  The old-fashioned naturalistic style of china decoration is a thing of the past. One sees almost nothing of that sort in the metropolitan exhibitions, because patrons of Keramic art are weary of a type which admits of so little variety and individuality. Flowers and fruit have gradually been shaped into designs, and these in many cases are so conventionalized that they have lost almost all resemblance to the original form. There can be no doubt that conventional work has come to stay, and there is a distinct gain in this. Endless opportunities are opened for the artist to show character in both composition and color. The china painter of yesterday spent her time almost entirely on color. The natural flowers were often placed almost anywhere on the china and were admired for color and treatment alone. No wonder Keramics was not considered an art! To-day the artist thinks before she touches the color work. A design should suggest the shape to which it is to be applied, and proportion plays an important part. A plate, for instance, with too wide a band is a pitiful thing, and a design that is not properly bound together is to be shunned. A low stocky looking piece may be treated with a motif used once on either side and connected with a gold or color band. It is a common mistake to try to bind the body of a teapot, or similar article, and the spout and handle! The two latter are entirely separate and demand other treatment. Plenty of plain background will enhance the effect of the design. One can easily overload a piece of china with a design good in itself but too elaborate and large. The first law of conventional design is that each form must be outlined. When this is done the decorator should have a comparatively easy time, and a remarkably interesting one, for conventional work is adapted especially to wonderful color combinations. Enamel and lustre are especially fitting to conventional design, and gold may often be used for flower or leaf form where in naturalistic painting it would be entirely out of place. For a long time keramic artists looked askance at the new style because of the amount of work required in outlining. This was a tedious affair involving a fine brush or pen, paint or ink, which refused to work right, and endless endurance. All this has been overcome by means of new process outline designs which fire into the china distinctly and form a black outline around the painting. Those who are ambitious may now make a reputation without ruining their eyesight or taxing their patience. Conventional Single Yellow Rose. Primrose Yellow shaded with Apple Green toward centre; stamens may be Gold or Dark Brown. Light leaves are painted with Moss Green shaded with Shading Green and dark leaves may be laid in with a mixture of Apple Green and a very little Deep Purple. Stems are painted with Auburn Brown. A good background for this scheme is Gray Green lightly applied. Conventional Wild Rose. Paint with Sweet Pea Pink with very delicate application of Apple Green toward centre. Stamens are painted with Ruby and center dot may be Gold. Leaves are laid in with a mixture of Apple Green and very little Deep Purple. Roman Gold or Turquoise Lustre is effective as a background for inside if design will admit. For outside of design, or general background, use Oriental Ivory. Conventional Double Pink Rose. Use Sweet Pea Pink and shade with Standard Pink in centre. A very pleasing color scheme for leaves is Yellow Green Lustre shaded with Dark Green Lustre. A Pearl Gray background is suitable for this combination. Conventional Rose. These may be treated in either Lustre colors or regular powder colors. A suitable color treatment for lustre decoration is as follows: Lay in a flat wash of Orange or Yellow-Brown Lustre except in centre, this may be Gold. For leaves use a wash of Light Green and shade with Dark Green Lustre. Stems may be Brown or Dark Green. Mother of Pearl is a suitable background for this treatment. For regular powder color treatment, apply thin wash of Sweet Pea Pink with a touch of Standard Pink in centre. Leaves may be painted in with Apple Green shaded with Shading Green. Stems may be Auburn Brown or Apple Green mixed with just a touch of Deep Purple. Oriental Ivory or Gray for Flesh is suitable for background. Either tint will harmonize. The color for roses can be varied to suit individual taste. Primrose Yellow, Blood Red and Rose are all suitable colors. Conventional White Primrose. Let the plain White China answer as white flowers, touch centres with Pompadour. Stamens may be of Gold. A good background for such a color scheme is Pompadour with a touch of Albert Yellow, and Sea Green with a touch of Black mixed with it. Standard Pink, Primrose Yellow, Violet and Blood Red may be used for the flowers if preferred. If bright colors are used, keep background toned down with Gray. Conventional Hawthorne Berry. For berry, use a mixture of Standard Pink and Yellow Red. Centre may be Black. Leaves should be painted with Moss Green shaded with Shading Green or Apple Green mixed with just a little Deep Purple. Auburn Brown can be used for stems. A flat band to harmonize with such decorations may be laid in with a mixture of Empire Green and Russian Green. Hawthorne berries and leaves may be treated in Lustres as follows: Berries, Silver Lustre centres shaded with Dark Green Lustre. Background, Mother of Pearl Lustre. Conventional Columbine. The colors of this flower are so varied so we will of necessity treat only a few. Banding Blue (pale) or Sevres Blue are both very suitable for Blue tints, Primrose Yellow and Albert Yellow tints. Rose, Sweet Pea Pink for Pink tints, and Violet for Violet tints. A very light application of Violet should be applied for light tones and a mixture of Violet and a little Banding Blue for darker tones. Use Best Black for stamens. Leaves are laid in with a light wash of Apple Green and shaded with Shading Green. Gray Green and Oriental Ivory are both suitable for backgrounds. Combinations of Violet Lustre and Mother of Pearl Lustre are also effective for background tinting. Conventional Poinsettia. Flower should be laid in with Yellow Red shaded with Blood Red toward centre; Yellow Brown is used for stamens. Leaves are painted with Moss Green or Yellow Green shaded with a mixture of Apple Green and very little Deep Purple or Shading Green. Copenhagen Blue may also be used for leaves in extreme shadow. Conventional Cyclamen. Apply a wash of Standard Pink for flowers. Blood Red may be used for Deep Red effects. Leaves may be painted with a mixture of Apple Green and a touch of Deep Purple or with clear Olive Green. Background for this combination may be Roman Purple or Violet Lustre. For yellow flowers use Primrose Yellow mixed with Albert Yellow, with back petals of pale Meissen Brown. Leaves may be laid in with Moss Green and stems with Shading Green. Roman Gold makes an effective background for above the design and Oriental Ivory for below. Conventional Grapes. A light wash of Roman Purple should be used for large berries and darker application for smaller berries. Silver Lustre may be used for small berries at the bottom of cluster. To work up the design in semi-lustre effect, Silver Lustre may be used for leaves, and stems laid in with Black. Royal Copenhagen Gray background. Conventional Apples. Apply wash of Primrose Yellow, shade with Yellow Red. Another effective combination is Yellow Red shaded with Blood Red. Leaves may be painted Moss Green shaded with Shading Green. Stems should be painted with Auburn Brown. For background use Copenhagen Gray, shaded into pale Violet mixed with a touch of Black. A very pretty lustre effect is to lay in some of the fruit with Orange Lustre and others in Roman Gold. The leaves may be painted with both Lustre and painting Tints—some may be Orange Lustre and others Meissen Brown color. Stems should be Auburn Brown. An artistic background Conventional Oranges. An appropriate conventional style decoration for oranges would be to lay in the foremost one in Roman Gold and those showing only partially in Yellow Brown Lustre. The flowers may be left plain White with touch of Gold in centre. Use Green Lustre for leaves and Dark Empire Green and Auburn Brown may be used for stems. In background of Celestial Turquoise put in a few touches of Meissen Brown next to fruit and under leaves. Warm Gray or Oriental Ivory with touch of Black mixed with it may also be used for background. Conventional Poppies. For a cluster design the centre flower may be painted with Light Carnation, others with Sweet Pea Pink. Poppy Red and Yellow Red are also suitable tints. Stamens should be painted with Black or Violet mixed with Black. Seed pods may be painted with Gray Green tipped with Black. Leaves and stems may be laid in with Apple Green shaded with Shading Green. For background use Oriental Ivory mixed with touch of Black. For lustre decoration use Rose Lustre for centre flower and a thinner application for outside flowers. Seed pods may be Gray Green painting color and stamens Gold. Leaves may be painted with either Light Green Lustre or Apple Green painting color. Stems should be the same. Background of Mother of Pearl Lustre or Oriental Ivory painting color. Bittersweet. Some of the berry forms Yellow-Red, others Albert Yellow mixed with Pompadour. Moss Green is a very good tint for upper leaves and Apple Green mixed with a touch of Deep Purple for lower leaves; a touch of Black may be added to this mixture for darkest leaves. Auburn Brown should be used for stems. Background of Oriental Ivory mixed with a touch of black is effective for such an arrangement. If the design is a panel effect bordered with bands, Gold may be used to good advantage for bands. Tulips. If the design be a cluster, the larger flowers may be painted with pale Primrose Yellow shaded with Yellow Green at base. If any petals turn or curl back into the background these may be laid in with Violet of Iron. Sweet Pea Pink and combinations of White and Pink (striped) may be used with good effect for other flower forms. Stamens may be painted in with black. For leaves use Yellow Green or Gray-Green at top, shaded into Royal Green, and at base use Shading Green. For background use Royal Copenhagen Gray from a very light tone at top shaded into deeper tones at bottom. Nasturtiums. This popular motif may be painted in a great variety of color schemes. For Yellow flowers use Primrose Yellow (various shades). Ivory Yellow and light application of Yellow-Brown. Pinks and Blood Red may be used for other shades and mixture of Blood Red and Auburn Brown for Mahogany shades. Light leaves may be laid in with Apple Green mixed with Gray Green and deeper ones with a mixture of Apple Green and a touch of Deep Purple. Moss Green mixed with Gray-Green is also a good combination. For background use Auburn Brown next to the design, blended into Oriental Ivory. |
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