If the design is carefully drawn on the china, it will assist the decorator in easily placing the tints where they belong.
Wash your brush in turpentine, when changing colors, and be sure to press the turpentine out with a cloth before dipping the brush into another color.
Care should be taken to see that all colors are applied evenly, always using the brush flat.
Never hesitate to erase the design and repaint the china, in case it is not entirely satisfactory. This may seem a little discouraging but the result will reward one for the additional labor.
It is very necessary to clean all brushes and palettes used, when through working. Brushes become hard when colors are allowed to dry in them.
Throughout this work we devote special chapters to the various features of china painting such as lining, mixing of colors, etc., and with this lesson we feel that the beginner has a fair start; she will soon learn what the different combinations of colors will produce. For instance, blue and purple or blue and ruby make violet. Blue and yellow make a green, green and a little black make gray, reds mixed with black make brown. Do not mix lustre colors as results will not be satisfactory.
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One feature of china painting that requires much study and consideration is the combining of colors. A design that would be most attractive if the colorings harmonized, would be almost a failure otherwise. Browns go well with nearly all colors, but not as well with greens and blues as with some others. Clear blues, with perhaps the exception of the darkest blues and Copenhagen, are not very satisfactory for borders. A border of this combination, however, is very effective. A beautiful shade can be produced by combining yellow brown, finishing brown, ivory yellow and just a little touch of gold.
Violet of iron and auburn brown on a grayish ground, combine very well.
Pearl gray with Copenhagen blue gives a soft effect. Ivory goes well with yellow-greens, and violets with grayish tones.
A piece of china done in yellow tones, with say a conventional motif decoration, or yellow flowers, looks well with a scroll of gold worked into it, and should have a yellow background. If delicate effects are desired, yellow cannot be used successfully. For soft backgrounds, auburn brown, violet of iron, new green, olive green and Copenhagen blue are very good.