Flowers or fruit painted with repeated applications of color will appear soft, glossy and transparent.
“Dusting of colors,” which has been treated under separate heading, will be invaluable in obtaining the delicate blendings so necessary in all natural styles of decoration.
After fruit and grounds have been painted, light dusting of powder colors such as delicate yellow browns, greens and light pinks may be applied with cotton rubbing lightly over fruit and background to produce a soft, harmonious relation of tints.
FIGURE PAINTING
The art of figure painting is somewhat difficult compared with the other styles of china decoration, and has been made more so by the introduction of many unnecessary colors and methods of applying them. The beginner who has tried to follow these complicated methods has become discouraged in this very interesting and valuable art of china painting. Figure painting on china has been greatly admired and if a simplified and understandable method were taught, it would become one of the most popular styles of decoration.
Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Renaissance decorations of pottery are all very beautiful, and in these we find figures as the motif, painted both in conventional and in natural style. These decorations do not seem to have been generally followed, although quite easy to produce. But in this chapter we will consider flat figure painting. This being supplementary, it will be found to be the easiest way to produce figures in their natural colors.
In this work, the first requisite is to have the drawing on the china absolutely correct. This can be traced from a drawing on paper on to the vase and special attention should be paid to having clean cut, perfect lines.
In handling the subject of flesh tones we will speak first of the face, and by the use of the same process, all flesh colorings, even full nudes can be painted.