Cleanliness is one of the first requisites for success in using lustres. The brushes should be cleansed with Gold-Essence or Alcohol from all traces of one color before using another, and should not be allowed to dry containing any color. The corks should never be changed from one vial to another as the least contact of tints in the unfired state is liable to spoil the whole vial. The vial should be corked at once when not in use as the liquid evaporates rapidly; this will also guard against dust and upsetting.

A soft camel’s-hair brush, that can be dipped into the vial, will be needed; also a wad of cotton enclosed in a piece of silk to form a pad as for ordinary tinting.

Use great care in handling pieces tinted with lustre colors. Clean the china thoroughly, using alcohol, being careful to leave no finger marks on the piece. Dust in the brush, in the kiln or on the china will make blemishes. See that the work is not exposed to any dampness. After the work is completed handle as little as possible and if necessary to be wrapped, use tissue paper, not cotton. It is best to apply the lustre in the last firings. An even tint is obtained by several applications, but always fire for each application of the lustre. A second coat on an unfired coat of lustre will produce a blotchy effect.

If lustre has fired spotty or in an unsatisfactory manner the fault can usually be corrected by applying another wash of the same color or a darker tint. A generous application of Mother of Pearl lustre will also remedy the defect. If lustre should fire too light, apply another wash of the same color and refire.

Lustres dry quickly and therefore should be padded without delay. Always have the dabber ready so that there will be no time lost after the color is applied. A good plan would be to apply lustre over a part of the surface and quickly pad it smoothly, then apply the lustre over the balance and finish by padding. To retard drying, mix a very little oil of lavender with the lustre, on the palette. This will also assist in padding the lustre more successfully. It is difficult to apply lustre smoothly with a brush inside of cups and small bowls. To obviate this pour a small quantity into the bowl and spread it with a silk dabber. Be sure that the lint has been singed from dabber. Firing of lustres require a great deal of care. The piece should be placed in the kiln in such a way that no dust can fall on it. Be careful in drying lustres as the color will pulverize if the heat is too strong. On lustre and gold decorations care must be exercised in burnishing the gold so as not to rub the lustre, as it is very easily scratched. Lustre applied too thick is liable to crack and if applied over fired color will lose its brilliancy unless the color is a very light tint. Fired tints and lustres can be removed with hydrofluoric acid.

Lustres should have a medium fire. Deep color effects are obtained by repeated applications and firings. If lustre color is to be applied over gold, see that the gold is burnished. It is not advisable to apply painting colors over lustres as the combination is not a success. Lustres applied over fired Matt colors will produce a rich metallic effect which harmonizes beautifully with gold and paste work. A variety of metallic effects can also be obtained by applying a greenish bronze tone. Ruby will produce a strong dark metallic effect, and orange over gold produces a bluish purple bronze tone. Lustres applied over liquid bright gold will be very brilliant, but richer effects are obtained over Roman gold.

Silver lustres over light fire tints will have a frosted appearance, which is very effective combined with turquoise enamels and gold and paste work. A deep, rich maroon effect can be procured by painting two coats of purple lustre over liquid bright silver. Orange lustre over ruby will produce a strong scarlet color. Orange over blue, dark green or olive, will produce greenish tints. Over iridescent rose, a good bronze tone is obtained. Over gold, it will produce a purplish bronze effect.

Yellow is generally used for mixtures with blues, greens and grays to produce lighter tones. It is a light color and is mostly used for this purpose and for backgrounds. For a strong yellow effect give several applications and firings.

A single application of light green is a greenish gray. A more intense effect results from several applications. Light green lustre is very popular as a tint used in connection with gold. That is, it is applied after the gold is fired. Rose over liquid bright gold produces a strong metallic effect. If pink or rose is overfired it will have a purplish tone. A soft pearl effect is obtained from a light wash of yellow or light green over fired rose. A background of rose is most effective for paste and gold work.

Blending of blue, pink and gray are found in iridescent rose which can be used with very satisfactory results for a background, and inside of cups and bowls. Padding is not necessary as the more irregular the tint is applied the more striking will be the effect.

Copper, dark green, steel blue and purple must be well protected from dust and humidity, or they will become spotted in firing.

Opal and Mother of Pearl will not always fire successfully. They are not, however, wholly unreliable, but have a tendency to fire off.

Yellow pearl is one of the very beautiful iridescent colors, with a variety of light and deep tones.

Two fired applications of ruby purple will make a very deep tone. It is very effective when used with paste and gold work. A fine iridescent, deep green background for gold, is obtained by firing light green over ruby.

Steel blue, as a rule, is a very pleasing transparent color, but it will sometimes fire iridescent dark greenish gray. It combines well with silver and black for conventional designs. A wash of yellow over steel blue will give an oxidized silver effect.

Copper is used successfully over gold lustre. Very pleasing combinations of colors are produced by applying enamels over unfired lustres. They assume a pinkish cast in firing.

Copper decorations on lustres are more satisfactory if the lustre is fired. It can, however, be applied over unfired lustre if it is perfectly dry. Lustre applied over India ink will fire off. Very pleasant and delicate effects are obtained by outlining with gold and pen over lustres.