of turpentine. 
 
 Never use lavender or any of the essential oils 
 with either gold or bronze, as turpentine is all 
 that is necessary. 
 
 Gold may be added to bronze, and afford a 
 
GOLD 
 
 diversity of color, or, rather, of lustre. Apply all 
 bronzes in a similar manner as gold, and, after 
 firing, burnish with sand. Tt is not in the nature 
 of bronze to assume any very high degree of bril- 
 liancy, but it is capable of receiving a beautiful, 
 lustrous polish. 
 
 Bronzes are more in keeping with ornamental 
 pieces that have a somewhat heavy style of deco- 
 ration, and are a little incongruous with a light or 
 airy trifle. 
 
 The brushes, mediums, etc., used for bronze, 
 must be kept exclusively for bronze, and entirely 
 separate from the gold implements. An innu- 
 merable variety of metallic effects can be pro- 
 duced with gold, bronze, platinum, and silver. 
 
 Platinum presents a hard, cold, lustrous surface, 
 that alone would not be interesting ; but with a 
 gold design traced arabesque fashion over it, or 
 in conjunction with other harmonious treatment, 
 affords a delightful variety, and is preferable to 
 silver, as silver tarnishes, and platinum does not. 
 
 Bronze may be used over or with platinum to 
 advantage, forming an especially dignified treat- 
 ment ; and if the culminating points of the design 
 are put in in gold, a very rich effect will be se- 
 cured. The sober tint of the bronze will counter- 
 act the sheen and shimmer of the other two, and 
 an artistic balance may be maintained.. 
 
240 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Platinum possesses one virtue that other metals 
 do not ; and that is, it retains its polish and bril- 
 liancy after burnishing, through all subsequent fir- 
 ings. The other metals usually all become matt 
 again, and have to be reburnished. By taking 
 advantage of this fact, very beautiful results may 
 be obtained. 
 
 Silver is much softer and warmer in tone and 
 quality than platinum, but being unable to resist 
 oxidation from the atmosphere and contact with 
 gases, is not so desirable. 
 
 The beauty of silver is sacrificed in favor of the 
 more enduring qualities of platinum. 
 
 Silver is lovely in connection with pale blue ; but 
 it must not come in contact with the gold pinks 
 — use platinum here instead. 
 
 It is well to keep a record of all metallic experi- 
 ments, and to correctly chronicle proportions for 
 future use. 
 
 There are various lustres more or less pro- 
 nounced in color, that are applied the same as 
 liquid bright gold. They fire well, and possess a 
 radiant iridescent decorative quality, that is not 
 specially admired nor artistic. They are seldom 
 used except to conceal an undecorated surface, as 
 the inside of a cup. 
 
LUSTRES 
 
 Lustres have come very much to the fore 
 during the last few years, their vogue being 
 attributed entirely to certain decorative effects 
 which can be obtained only by ther use. When 
 used as a decorative agent to produce certain 
 results they are very satisfactory and effectual, 
 and yet, on the other hand, one might say with 
 equal truth that results are never certain, and 
 disappointment often follows their application. 
 This statement may seem to be contradictory, but 
 after considerable experience and repeated experi- 
 ments, the fact must be admitted that the results 
 are frequently beyond conjecture. 
 
 Sometimes the piece comes from the kiln so 
 beautiful that it far exceeds expectations in its 
 lustrous and iridescent quality; then at times the 
 result will be entirely different from that which 
 was anticipated — perhaps equally as handsome 
 241 
 
2 4 2 A MANUAL FOR CHINA PAINTERS 
 
 and equally as puzzling as well. In neither case 
 can you ever hope to duplicate exactly the same 
 achievement, except accidentally, for, strive as you 
 may, it is simply impossible to produce exactly 
 the same result, identical in every particular, when 
 one lustre is superimposed on another. 
 
 Many beautiful effects may be obtained, but 
 never twice alike. By using the same combina- 
 tion, the result will be similar, and sufficiently so 
 to serve the purpose. The general verdict in 
 regard to lustres is that they are very uncertain, 
 and it is this element of uncertainty entering so 
 largely into their use that creates a fascination 
 that is simply irresistible and urges one on to 
 continue. 
 
 Repeated failures seem to enable one to tolerate 
 disappointment with equanimity, to regard with 
 resignation the discouraging features and resist 
 defeat. True, however, others have been so 
 annoyed at successive failures that they have 
 abandoned their use altogether. 
 
 On the label of every lustre there should be 
 printed the old adage, "If at first you don't suc- 
 ceed, try, try again." Then TRY once more. 
 
 Extreme care must be taken in handling lus- 
 tres. Should one color come in contact with 
 another before firing, both are apt to be ruined. 
 For this reason it is advisable to have separate 
 
LUSTRES 
 
 243 
 
 brushes for the different colors in order to pre- 
 serve the purity of tint, and for the same reason 
 it is well to be particular even in regard to the 
 corks in the bottles, and not allow them to be 
 interchanged. 
 
 Lustres are liquid and come in small vials, and 
 could not be distinguished one from the other were 
 it not for the labels, for they are all brown before 
 firing, and resembling liquid bright gold, which in 
 reality is a lustre. They are made from the same 
 mineral basis as the colors (see page 44), and 
 may be had in a variety of colors and several 
 shades of each. The colors run from white to 
 black, the latter requiring about three applica- 
 tions for a satisfactory shade. White is some- 
 times used to dilute other colors, although "gold 
 essence " comes for this purpose, should the lus- 
 tre become too thick from exposure and evapora- 
 tion. 
 
 The gold lustres, rose, ruby and violet should be 
 applied very thin to obtain best results. They 
 are very transparent, except gold, copper, plati- 
 num, and silver, which are opaque. Some of the 
 dark colors, if applied heavily in successive washes, 
 also become opaque, or nearly so, such as steel 
 blue. Light green and yellow brown are the 
 most useful and easiest to manage. 
 
 Lustres fire very much darker than any one not 
 
A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 accustomed to their use would suppose. It is 
 therefore advisable to use them in thin washes ; 
 their color can easily be strengthened by another 
 application, but, if too dark, it is impossible to 
 make the tint lighter. 
 
 Considerable knack is required to apply lustres, 
 for certainly there is no art nor skill in covering a 
 small surface with a wash of lustre. Use a square 
 shader and use directly from the bottle. The 
 lustre should be laid on as evenly as possible, if 
 the surface of the china is smooth or flat. If 
 necessary to obtain an even distribution of the 
 lustre, it can be padded the same as other colors, 
 but it is much better, if possible, not to resort to 
 this practice, but to learn to paint it on evenly. The 
 effect after firing is better. It is entirely unneces- 
 sary to pad gold, copper, steel blue, ruby, etc., as 
 they are so nearly, if not quite, opaque. But in 
 applying lustre to an irregular surface there is 
 absolutely no difficulty whatever. The difference 
 in degree or depth of color is most agreeable on 
 a raised surface, and it is advisable to let the lustre 
 settle in the sunken parts, especially if it is to 
 receive another color for a subsequent firing. It 
 gives greater iridescence. 
 
 The process of applying one lustre over another 
 may be repeated indefinitely, and generally the 
 effects are excellent. To obtain the best iridescent 
 
LUSTRES 
 
 245 
 
 results some knowledge is required of the metallic 
 source of the various lustres — a lustre derived from 
 one basis must be applied over another made from 
 a different basis. For instance, using a lustre made 
 from gold, use one made from iron. There is 
 practically no limit to the combinations. But it is 
 imperative that each successive wash be fired 
 before an attempt is made to apply another. 
 
 Lustres not only stand repeated firings well, but 
 require strong firing. 
 
 Everything must be kept scrupulously clean 
 when working with lustres. They seem to have a 
 mysterious magnetic influence to allure every par- 
 ticle of dust floating in the atmosphere, and even 
 though not visible before firing will develop 
 blemishes in the kiln that are difficult to rectify. 
 
 Cleanliness and care must be exercised to pre- 
 vent contact with any of the disturbing elements 
 that injure these delicate lustres. If they become 
 too thick, which they do when not fresh, thin with 
 either white or gold essence, the latter being pre- 
 ferable. But on no account use turpentine. Never 
 use turpentine for any purpose in connection with 
 lustre, not even to wash the brush. For this, use 
 alcohol instead. A good plan is to keep each 
 brush in an envelope marked with the name of 
 the color. 
 
 Lustres seem surrounded with a hedge of 
 
246 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 " nevers " and " don'ts " that is most discouraging 
 to overcome. But nothing else yields these won- 
 derful iridescent effects, and the end abundantly 
 justifies the pains. Patience is a necessary adjunct 
 of the equipment. 
 
 One of the most unmanageable blemishes to 
 restore is when the article comes from the kiln 
 with white spots, the bare china showing. It is 
 usually the result of a speck of dust having 
 settled in the lustre before it dried. Sometimes 
 several subsequent applications and firings will 
 remedy this defect. An opaque lustre entirely 
 conceals it. 
 
 Some brilliant effects may be obtained by the 
 following combinations: Orange over iridescent 
 rose; light green over ruby; yellow brown over 
 gold; light green over copper; ruby (thin) over 
 orange ; yellow over rose. Light green over rose 
 gives a beautiful soft pearl effect. 
 
 Lustre, as its name implies, comes from the 
 kiln glowing with brilliant glaze, with a pro- 
 nounced and vivid splendor that is rather crude 
 and lacking in refinement in its harsh glitter. To 
 many this intense brilliancy is the objectionable 
 feature. But this awful glare can be entirely 
 overcome if, before the lustre is applied, the arti- 
 cle is covered first with gold — Roman or matt, not 
 the liquid — fired and rubbed or scoured a little. 
 
LUSTRES 
 
 247 
 
 This process, while expensive, subdues the glisten- 
 ing surface, transforming it to one of artistic 
 beauty. 
 
 Gold may also be used over lustre, and is fre- 
 quently so used to disguise defects. Color raised 
 paste and enamels can also be used over lustres. 
 The color, however, must be used very thin. 
 
 The wonderful iridescence that follows the sev- 
 eral combinations already given is best obtained 
 on irregular surfaces, so that it may catch a ray 
 of light at different angles, and produce, conse- 
 quently, various colors. 
 
 Beautiful effects are obtained from a judicious 
 use of lustres, if some restraint is exercised and 
 they are not lavishly used. They are useful for 
 bands, borders, linings, etc. Certain flowers and 
 fruit may be treated in fiat lustre and combined 
 with black, giving a striking decoration. But it is 
 useless to attempt any modeling with them. Their 
 value lies entirely in the decorative qualities they 
 possess. 
 
 Experimenting with lustres is a fascinating pas- 
 time, and, as the unexpected frequently happens, 
 the enchantment continues. The constant variety 
 in results captivates and retains the interest, and, 
 although the issue is so uncertain, it is seldom with- 
 out beauty or beyond converting into something 
 beautiful. 
 
248 A M An UAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 For nearly all the defects there is a remedy, 
 which experience points out, and it is well to keep 
 a written memorandum of every experiment, for 
 if successful it is important, if a failure, it is 
 equally important to be able to avoid it in the 
 future. 
 
DECALCOM ANIA 
 
 Verifiable decalcomania or mineral transfers 
 were formerly confined to potteries, but are now 
 so readily procured and used that perhaps a few 
 words may not be out of place here, as they 
 certainly supply one way of decorating china. 
 
 It is not a very good or creditable style, however, 
 nor one to be recommended, although many of 
 the transfers are very pretty, graceful in design, 
 and excellent in color, and in themselves artistic. 
 
 There are several reasons why they are used, 
 the principal one probably being inability to do 
 as well or produce as good results by ordinary 
 methods. 
 
 Those who use them most assuredly save time 
 and labor, a sufficient motive perhaps for self- 
 justification. 
 
 When this method of decorating china is re- 
 sorted to with the intent to deceive, it at once 
 249 
 
250 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 becomes an imposture that is very deplorable. 
 The fact that many people are unable to detect 
 the print from the painted decoration is rather an 
 unworthy excuse for duping an unsuspecting pat- 
 ron by taking advantage of his ignorance. Such 
 tricking is beneath contempt. 
 
 Yet it would be unfair, if not unwise, to condemn 
 this use, for mineral transfers have a well defined 
 place, and under some circumstances are per- 
 fectly legitimate. There are always two points of 
 view. However, as this book claims to be one of 
 practical instruction in the decoration of china, 
 and not of morals, this is not the place to discuss 
 the ethical side of the question. 
 
 These transfers are printed with mineral colors 
 and consequently fire well and remain permanent. 
 They come in two forms, single and duplex; the 
 latter must be separated before applying to the 
 china. 
 
 The materials and implements are, in addition 
 to the transfer, the medium to make the transfer 
 adhere to the china; a small roller; a sponge; a 
 piece of chamois skin ; and a bowl of water. 
 
 The process is by no means complicated. Wet 
 the chamois skin and spread out flat and smooth 
 on the table, and upon this place the transfer face 
 down, after cutting away all the margin. While 
 this is becoming damp, take a brush and cover 
 
DECALCOMANIA 
 
 251 
 
 the china with the medium, not too thick or the 
 transfer will blister in firing. The medium most 
 probably is oil and turpentine, just as is usually 
 employed when using mineral colors. Be sure 
 the surface is entirely covered which is to be occu- 
 pied by the transfer. In a few minutes it will 
 become "tacky" and ready to receive the transfer. 
 
 Then carefully place the transfer face down- 
 ward on the china without any hesitation. Put it 
 down firmly where it is to go, and let it remain, 
 because it cannot be shifted to another position 
 and therefore must be placed exactly as it is 
 intended. But if it is not on the right spot it 
 must be left alone; under no circumstance attempt 
 to move or change it. 
 
 Wet it thoroughly with the sponge and run the 
 roller over it, from the center to the outside edge. 
 See to it that it sticks closely. If any little 
 bubbles or humps appear that will not down, 
 prick them with the point of a very fine cambric 
 needle. When the paper has become thoroughly 
 saturated with the water, carefully lift it up, 
 leaving the mineral film intact. 
 
 The duplex transfers can be made sufficiently 
 smooth by gently patting or pressing, and the 
 roller need not be used. 
 
 After removing the paper, submerge in the 
 bowl of water and carefully wash, without tearing 
 
252 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 the transfer. Let it then stand a day or so to dry- 
 before firing. 
 
 After firing, the china is then to be treated 
 exactly the same as though the picture had been 
 painted. It can be touched up, worked over and 
 around as desired. 
 
 Any background can be put in that suits the 
 subject. 
 
SUPPLEMENTARY 
 
 Great depth of color can be obtained by dusting 
 on dry color when the painting is nearly dry. If 
 the article is painted to-day, it will be in fit condi- 
 tion to-morrow to receive the powder color. On 
 no condition attempt it the same day unless the 
 article has been sufficiently dried in the oven 
 or kiln. Even this is not always satisfactory and 
 much better results follow by waiting. If the 
 painting is too dry it does not take the color when 
 dusted on; if not sufficiently dry, it absorbs too 
 much in some places, thereby giving it a spotted 
 appearance, by the uneven distribution of dry 
 color. A blemish difficult to rectify. 
 
 This process of dusting on dry color must not 
 be confused with that of tinting or ground-laying. 
 See page 151. 
 
 That method is employed to secure an even 
 tint, while this is to blend one color into an- 
 other, by rubbing on either the same or another 
 color. 
 
 The object is to unite the two and to bring 
 colors into a closer harmony. 
 
 Promiscuous rubbing on of colors at random 
 must not be indulged in, as it is more apt to 
 defeat than promote the main object. 
 
 This method will produce results otherwise 
 2 53 
 
254 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 unobtainable, and at the same time secures inten- 
 sity of tone quite easily and safely. With a small 
 piece of raw cotton, or wool, take up a little pow- 
 der color and rub it on just where one color should 
 merge into another. The more transparent the 
 color, the better. 
 
 There is nothing equal to this process for bring- 
 ing the subject of decoration into direct harmony 
 with the background ; it is the connecting link. 
 
 It also serves another purpose, and that is it 
 obviates any hard lines; in fact a number of 
 deficiencies may be concealed by a judicious 
 application of dry color at the right time and in 
 the right place. 
 
 By dusting some of the background color on 
 the shadow side of roses, it not only brings 
 them into closer relation with the background, but 
 softens the edges and subdues the shadows, makes 
 them transparent and apparently they melt and fade 
 away into the background. Then, for a second 
 firing, dust right into the background whatever color 
 the rose is. Charming results follow that can be 
 obtained by no other process. 
 
 A few trials will convince any one of the many 
 superior advantages gained by this method, but the 
 decorator must be careful not to overdo it. 
 
 Restrain the impulse to keep on, and try to 
 learn when to stop. 
 
FIRING 
 
 Firing of china is one of the most interesting 
 processes connected with its decoration. It is the 
 culmination of all the previous work, and can make 
 or mar its artistic and commercial value for all time. 
 Without it, the work is incomplete and perishable ; 
 that is, the painting can easily be obliterated. 
 
 Firing, therefore, is the final and essential requi- 
 site to render the decoration absolutely permanent. 
 It not only develops the colors, but indissolubly 
 attaches them to the glaze when at the point of 
 fusion ; thus the decoration becomes incorporated 
 with the body of the ware: 
 
 This union makes the painting definitely part 
 and parcel of the article, and it can no longer be 
 regarded separately. 
 
 This is one reason that the decoration should be 
 appropriate ; as the process of firing unites the two 
 arts — that of the potter and of the decorator — 
 
 255 
 
256 
 
 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 into one complete and imperishable form, which 
 must henceforth be considered as a whole. 
 
 The convenience and advantages of owning a 
 kiln, and the knowledge and experience acquired 
 from firing, cannot be overestimated. It is an 
 object-lesson that practically demonstrates previous 
 theories, and constantly reveals new ones. 
 
 Those who have never seen a kiln fired have a 
 novel sensation in store for them, for there was 
 never a firing that was not interesting from some 
 point of view. It is a revelation and an education 
 to watch the process. 
 
 Each successive firing affords a new experience, 
 and imparts additional information ; and the knowl- 
 edge thus acquired is of such great value and im- 
 portance that perhaps it is not too much to add 
 that no one has a thorough comprehension of the 
 art of china-painting who has never fired a kiln. 
 Without this familiarity of the action of fire upon 
 the various colors, metals, glazes, etc., one's under- 
 standing of the art is still deficient ; and it is of 
 but little consequence how well one can apply the 
 colors, if the results after firing still remain a mat- 
 ter of vague speculation. 
 
 The information thus attained will prove to be 
 of very material assistance in securing desirable 
 results, and avoiding undesirable failures. It is 
 therefore recommended that the student provide 
 
FIRING 
 
 25/ 
 
 himself, as early in his career as possible, with 
 a kiln, and do his own firing. 
 
 The expense should never be a deterrent factor, 
 as in time a kiln more than abundantly repays both 
 interest and principal on the money invested. 
 
 The trouble one incurs is more than counterbal- 
 anced by the satisfaction, convenience, and numer- 
 ous other advantages derived from possession. 
 
 It is not within the province of this Manual to 
 recommend any of the many kilns to be had, their 
 particular features and distinctive merits being duly 
 announced in their respective advertisements. 1 
 
 Portable kilns, made expressly for studio pur- 
 poses, are of several sizes, and to be used with 
 various kinds of fuel, — gas, charcoal, oil, etc. 
 
 The selection is usually a matter of individual 
 choice or necessity, governed by two important 
 items ; namely, the facility for obtaining the ne- 
 cessary fuel, and the place where the kiln is to 
 be set. 
 
 Illuminating-gas is the fuel most generally em- 
 ployed with the regular studio kiln, but there are 
 circumstances under which this cannot be obtained. 
 The next preference is given to charcoal. 
 
 Charcoal gives very satisfactory results. Some 
 sheltered spot should be secured out of doors where 
 
 1 All danger in connection with the use of kerosene oil in firing 
 has been eliminated by recent improvements. 
 
258 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 the kiln will not be exposed to violent draughts, and 
 where its cooling off too suddenly, when the fire is 
 drawn, can be provided against. 
 
 Firing with charcoal in the house is to be avoided ; 
 since charcoal is not only unpleasant to handle, but 
 the fumes are very disagreeable, if not positively 
 dangerous, on account of the carbonic acid gas that 
 is thrown off. 
 
 If the firing is to be done within doors, and the 
 gas is available, both as to quality and quantity, it 
 should be substituted for charcoal, as cleaner and 
 easier to manage. But to have perfect combustion 
 from gas it must be of a good uniform quality; and 
 to obtain the best results, a strong, even pressure 
 is imperative. 
 
 A light pressure, which is equivalent to an insuf- 
 ficient supply, will never yield the required heat to 
 vitrify the colors, no matter how long the firing 
 continues. Firing is not so much a question of 
 time as of heat. A full, strong head of gas will 
 produce the required temperature in a certain spe- 
 cified time ; but a weak flow will never go beyond 
 a certain limit, and that is inadequate for the pur- 
 pose. An assured amount of heat must be gener- 
 ated to reach the high temperature necessary to 
 fuse the colors, and this cannot be attained with an 
 insufficient supply of gas. Moreover, it is highly 
 essential to have the pressure entirely under control. 
 
FIRING 
 
 259 
 
 A good plan is to have the gas register through 
 a separate metre, which should be a large one, and 
 in proportion to the pipe ; and in this way only can 
 an exact account be kept of the amount of gas con- 
 sumed in estimating the cost of each firing. 
 
 Instructions usually accompany each kiln, giv- 
 ing in detail full particulars as to setting up, size 
 of pipe required, and directions for firing. But the 
 responsibility of the firer does not end here — this 
 is but the beginning ; for there have never yet been 
 instructions that could cover every possible con- 
 tingency. And even the best of them are only 
 approximately thorough, and to be of value must 
 be supplemented by personal experience. 
 
 While the kiln is a purely mechanical contri- 
 vance, the firing of the china can by no means be 
 regarded as a mere automatic performance, nor can 
 it be satisfactorily accomplished in a perfunctory 
 manner. 
 
 Firing makes a demand on one's best efforts, 
 and exacts intelligence, skill, and care. 
 
 Verbal and printed advice undoubtedly contrib- 
 ute their quota of information to the amateur firer 
 that is of great assistance, by telling him what to 
 do and what not to do ; and this enables him to 
 fire after a fashion. 
 
 But it is only through the medium of keen ob- 
 servation and practical experience, combined with 
 
260 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 a retentive memory, that anything like an assured 
 success can be attained. 
 
 There are so many and varied risks and vicissi- 
 tudes connected with firing that it would be im- 
 possible to more than indicate how success may 
 be achieved and failure avoided. 
 
 It is not advisable to fire a kiln larger than me- 
 dium size in the studio, as the enormous amount 
 of heat thrown off renders the room exceedingly 
 uncomfortable. 
 
 One fact will manifest itself sooner or later to 
 the observing firer, especially in large cities : the 
 force of gas fluctuates with the weather, the season 
 of the year, and even the time of day. For in- 
 stance, the main pressure is increased towards 
 night ; as more gas is consumed after dark than 
 during the day, a greater flow is necessary to 
 supply the increased demand. 
 
 This is especially noticeable on a dark, stormy 
 day, when more artificial light is required than on 
 a fair, sunny day. Likewise, darkness sets in 
 much earlier in the day in winter than in summer. 
 
 These differences are very perceptible to an ex- 
 perienced firer, who makes due allowance both in 
 turning on the force, and in the length of time 
 given to the process. These minute details must 
 be considered, as everything connected with firing 
 is of the utmost importance. 
 
FIRING 
 
 26l 
 
 A kiln should be kept perfectly clean. 
 
 The iron pot in which china is stacked should be 
 well wiped out before placing the china; a damp 
 cloth does this perhaps better than a dry one. 
 
 In the course of time and frequent firings, the 
 iron pot disintegrates, and infinitesimal particles of 
 iron scale off. 
 
 Even though these be in the form of an impal- 
 pable powder, if allowed to settle on the china 
 while in the kiln, they will absolutely ruin it. 
 
 Cleanliness will prevent this catastrophe. 
 
 The inside of the iron pot should be occasionally 
 whitewashed. 
 
 The advantages of whitewash are twofold, — 
 cleanliness, and the increase of the reflective power 
 of the heat. The gain to the china is obvious. 
 
 After using the whitewash, pour water over it, 
 and let it stand undisturbed till again required. 
 It will be found to have settled at the bottom ; 
 pour off the clear water, stir well with a stick, and 
 it is ready for use. 
 
 A pail half-full will last a long while ; it is inex- 
 pensive, and easy to manage. 
 
 A wise plan before stacking a kiln is to light 
 the gas a few minutes, ten or fifteen, in order to 
 thoroughly dry it. It will be dry when it is warm ; 
 then turn off the gas, and proceed to pack in the 
 china. 
 
262 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 This is not an absolutely necessary part of the 
 process, provided the iron pot is thoroughly dry. 
 A kiln fired every day or two in the studio is apt 
 to be dry, while a kiln kept in the cellar or out of 
 doors is more likely to be damp. If this precau- 
 tionary measure is not adopted, there is the chance 
 that as soon as the gas is lighted, and the iron pot 
 begins to warm, the moisture, which has been 
 quite invisible, will arise in the form of vapor. If 
 it does not evaporate, it will condense, and perhaps 
 fall on the ware. If this does happen, it leaves 
 an unsightly mark, one that cannot be eradicated. 
 
 Where a certainty exists that the kiln is per- 
 fectly dry, no previous warming is necessary ; but 
 even under these favorable circumstances the gas 
 should be turned very low at first to provide 
 against a possibility. If the iron pot does not 
 exude moisture, the ware will, which is equally as 
 disastrous, if, when converted into steam, it is al- 
 lowed to settle on the decoration. Besides, some 
 of the fluxes are soluble in water ; and if brought 
 in contact with the vapor and gases generated in 
 the kiln, they will not only dissolve, but will evap- 
 orate with the escaping steam. 
 
 This "sweating" is bound to occur, but there 
 is really no reason why it should do any damage ; 
 that can be prevented by having very little heat at 
 first, and an unobstructed draught. The kiln and 
 
FIRtNG 
 
 263 
 
 the china will then heat gradually, and will dry at 
 the same time. 
 
 There will be no excess of moisture if the gas 
 is turned low at first, and slowly increased at in- 
 tervals of ten or fifteen minutes. 
 
 The necessity of carrying off this accumulation 
 of moisture and gases arising from the ware, 
 colors, oils, etc., before they have a chance to car- 
 bonize and deposit on th,e china, is the reason a 
 good draught is so imperative in order to furnish 
 thorough ventilation. 
 
 This also explains why a kiln must have an 
 opening, or rather, two, one in the bottom, and 
 another at the top. After a certain length of 
 time has elapsed after the lighting of the gas, 
 these various gases and fumes are dissipated, and 
 the danger arising therefrom is gradually dimin- 
 ished and finally disappears. 
 
 China in the kiln is very sensitive and suscepti- 
 ble to extraneous influences, and if brought in 
 contact with any foreign matter when at the 
 point of fusion will, in all probability, retain the 
 impression permanently. Therefore the heat must 
 penetrate slowly, to allow the natural vapors to 
 pass off by evaporation, and be entirely eliminated. 
 
 One of the most disappointing, and possibly the 
 most frequent, disasters that happen to the inex- 
 perienced firer is to discover, upon opening the 
 
264 A MANUAL FOP CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 kiln, that everything has turned the color of 
 smoke. This gray tinge varies in density from a 
 scarcely perceptible shade to almost blackness. 
 
 This is caused by an excessive flow of gas, and 
 considerably more has escaped than could be con- 
 sumed. 
 
 The result of the superfluous gas is a residuum, 
 the product of imperfect combustion, which, being 
 heavier than the escaping gases and vapor, falls 
 in upon the contents of the kiln, and fuses to the 
 exposed surface of the china wherever it comes 
 in contact. 
 
 If the draught had been stronger, and in pro- 
 portion to the flow of gas, it would have carried 
 it off, and this accident would have been averted. 
 
 This demonstrates the fact that while a defi- 
 ciency of gas is ineffectual, a surplus amount is 
 a positive damage. A kiln must be set "just 
 right," and be managed in like manner. It re- 
 quires an expert to properly adjust a kiln, and 
 also to fire it. 
 
 This usually fatal accident sometimes can be 
 partially, if not wholly, repaired by another strong 
 firing ; but this method is not to be relied upon 
 as an infallible remedy. 1 
 
 1 A similar mishap occurred during the writer's experience 
 with a chocolate pot; it was decorated with pale green and deli- 
 cate carnation (No. 1 ), tints which were totally ruined and dis- 
 
FIRING 
 
 265 
 
 It is claimed by the manufacturers that the 
 kilns heat alike all around ; that they fire evenly, 
 the heat being equally distributed, the burner 
 being exactly in the middle ; but, as a matter of 
 fact, this is not always so. 
 
 Nor is it altogether desirable that it should be 
 so ; for in the average studio work, there are usu- 
 ally some pieces that require a strong firing, and 
 others that require a light firing, and, were the 
 conditions alike, they could not all be accommo- 
 dated at the same firing. 
 
 Experience teaches that one side invariably heats 
 first, and only experience will teach which side. 
 
 The gold colors (carmines, purples, crimsons, 
 and violets) should go in the hottest place ; while 
 the grays, iron reds, yellows, and greens will glaze 
 well in the coolest part of the kiln. The browns 
 and blues take the intermediate place. 
 
 The bottom of the kiln, being directly over and 
 in immediate contact with the flame beneath, must 
 of necessity be hotter than the top. These vary- 
 ing degrees of temperature are not to be lost 
 
 colored by smoke, but were entirely restored during a second 
 firing. Strange to say, though, while every vestige of smoke dis- 
 appeared from the decorated outside of the chocolate pot, the 
 inside still remained a uniform shade of gray, but of an iridescent 
 quality that could by no other known means be duplicated. While 
 the article in question lost value commercially, it remained an 
 object of much curiosity and speculation. 
 
266 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 sight of when stacking a kiln, but are to be taken 
 advantage of, and turned to account. 
 
 Stilts are used in stacking a kiln, to place be- 
 tween pieces of glazed ware to keep them from 
 touching each other. If this 
 
 precaution were omitted they 
 would fuse together, and one 
 article would firmly adhere to 
 the other ; for they would be 
 attached by the melting of the 
 
 Cut No. 28. Haze, and would consolidate. 
 
 Stilts come in various sizes, and one should be 
 provided with a generous supply of each size. 
 
 They are made of unglazed earthenware, and 
 should be discarded when they have lost their 
 points. 
 
 Platten (thin sheets of fire-clay) and asbestos 
 may also be used for the same purpose. These 
 may be had in sheets, and may be further utilized 
 to form temporary shelving, to hold more china 
 than the kiln would otherwise contain. 
 
 To economize space, small pieces of china can 
 be placed within large pieces, provided they are 
 protected by stilts, platten, or asbestos. A bowl 
 or jardiniere, for example, may contain another 
 smaller one, or a cup and saucer, with a possible 
 pin-tray or butter-plate within this again. 
 
 China can be put in the kiln in any way to fit, 
 
FIRING 
 
 267 
 
 — lengthwise, crosswise, upside down, or any other 
 conceivable fashion ; but each piece should be 
 firmly placed, so that any jarring or jolting will 
 not make any of them lose their equilibrium and 
 topple over. This grave accident would most 
 likely injure several pieces, as well as the one that 
 loses its balance. 
 
 Plates, saucers, trays, etc., may be placed flat, 
 one on top of the other, making a pile of them, or 
 they may stand on edge against the side of the kiln. 
 
 Space must always be allowed for expansion ; and 
 too close packing, on this account, is to be avoided. 
 Another thing to be avoided is the placing of any 
 article decorated with liquid bright gold in close 
 proximity to the gold colors, especially pinks ; 
 and the same precaution should be observed in 
 packing green gold, as it contains silver. The 
 fumes from both liquid bright gold and silver 
 might affect a delicate pink, and it might not ; it 
 is too great a risk to assume that it will not. It 
 is worse than useless, for it is utter folly, to reck- 
 lessly and voluntarily place in jeopardy the work 
 bestowed on the decoration, perhaps the labor of 
 days, or even weeks, on a mere chance. 
 
 If there is a draught-hole in the bottom of the 
 kiln, it should not be covered by any article of 
 china unless supported by a large stilt so as to 
 allow a free passage of air. 
 
268 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 In another part of this Manual carmine is alluded 
 to as the " test "-color in firing ; and the changes 
 due to under-firing and over-firing are given, — 
 one resulting in a muddy yellowish tint, the other 
 in a purplish cast, both equally unattractive. 
 
 The chemical changes that firing produces, 'how- 
 ever, were reserved to be given here as the proper 
 place. 
 
 Carmine is called a gold color, but it also con- 
 tains a certain proportion of tin and silver. Dur- 
 ing the process of firing, while this pigment is 
 being developed, it undergoes several distinctive 
 phases. At first it is in a raw, crude condition ; and 
 a low temperature will never impart the final flush 
 of beauty it possesses when perfectly developed. 
 
 In this first stage of firing, the- silver predomi- 
 nates, and the pink is weak and obscure. It then 
 assumes a dull yellow tint that is far from agree- 
 able. When the proper degree of heat has been 
 reached, the pink is in the ascendency ; and then 
 the development is at its height, and the color is 
 perfect. Beyond this point the silver is destroyed ; 
 and the result is a tendency to lose its rich warmth 
 of color, and it inclines to a bluish or lilac hue. 
 
 Different degrees of heat can therefore be gauged 
 by noticing its effect on carmine. 
 
 Of course the length of time required for firing 
 depends entirely upon the size of the kiln. 
 
FIRING 
 
 269 
 
 China should be heated slowly, raising the tem- 
 perature gradually, not only to avoid the condensa- 
 tion of vapor, but to prevent accident by breaking, 
 which might occur if heated too rapidly, especially 
 with large pieces. 
 
 Sufficient time must be allowed for the china 
 to expand and contract in heating and cooling, as 
 hastening either process is apt to result in serious 
 damage. 
 
 Small articles can be heated through much more 
 rapidly than large punch-bowls or jardinieres. 
 There is another accident that the firer cannot 
 provide against ; and that is when a piece of china, 
 during firing, splits or breaks, as by explosion. 
 This, however, is of rare occurrence, and is the 
 result of a defect in the ware. 
 
 Sometimes a grain of sand imbedded has no 
 room to expand, and it forces its way out. Some- 
 times it is an air-hole, or bubble of air, that must 
 find vent when it becomes superheated, and the 
 force of the heat expels it. 
 
 The laws which govern expansion and contrac- 
 tion are infallible ; and everything in nature is com- 
 pelled to obey, or suffer the consequences. 
 
 After the firing is accomplished, the kiln should 
 be allowed to cool naturally before it is opened. 
 The larger the kiln, the longer the time required for 
 it to become sufficiently cool to unpack with safety. 
 
2 70 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 As each piece is removed, it should be closely 
 examined, first to compare with a mental memo- 
 randum made previous to firing, and secondly to 
 discover if the firing it has received be perfectly 
 satisfactory. 
 
 If the colors are all right, and they have glazed 
 well, the firing has been successful. If the colors 
 are dull and unresponsive, or the gold rubs off, or 
 the pinks are yellowish or bluish, or the reds dark 
 and uninteresting, something has gone wrong, — 
 either too little or too much heat was applied. If 
 the failure has been the result of too little firing, 
 another and stronger firing may bring the articles 
 to a satisfactory condition. If, however, the fire 
 has been too hot and continued too long, there is 
 nothing but disappointment for the owner of the 
 china. 
 
 Should the surface of the china feel a trifle 
 rough to the touch, as it frequently will, it may be 
 rubbed with an old piece of emery cloth or fine 
 sandpaper. If there is only new on hand, rub 
 two pieces briskly together till it loses much of 
 its grittiness. Do not, however, allow this to 
 touch the gold, but only the color. 
 
 A piece of advice to those who do not do their 
 own firing seems appropriate here. Always have 
 the colors thoroughly dry, and especially the gold, 
 before sending to the firer. There is so much 
 
FIRING 
 
 271 
 
 danger of their being rubbed off or smeared in the 
 transportation. 
 
 The china should also be properly cleaned be- 
 fore it is sent to the firer. 
 
 Every piece should be critically examined on all 
 sides, every finger-mark removed, also the label 
 occasionally found on the bottom. This is not 
 the firer's work ; and, moreover, it requires time 
 which the firer should not be expected to bestow. 
 
 Persons taking or sending articles away to be 
 fired should mark them in some fashion in order 
 to readily identify them. It may save much con- 
 fusion and time. 
 
 The firer has a reputation to sustain, and may 
 be safely trusted to do his part well. But he can- 
 not invoke any cabalistic incantation, and convert 
 bad drawing into good, nor correct palpable fail- 
 ures into perpetual harmonies. 
 
 The kiln can do a great deal towards perfecting 
 a decoration on china, but it cannot do everything. 
 It cannot perform miracles ; and the firer must 
 not be held responsible for all the flagrant faults 
 of the amateur. 
 
 China can be mended by using a cement that 
 comes for the purpose. It is mixed the same as a 
 powder color, and applied on the broken edges. If 
 the break is in such a place that the pieces must 
 be tied in place, asbestos cord is the article to use. 
 
272 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 This can then be fired, and the join will be per- 
 fectly secure and impervious to water, and scarcely 
 perceptible. 
 
 Should the article be of such a shape as to pre- 
 clude tying together with this asbestos cord, it 
 can be placed in another larger piece of china, and 
 the intervening spaces filled with small pieces of 
 asbestos. It must be packed in tightly all around 
 and underneath, so that one piece of china cannot 
 come in contact with the other. 
 
 Occasionally a little fragment is knocked off the 
 edge of china, and the chip is lost. If this nick 
 is not too large, it can be filled with either white 
 enamel or raised paste. The latter is preferable, 
 as, when gilded, the defect is scarcely noticeable. 
 
 \ 
 
UNDER-GLAZE PAINTING 
 
 For under-glaze painting the under-glaze colors 
 must be used. These are prepared to resist the 
 intense heat to which the ware is subjected after 
 being glazed, which usually reaches a very much 
 higher temperature, and lasts much longer, than 
 that required to fire the over-glaze colors. 
 
 The most satisfactory way for the amateur to 
 work and get the best results is to obtain the 
 materials from a pottery if possible. These will 
 include not only the article (to be decorated) in 
 biscuit, but the colors and the glaze. 
 
 It is so necessary for perfect work that the 
 body of the ware, the glaze, and the colors should 
 have an affinity for each other, that to procure 
 those that are in constant use, and known to be 
 reliable, relieves the amateur of many doubts and 
 misgivings. 
 
 The method of applying colors on the biscuit 
 is very simple, and in treatment very like the 
 
 273 
 
2 74 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 manipulation of water-colors, though these same 
 colors may be used with oil and turpentine. 
 
 The under-glaze palette may be confined to few 
 colors, and yet attain a wide range of tints and a 
 sufficient variety of color for nearly all subjects. 
 
 Designs should be simple and effective, and 
 treated broadly, in strong masses of light and 
 shade. 
 
 Fine, delicate work, containing much detail, is 
 often almost obliterated by the glaze ; and, for 
 large ornamental pieces, free, bold work is very 
 much more effective and appropriate. 
 
 Under-glaze painting seems to demand vigorous 
 treatment, and should not be undertaken except 
 by those having had experience in the handling 
 of brushes. 
 
 There are two distinctive stages wherein color 
 may be applied before, or under, the glaze. One 
 is while the clay is still wet. If the body of the 
 ware is not white, it must have a coating of 
 "white slip," to receive the painted design. 
 
 The colors are lightened in tint by the admix- 
 ture of this same " slip," and are applied in im- 
 pasto. The addition of white renders the colors 
 opaque, and they can be superimposed one over 
 the other with a freedom only equalled by an oil 
 painting. This gives great force to the character 
 of the decoration ; and this treatment requires vig- 
 
UNDER-GLAZE PAINTING 
 
 275 
 
 orous, skilful handling, and not weak, vacillating 
 touches. 
 
 The other method is after the ware has been 
 fired once. The biscuit is then treated as a water- 
 color painting, if water is to be the medium. First 
 dip it in water till it absorbs considerable moisture. 
 This is necessary to wash on the colors in gradu- 
 ated tints, and it insures a perfect control of the 
 manipulation. 
 
 The highly absorbent quality of the biscuit, if 
 objectionable, may in a measure be overcome by 
 giving it a wash of a thin solution of gum traga- 
 canth. This will render the surface less porous, 
 and make it more convenient to work upon. 
 
 Monochromes are usually done this way ; but 
 polychromes have frequently an addition of white 
 to lighten the shades, and the painting proceeds 
 as in gouache painting, or body colors. Where 
 white is to be used in this manner to produce 
 lighter tints on the biscuit, ground porcelain is 
 used for this purpose, because, having been fired, 
 it has shrunk ; otherwise, the biscuit having been 
 fired and consequently shrunk, a fresh unbaked 
 clay, not having been shrunk, would not " fit " the 
 surface of the biscuit. The expansion and con- 
 traction would not be even, and the result would 
 be cracking or crazing. 
 
 The decoration on the biscuit should be fired 
 
276 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 before it is glazed. This gives a final opportu- 
 nity for retouching before it receives the glaze. 
 
 The glaze, while it tones clown inequalities of 
 outline, emphasizes the masses of color ; and some- 
 times what appears a light color before glazing 
 will be considerably deepened and darkened after- 
 wards. • 
 
 One of the serious difficulties the amateur en- 
 counters is that some of the colors before firing 
 do not resemble in the slightest degree the colors 
 they represent, or as they emerge from the kiln. 
 The successful use of under-glaze colors must de- 
 pend largely on a knowledge of this fact, and of 
 their subsequent appearance ; the reliance must 
 be upon results, rather than the appearance of the 
 colors before glazing and firing. 
 
 The under-glaze yellows are very strong colors ; 
 and a little goes a long way, and if over-fired usu- 
 ally predominate. 
 
 Greens are crude, and need subduing. Best 
 black is in reality the darkest kind of green when 
 fired and glazed. Reds fire away and change. 
 Blue is a satisfactory color ; matt blue a beautiful 
 color that changes very little ; and cobalt pos- 
 sesses a depth of rich color unequalled elsewhere, 
 and is one of the colors that will stand the highest 
 degree of heat. 
 
 It is advisable to prevent colors on the biscuit 
 
UNDER-GLAZE PAINTING 
 
 277 
 
 from spreading, as it is difficult to efface ; and 
 all the deepest accents and strengthening touches 
 with which the final painting is re-enforced should 
 be put in with the brush rather dry. A flight of 
 birds, or twigs and branches of a tree, could not 
 be depicted definitely otherwise. 
 
 Glazing softens all harsh lines, and brings out 
 the body and strength of the decoration ; but all 
 fine, delicate details are usually lost. 
 
 All articles painted on the biscuit may be re- 
 painted and fired the second time before glaze is 
 applied. And after glazing, it may again be re- 
 touched and fired, and it may receive two or more 
 coatings of glaze as well. 
 
 There is a positive fascination about the work, 
 as the results are rather uncertain, and it would 
 be quite impossible to produce two decorations 
 exactly alike. 
 
 Artistic effects are always aimed at ; but some- 
 times one's hopes are irretrievably blasted, and 
 sometimes the results by far exceed anticipation. 
 
GLASS-PAINTING 
 
 f 
 
 Glass-painting is a very sim- 
 ilar process to china-painting, 
 ■ and any one having a fair under- 
 I standing of one will find no new 
 f difficulties in pursuing the other. 
 For all practical purposes, and 
 especially to make the distinc- 
 tion in this Manual between 
 pictorial painting on glass, and or- 
 namental painting on glassware, the 
 subject may be divided into two classi- 
 fications ; namely, "glass-painting" and "glass- 
 decorating." 
 
 Glass-painting, therefore, refers to painting on 
 flat surfaces of glass, to be used wherever there 
 is transmitted light, as windows, lanterns, screens, 
 etc. 
 
 Glass-decorating will treat of the adornment of 
 portable articles of utility and ornament, and, as 
 such, possesses an artistic excellence entirely its 
 own ; and as it is distinctively an embellishment 
 of something already made and in itself complete, 
 and that is already attractive and beautiful from 
 its delicacy in form and color, it forms one branch 
 of applied art. 
 
 278 
 
GLASS-PAINTING 
 
 279 
 
 Unquestionably a painted window, as such, is 
 also applied art ; but it has borrowed so much from 
 pictorial art, in the realistic treatment of subjects, 
 both as to form and color, and in the introduction 
 of natural, picturesque designs, that it is pessimistic 
 not to call painted glass high art. 
 
 Ecclesiastical windows that are the result of sepa- 
 rate pieces of colored glass leaded together, and 
 called "mosaic glass-painting," are perhaps more 
 the productions of an industry than of an art ; as 
 they are frequently but the translation of the artist's 
 designs, put together in a sort of mechanical fashion 
 by the artisan, who, though possessing some spe- 
 cial skill in this work, displays no invention what- 
 ever. His skill depends on the faithful execution 
 of the original draft of another's creation. 
 
 But to take a piece of flat window glass, — and 
 what is more uninteresting from an artistic point 
 of view ? — and by the application of a well formu- 
 lated design, and an artistic arrangement of colors 
 and a correct distribution of light and shade, 
 create a pleasing image or picture upon its trans- 
 parent surface, is most certainly an art. 
 
 And the one who is thus able to convert this 
 commonplace material into a vision of loveliness, 
 and transform an ordinary article of commerce, 
 something in itself of little worth, into an article 
 of lasting value, deserves the name of artist. 
 
280 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 It is hypercriticism to withhold the just meed of 
 praise for one, and unjust and ungenerous not to 
 appraise correctly the full value and title of the 
 other. 
 
 Various imitations of painted glass have been 
 from time to time placed upon the market to de- 
 lude the unwary and unsuspecting public ; but, like 
 all base counterfeits that are cheap, they lack art 
 value. The imposition is so palpable, the fictitious 
 value so apparent, and the usefulness and durabil- 
 ity so transient, as to offend good taste and refine- 
 ment, and it does not deserve encouragement. 
 
 To be genuine, verifiable colors must be used, 
 and must be fired in, to unite with the glass. 
 
 All other attempts to paint on glass with other 
 pigments are deceptive, and are not considered as 
 legitimate glass-painting. Moreover, the results 
 are ephemeral and fleeting. 
 
 Colors for glass-painting are derived from the 
 same source — minerals — as those prepared for 
 china ; but they are prepared especially for glass. 
 This means that they will fuse at a much lower 
 degree of temperature than those to be used on 
 china. 
 
 The intense heat required to vitrify the colors 
 to the glaze of china would liquefy glass. 
 
 M. Lacroix has labored long and patiently to 
 perfect a set of colors to enable the amateur to 
 
GLASS-PAINTING 
 
 28l 
 
 paint glass. This list is now on the market, and 
 is so far complete that any subject one fancies, an- 
 tique, mediaeval, or modern, may be painted with 
 equal freedom and success. 
 
 Some of the glass colors were made to exactly 
 reproduce certain shades and effects employed by 
 prominent artists of the twelfth to the sixteenth 
 century, so that these ancient works may be faith- 
 fully imitated to-day. The work that has success- 
 fully resisted the elements of time for several 
 centuries deserves recognition. 
 
 In fact, the present century has been able to do 
 but little more than make an ingenious pastiche on 
 the productions of all preceding centuries. 
 
 As far as it was possible, Lacroix has given 
 these glass colors the same names as those applied 
 to his china-painting colors, when they approxi- 
 mate the same shade. Thus, for instance, there 
 is crimson and ruby purple, capucine red, and deep 
 violet of gold and light violet of gold. This ren- 
 ders it comparatively easy for the china-painter to 
 select the colors he desires for glass-painting. 
 
 The colors as prepared by Lacroix are divided 
 into two classes ; namely, " grisailles, or gray tints, 
 and the painting-colors." There are eighteen of 
 the former and thirty-four of the latter. The 
 grisailles are to model and outline with, the paint- 
 ing-colors to give the color the subject demands. 
 
282 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 The best plan for the amateur to pursue is to pro- 
 cure a piece of clear white glass, the requisite size 
 and shape, and select some simple design — one 
 that will admit of rather a broad, bold treatment, 
 without detail, and be effective in few colors. 
 
 The glass should be a hard quality of glass, as 
 inferior grades have a superabundance of lead in 
 their composition, and will not be able to resist 
 the heat of a kiln without getting out of shape, 
 to say nothing of the chemical action upon the 
 colors. 
 
 After selecting a design, attach it to the back 
 of the glass by either strips of gummed paper or 
 small pieces of wax. 
 
 Place the glass then flat on the table, and the 
 design will be distinctly seen through. Sometimes 
 it is preferable to paint glass on an easel, and for 
 this purpose there is one especially adapted ; it is 
 a simply constructed frame that can be arranged at 
 any desirable angle. 
 
 The centre is open, presenting an unobstructed 
 space for the glass, so that nothing will intercept 
 the light. 
 
 Few brushes are necessary : a long, slender brush 
 for making the outlines, a few square shaders, the 
 size depending on the work, a badger blender, and 
 what are called " scrubs." This is a small bristle 
 brush, either cut or burned down, and is used to 
 
GLASS-PAINTING 
 
 23 3 
 
 remove the color when it is intended to represent 
 the high lights ; for, as in china-painting, the un- 
 painted surface has to supply the high lights. No 
 white is used for this work, as white is opaque, 
 and one of the principal charms attending glass- 
 painting is to retain the transparency. 
 
 The glass colors of Lacroix's list are prepared 
 in two ways, and all the colors but yellow of silver 
 and Jean Cousins red may be had in both forms. 
 These mentioned can be had only in the dry- 
 powder form. Yellow of silver, sometimes called 
 yellow stain, is chloride or salt of silver. It pro- 
 duces a most brilliant and vivid, transparent yellow ; 
 and bright colored as it is, and notwithstanding 
 certain difficulties or restrictions attending its use, 
 it is quite indispensable to professional glass- 
 painters. 
 
 In the hands of the amateur the results are un- 
 certain ; and it would be as well if, in first attempt- 
 ing, beginners avoided it altogether, and substituted 
 dark yellow M. 
 
 If, however, the amateur does want to use this 
 risky color in the effort to master every phase of 
 the art, a trial piece had better be attempted first. 
 The ultimate success of using this color depends 
 largely upon the materials of which the glass in 
 question is composed. 
 
 There are chemicals sometimes used in the 
 
284 ^ MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 manufacture of glass that ' will unite with this 
 color in the kiln, and destroy its beauty and bril- 
 liancy. 
 
 As the results are by no means certain, a piece 
 of the same glass for the experiment should 
 be procured as that eventually to be decorated. 
 Yellow of silver is a very agreeable color in its 
 perfection ; but it must not come in contact with 
 other colors, nor must it be fired at the same time 
 as other colors. They will probably be entirely de- 
 stroyed by the vapor arising from close proximity. 
 It must be used on the reverse side of the glass, 
 as it will entirely obliterate the grisailles. After 
 firing, the dull surface, made by the ochre with 
 which the color was mixed in its preparation, must 
 be scratched off, and the glass will possess a most 
 wonderfully transparent texture of an intense hue 
 of yellow. 
 
 Never use a steel palette knife with yellow of 
 silver. 
 
 Jean Cousin s red is rather an expensive color in 
 comparison with the others, but so little is required 
 that a vial of it lasts a long time. 
 
 This is used to produce flesh tints of the six- 
 teenth century, and is named after one of the most 1 
 famous artists of that time. 
 
 There are four other reds, of which capucine red 
 is the brightest, and fire red the only transparent 
 
GLASS-PAINTING 
 
 285 
 
 color, the others being semi-transparent. Mix red 
 and yellow ochre for flesh tones. 
 
 There are six greens; all transparent except 
 chrome green, which is semi-transparent. 
 
 The two violets of gold are semi-transparent. 
 
 There are five blues, all transparent but King's 
 blue, which also becomes transparent if fired at a 
 high temperature. They can be mixed with yellow 
 to make green ; they also mix with the purples. 
 With red they make a color almost black. 
 
 The browns are five in number, all semi-trans- 
 parent. They require a good strong fire, or they 
 are apt to be dull. Over-fired, they lose somewhat 
 in tone. 
 
 The three purples, crimson, ruby, and scarlet, 
 are full, brilliant, transparent colors ; and delicate 
 rose and pale pinks are produced by applying in 
 thin washes. 
 
 There are three blacks ; one is opaque, the others 
 semi-transparent. Use these latter, thin, for gray 
 tones. 
 
 In addition to these colors, Lacroix furnishes 
 two matting pigments which can scarcely be called 
 painting-colors. One is white and the other zreen- 
 ish. They are designed to obscure the transpar- 
 ency of the glass, giving it somewhat the rough 
 appearance of ground glass. 
 
 They both may be applied where there is no 
 
286 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 color ; and they have their use in concealing the 
 view beyond, without obstructing the light. 
 
 The grisailles, or gray colors, are called " ordi- 
 nary" (brown, black, and red'), "semi-fine" (brown, 
 black, XVI. century, and outlining black D), and 
 « fine " (A, B, C, XIII. century D) ; with the lat- 
 ter are classified the two bistres (dark and light), 
 brown grisailles IJ and O, and the modelling color. 
 
 The " ordinary " are more specially used to paint 
 outlines ; of the semi-fine, outlining D is only used 
 for this purpose. These grays are semi-transpar- 
 ent, and, while they can be mixed freely with each 
 other, must be kept apart from the painting-colors. 
 
 This is owing to the chemical composition being 
 principally derived from copper and iron. 
 
 Owing to the transparent nature of glass, both 
 sides may be painted ; and this is the easiest way 
 for the amateur to produce good results. In fact, 
 these colors were prepared by Lacroix to be ap- 
 plied in this way, as affording much the easier 
 method, and the possibility of finishing with one 
 firing. 
 
 By utilizing both sides of the glass, and using the 
 two mediums, the work may be carried to a high 
 degree of finish before firing. 
 
 Therefore all these colors come in two ways, — 
 one prepared with oil and turpentine and in small 
 tubes (like the china colors), and the other in dry 
 
GLASS-PAINTING 
 
 287 
 
 powder in small vials. These latter are to be used 
 with water, to which is added sugar, gum arabic, 
 or honey, in sufficient quantities to work well. 
 
 Very little glycerine may be added too, if the 
 work in hand calls for the color to be kept " open " 
 for any length of time. 
 
 Glycerine does not ever seem to dry, but a few 
 drops in water will be of advantage to a slow 
 painter. 
 
 The idea in using colors with two opposing me- 
 diums, oil and water, is that, having no affinity, 
 they can be used alternately ; this lessens the dan-: 
 ger of the under tint " coming up " when a wash 
 of color is placed over it. 
 
 It is to be understood that this entire method, 
 including materials and mediums, was prepared for 
 the amateur, to enable him, by showing an easy 
 way, to enter into a new field of work. Artists 
 and professionals use their materials differently. 
 
 In beginning this kind of work, the amateur is 
 to make the outlines first. This does not neces- 
 sarily mean that they should be heavy or broad, 
 though they may be both. But a steady, dark, uni- 
 form line should follow the outlines of the design 
 This may be done with either medium, remember- 
 ing that when the next color is applied the other 
 medium is used. The next step to follow the outlin- 
 ing is the modelling, done by any of the grisailles. 
 
2 88 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 Remove the high lights with one of the "scrubs." 
 
 When this has become perfectly dry, turn the 
 glass over, and apply the painting-colors wherever 
 they belong. 
 
 The same brushes must not be used for both oil 
 and water. 
 
 Briefly, this method involves three distinct oper- 
 ations : first, outlining ; second, modelling or shad- 
 ing ; third, the coloring. Then fire. 
 
 The same process may be repeated if it is desir- 
 able to re-enforce any portions. This necessitates 
 a second firing ; but with little practice, the veriest 
 tyro can finish up the entire work for one firing. 
 
 Lacroix also furnishes a small muffle or kiln to 
 fire glass, the fuel being charcoal. It is called a 
 pyro-fixateur. It fires in about an hour ; and it 
 is claimed for it that, holding the exact quantity 
 of charcoal for this specified time, there is no ne- 
 cessity for watching it, as it will not over-fire the 
 glass. 
 
GLASS DECORATING 
 
 Glass tableware demands a different treat- 
 ment ; geometrical designs, arabesques, traceries, 
 and graceful scrolls, accentuated with dots and 
 touches, either in raised or flat gold, or enamel, 
 either in groups or singly, seem to be a more suit- 
 able form of decoration than floral designs, or, in 
 fact, any pictorial effects. 
 
 These are, however, by no means to be tabooed 
 as inartistic ; on the contrary, they are frequently 
 introduced with telling effect. They should be in 
 proportion, and treated delicately and daintily. 
 
 The transparent nature of the material must not 
 be lost sight of, but must be regarded with the 
 respect it commands on the resources of applied 
 design. 
 
 In decorating glassware, whether for use or 
 for ornament, relief paste, opaque enamels, trans- 
 parent relief enamels, and jewels are principally 
 
 289 
 
290 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 used, and are sufficient to afford an abundant va- 
 riety in their different application. 
 
 All of these materials, including color, must be 
 those that have been prepared for glass, and will 
 vitrify at a lower temperature than those prepared 
 for china. 
 
 A hard glass should be selected, either Bohe- 
 mian or Baccarat, and a sample test fired. Soft 
 glass is unfit to decorate, as it is incapable of re- 
 taining its shape. Soft glass has a superabundance 
 of lead, and consequently the heat of even a light 
 firing will melt it. A broken bit of the same glass 
 will be given to the purchaser for the asking, and 
 with this a test may be made. 
 
 It is not easy to manage a design on wine-glasses 
 or goblets, etc. ; but it is easiest done by filling 
 them with white tissue paper or raw cotton, or by 
 making a cornucopia by twisting a sheet of letter- 
 paper into a sort of funnel to fit inside the glass. 
 It will now be in readiness to receive either the 
 drawing or tracing. It can be distinctly seen, with 
 this white opaque background, which should be 
 kept in till the decoration is finished. 
 
 Few colors should be used on one piece of glass, 
 especially if the piece is small. With gold and 
 white enamel one or two colors is sufficient, — pink 
 with blue or green, but not all three, except one be 
 used very sparingly and at long intervals. Over- 
 
GLASS DECORATING 
 
 291 
 
 decoration is always bad. A pretty border, which 
 may be simple and neat, or deep and elaborate, 
 is always acceptable. Beyond this but little is 
 admissible. 
 
 A monogram, a heraldic or other emblematical 
 device, or some ornamental figure that is complete 
 in itself, may be repeated on both sides, or re- 
 appear even on three or four sides ; this may be 
 made into a continuous decoration by connecting 
 each section with the next. 
 
 Floral designs had better be transcribed in con- 
 ventional style for the ordinary tableware ; but on 
 purely ornamental pieces any elaborate painting 
 or enamelling may be indulged in freely, and 
 sometimes indeed they seem to demand it ; as, for 
 instance, tankards and drinking-vessels of all de- 
 scriptions seem rather associated with a riot of 
 color and a wealth of ornament, than identified 
 with simplicity in either. 
 
 Firing glassware in the ordinary china muffle 
 requires constant, careful watching, as if allowed 
 to go beyond a certain prescribed limit, a failure 
 will be the result, and labor, time, and money a 
 total loss. One rule, though not infallible nor 
 always to be relied on, is to turn off the gas as 
 soon as the contents of the kiln are distinctly 
 visible. 
 
 The writer once had a remarkable experiment in 
 
292 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 firing a round flower-glass. The first firing re* 
 suited in converting it into a decided oval shape. 
 Since there was nothing especially objectionable in 
 this, the decoration was finished, and it was fired 
 again. This time it came from the kiln com- 
 pletely transformed back to its original shape, and 
 was entirely and perfectly round once more. 
 
 V1TRIFIABLE CRAYONS 
 
 There yet remains another source of attaining 
 decorative effects on china and glass, and that is 
 by the means of a verifiable crayon. 
 
 Vitrifiable crayons are in wood, and very much 
 resemble in general appearance, size, shape, etc., 
 an ordinary lead-pencil. There are for use on 
 glass, six grisailles or gray tints, two browns, two 
 blacks, red, and a violet shade ; and six colors, 
 — blue, yellow, black, red, and two greens. For 
 china, either in the biscuit or glazed, there are 
 twelve colors, — a bright blue, two grays, one yel- 
 low, a black, two reds, three greens, a violet of 
 iron, and a violet gray. 
 
 In conjunction with these vitrifiable pencils, dry- 
 powder colors — sauce — come in vials for stomp- 
 ing. 
 
 These vitrifiable pencils are a recent innovation 
 in the line of mineral color materials, and are the 
 
VITR1FIABLE CRAYONS 
 
 293 
 
 result of Lacroix's many experiments and inven- 
 tions. They are to be used as ordinary pencils 
 with which to either sketch, draw, or write. They 
 can be used on ground glass, or biscuit in its 
 usual condition ; but on plain glass or glazed china 
 the surface must be rubbed over first with turpen- 
 tine to which is added a few drops of thick oil. 
 When this dries, it affords a "tooth" that will 
 take the pencil-strokes very nicely. They are to 
 be fired to the same degree as the body and colors 
 require to fuse. They are treated as the regular 
 crayons, and the result is in effect the same. 
 Therefore any one who can make a pencil sketch 
 or a crayon drawing will find no difficulty in using 
 these. 
 
 This method also secures an original drawing in 
 an absolutely permanent form. 
 
 There has been a recent effort to make popular 
 a fad to preserve autographs on china, but hereto- 
 fore it has been rather a complex undertaking. 
 
 With the aid of these pencils an autograph or 
 a characteristic sketch can be accomplished with 
 no difficulty. 
 
 China decorated in commemoration of special 
 events, or as souvenirs of interesting occasions and 
 anniversaries, presents untold possibilities. 
 
 The autographs of a bridal party, for instance, 
 with suitable inscriptions and quotations, together 
 
2 94 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 with date, etc., would prove a valuable reminder of 
 this event, if perpetuated in this permanent form. 
 The occasions will suggest themselves doubtless 
 to many, where the use of the verifiable crayons 
 may be brought into requisition. In short, there 
 seems to be no limit to the possibilities of porce- 
 lain, nor of its decoration. 
 
THE WORD "PORCELAIN" 
 
 The derivation of this word is unknown. Many 
 suggestions have been offered as to its origin, but 
 they have nearly all been repudiated. One is that 
 the word is a colloquial contraction of the French 
 pour cent anne'e, from an ancient tradition that it 
 required a hundred years for the materials to 
 mature. 
 
 Ano'ther is that it had its origin from an ob- 
 solete Portuguese word, porccllana, a shell, from 
 its supposed resemblance ; and still another specu- 
 lation is that it is named from a weed, purslane, 
 a purplish flower, something the color used on 
 Chinese productions. 
 
 Another, too fanciful for serious consideration, is 
 that it derived its name from the king of Porcena. 
 The story is that in his efforts to avoid being poi- 
 soned, he discovered a cup that would not contain 
 poison without breaking. 
 
 Perhaps the most reliable derivation is that 
 given by the Portuguese porcellana, or the cowrie 
 shell. This is called porcellanen by the Germans, 
 and porcelaines by the French. 
 
 This shell approximates in transparent texture 
 the real porcelain or china. 
 
 Another reliable source of information gives 
 29s 
 
296 A MANUAL FOR CHINA-PAINTERS 
 
 this belief, and furthermore says, there are porcelli 
 in Italy, and that porcellani is taken from a fan- 
 cied resemblance of these shells to pigs ! 
 
 If this be true, antagonistic as it is to every 
 thought of art and refinement, the natural deduc- 
 tion is that our beautiful porcelain cups and our 
 "porkers " have the same derivative in the Latin 
 word porcus, a pig. 
 
 In support of this curious theory, it is a well- 
 known fact that the Romans call the ridge of land 
 raised by ploughing, porca, from its similarity to 
 a pig's back. 
 
 It is difficult to imagine how anything so deli- 
 cate and dainty as a piece of porcelain could be 
 evolved, even in name, from anything so gross and 
 vulgar as a pig. But until some one else offers 
 a. more authentic solution, this, offensive as it is, 
 must be accepted. 
 
 In Holland's translation of Pliny, speaking of 
 fishes, he refers to porcelains, and mentions a 
 paper that is polished with a porcellane. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Accessories, 83. 
 
 Alcohol lamp, 91. 
 
 Brush-rest, 91. 
 
 Dust-scrapers, 92. 
 
 Erasers, 92. 
 
 Hand rest, 90. 
 Accidents, 124, 205, 217, 21S, 219, 
 228. 
 
 Acid, hydrofluoric, 92-94. 
 Aqua regia, 228. 
 
 Alcohol, 70, 77, 78, 224. 
 
 Amateur china-painting, 1. 
 
 Appropriate designing, 173, 174, 
 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 
 181, 182, 184, 185, 186, 190, 
 191, 192, 195, 196, 197, 198. 
 
 Art of china-painting, 1, 3, 8, 9, 12, 
 136, 146. 
 Foundation of, 12. 
 
 Backgrounds, 27, 115, 138, 169. 
 Biscuit, 23, 24, 275. 
 Blending, 62, 104. 
 
 Brushes, 64. 
 
 Pads, 63. 
 Bronze effects, 237, 238, 239. 
 Brushes, 60. 
 
 Glass, 229. 
 
 Gold, 225. 
 
 Handles, 65. 
 
 Washing, 70, 71, 78. 
 
 297 
 
 Burnishing, 232. 
 Agate, 231, 
 Brush, 229, 
 Sand, 230. 
 
 Cleanliness, 59, 78, 82, 205, 225, 
 
 261. 
 Colors, 22. 
 
 Black, 41, 42, 43, 
 Blue, 34, 42, 51, 55, 
 Brown, 42, 55, 56. 
 Carmine, 34, 42, 56, 57, 58, 59, 
 Complementary, 33. 
 Dusting, 152. 
 Erasing of, 130, 
 Glass, 27. 
 
 Gold, 42, 49, 56, 57, 58, 59, 
 Green, 36, 42, 44. 
 Grounding, 27, 
 Hard, 27. 
 
 Lacroix's, 27, 28, 29, 283. 
 Matt, 26. 
 
 Mineral, 4, 22, 32, 44, 74... 
 
 105. 
 Overglaze, 25. 
 Pink, 42, 57. 
 Powder, 30, 31. 
 Primary, 33. 
 Purple, 42, 49. 
 Red, 42, 46, 47. 
 Ruby, 42, 58. 
 
298 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Colors (continued) — 
 
 Soft, 27, 54, 55. 
 
 Theory of, 33, 39, 13S. 
 
 Tube, 30, 31, 76. 
 
 Underglaze, 24, 276. 
 
 Violet of gold, 42, 49. 
 
 Violet of iron, 42, 48. 
 
 Yellow, 42, 49, 50. 
 • Yellow, permanent, 43. 
 Copying, 19, 114. 
 Crazing, 23. 
 Criticism, 118. 
 Cupids, 155. 
 
 Palette for, 160. 
 
 Decalcomania, 249-254. 
 Decoration, 5, 20. 
 
 Defective, 171. 
 
 Entre dishes, 177. 
 
 Fish, 179. 
 
 Fruit, 188. 
 
 Game, 184. 
 
 Glass, 289. 
 
 Nuts, 195. 
 
 Original, 20. 
 
 Soup-plates, 174. 
 
 Tableware, 171, 197. 
 Delft-ware, 98, 109. 
 Designs — 
 
 Conventional, 196. 
 
 Original, 21. 
 
 Raised paste, 198, 213. 
 Drapery, 168. 
 Drawing, 12, 13, 89, 156. 
 
 Enamels and jewels, 199. 
 Enamels — 
 
 Application of, 200. 
 
 Colored, 202. 
 
 Opaque, 199. 
 
 Relief, 25, 175. 
 
 Enamels (continued) — 
 
 Semi-opaque, 199. 
 
 Transparent, 199. 
 Errors, 9, 10, 11, 14, 34, 98, 159, 
 I73> 2I 3> 217-219. 
 
 Figures, 155. 
 Firing, 47, 54, 255. 
 
 Carmine, 58. 
 
 Glass, 291. 
 
 Gold colors, 58. 
 Flowers, 116. 
 
 Blue, 127. 
 
 Conventional treatment of, 
 
 126. 
 Crimson, 131. 
 General treatment of, 137. 
 Green, 143, 144. 
 Pink, 120, 123. 
 Purple, 129. 
 Red, 129. 
 Variegated, 132. 
 White, 134. 
 Yellow, 128, 133. 
 Flux, 52, 53, 55. 
 
 Glass-painting, 278. 
 
 Decorating, 289. 
 Glaze, 23, 276. 
 Gold, 215. 
 
 Application of, 226-235, 236, 
 
 Etching on, 233. 
 
 Fluxed, 223. 
 
 Green, 222. 
 
 Liquid bright, 216. 
 
 Pen-work, 234. 
 
 Unfluxed, 223. 
 
 Gra y, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 120, 122 
 
 In landscape, 112. 
 Ground-laying, 151. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 299 
 
 Heads, 155. 
 
 In profile, 159. 
 Palette for, 160. 
 
 Instruction, 96. 
 
 Jewels, 203, 206. 
 
 Keramic art, 12. 
 
 Lacroix, 2, 27, 280. 
 
 Colors. 28, 283. 
 
 Kiln. 288. 
 Landscape, 111, 113. 
 
 Trees, 36. 
 
 Water, 114. 
 Light — 
 
 High, 201. 
 
 Transmitted, 1S9. 
 
 Reflected, 189. 
 Lithographic pencil, 83. 
 Lustres, 240, 241-248. 
 
 Materials, 22. 
 Mediums, 72. 
 
 Aniseed-oil, 73. 
 
 Balsam of capaiba, 73. 
 
 Clove-oil, 73, 130. 
 
 Fat. or thick, oil, 72, 73, 74. 
 
 Lavender-oil, 73. 
 
 Tar-oil, 75. 
 
 Tinting-oil, 75, 76. 
 
 Turpentine, 72, 73, 74. 
 Mending china, 271. 
 Mineral colors, 4, 22, 32, 44, 74, 
 105. 
 
 Monochrome, 37, 96, 97, 98, no, 
 275- 
 
 Oils — 
 
 Aniseed, 73. 
 
 Oils {continued) — 
 Clove, 73, 130. 
 Lavender, 73. 
 Tar, 75. 
 
 Thick, or fat, 72, 73, 74. 
 
 Tinting, 75, 76. 
 Originality, 20, 21. 
 Ornament — 
 
 Arabian, 7. 
 
 Conventional, 6, 107-126. 
 Egyptian, 6. 
 Gothic, 6. 
 Grecian, 6. 
 Overloading, 172. 
 Rococo, 8, 214. 
 Roman, 7. 
 
 Palette, setting the, 42. 
 Palettes, 79, So, 81. 
 Palette knives, 81, 82. 
 Pencils — 
 
 Lead, 84. 
 
 Lithographic, 83. 
 Perspective, 121. 
 Platinum, 239. 
 
 Prevalent errors, 9, 10, 11, 14, 34, 
 159. 
 
 Porcelain, the word, 295. 
 
 Relief paste, 25, 175, 210, 214. 
 Rotundity, 121, 188. 
 
 Selecting and mixing colors, 30, 77. 
 Silver, 222. 
 
 Tests, 35, 56. 
 Treatment for — 
 
 Clouds, j 11. 
 
 Dresden style, 147. 
 
 Eyes, 164. 
 
300 
 
 Treatment for (continued) 
 Fish, 182. 
 
 Flesh, 162, 163, 164. 
 Flowers, 124, 137. 
 Fruit, 192. 
 
 Game, birds, etc., 186. 
 Hair, 165. 
 Hands, 169. 
 Jewellery, 1 70. 
 Leaves, 144, 197. 
 Nuts, 197. 
 
 Sky, 103, 104, in, 113. 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Treatment for (continued) — 
 
 Water, 10S, 114, 181. 
 Tinting, 106, 149, 1^3. 
 
 Dry or dusting process, 152 
 
 Graduated, 150. 
 
 Moist process, 151. 
 
 Uniform, 152. 
 Tracing, 17, 18, 19, 86, 87. 
 
 Paper, 87. 
 
 Underglaze painting, 273. 
 Vitrifiable crayons, 292. 
 
PLATE I. — PAINTING COLORS. 
 
 Violet of Iron 
 
 Deep Red Brown 
 
 Emerald-stone Green 
 
 Brown M or 108 
 
 Deep Ultramarine 
 
 Silver Yellow 
 
 Relief, for Gold 
 Chinese White 
 Permanent White 
 Flux 
 
 Pearl Grey No. G 
 
 Ivory Yellow 
 
 Deep Violet of Gold 
 
 Ruby Purple 
 
 Cornflower Blue 
 
 Carnation No. 1 
 
 Deep Chrome-Green 
 
 Deep Carmine No. 3 
 
 Yellow for mixing 
 
 Light Carmine No. 1 Apple Green Deep Purple 
 
 Dark Brown Brown Green No. 6 Deep Blue 
 
 Neutral Grey Capucine Red Ivory Black 
 

 PLATE 
 
 II 
 
 — PAINTING 
 
 COLORS. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Carnation No. 2 
 
 Deep Blue Green 
 
 Orange Red 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Warm Grey 
 
 Orange Yellow 
 
 Grey No. 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Dark Blue 
 
 Deep (or Russian) Green 
 
 Common Blue 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Crimson Lake 
 
 Raven Black 
 
 Carmine No. 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Victoria Blue 
 
 Yellow Brown 
 
 Grass Green No. 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Brown No, 3 
 
 Light Violet of Gold 
 
 Dark Green No. 7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Night Green 
 
 Jonquil Yellow 
 
 Sky Blue 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Light Sky Blue 
 
 Brown No. 4 or 17 
 
 Grey No. 1, Light 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Laky Red 
 
 Sap Green 
 
 
 Crimson Purple 
 
PLATE IV, 
 
 — PAINTING 
 
 COLORS. 
 
PLATE V. — NEW COLORS. 
 
 Royal Copenhagen Grey, Shading Green 
 
 (WARM) 
 
 Rose-Leaf Green Best Orange Coalport Green, Dark 
 
 Peach Blossom Old Holland Blue 
 
 Relief White Brunswick Black Relief White 
 
 (AUF8ETZWEISS) ( AUF8ETZ WEISS)