Pottery decoration under the glaze

by M. Louise McLaughlin

The second coat finished, a lighter tint should be mixed, with which the ground is varied by touches here and there, making the highest light of the ground, while touches of the first tint mixed, give the darker shades. There should be difference enough in tone between the middle tints of the ground, and these lighter and darker tints, to produce a good effect of light and shade, and these touches should be laid on with a free hand, and then softened into the ground, care being taken that the lights and shadows should not end too abruptly.

In these touches, as in all the painting, there must be a certain thickness in reality, as well as in appearance, to make the work effective when finished. The clay shrinks and seems to be dissipated in the process of firing, and if applied too thinly, in any part, will reveal the body of the ware, or some under-tint, perhaps spoiling the appearance of the whole. The transparent effect, produced by a thin layer of clay, which, after firing, shows the under-tint through, is sometimes very beautiful in certain parts of a design. It is, however, difficult to judge by the eye of the requisite degree of thickness necessary to produce this effect, and the heat of the firing may be so great as to cause that portion of the painting to disappear entirely. It can not, then, be safely counted upon, and the best way is to depend solely upon the lights and shades of the painting for the effects desired.

The ground finished, the decorative design may be painted upon it. This should not be outlined upon the surface, but should simply be painted with a free hand, and without too much attention to detail, a brilliant effect of light, shade, and color being the object aimed at in this style of painting.

We will suppose that a floral design is to be painted upon the vase. The middle tint of the flowers can first be laid, the shadows are then put in, and lastly the high lights, laid on heavily, almost giving the effect of relief. Leaves and other accessories of the design may be treated in the same manner. The edge of the design must be softened into the background, to avoid a hard effect after the work is glazed. The process of glazing has a tendency to soften and melt the tints into each other, but this effect must be enhanced by judicious use of the middle tints and shadows of the painting, and by leaving the edges thin. One of the greatest beauties of this kind of painting, when well done, is the effect of the rich colors melting into each other, with a charming indistinctness, which leaves something to the imagination of the beholder.

Those who have not been accustomed to the use of color in such masses, will, perhaps, be embarrassed at first by the difficulty of painting with clay. This will soon be overcome by practice, but, as has been said before, it should always be remembered that it is clay which is used, and, therefore, the work is subject to the conditions which govern the use of that material.

It is unnecessary to enter further into details, as it is only intended here, to give some instruction as to the method of painting, leaving the manner of it to the artist, it being taken for granted that any one desiring to practice this kind of painting should have already attained some proficiency in the use of colors, and should have acquired a knowledge of the rules which govern art.

To such there will simply be the difficulty of learning to work with a new material. If this knowledge does not exist, it will be no easier to succeed in accomplishing any thing, worth the doing, in this, than in other kinds of art work.

With regard to the colors to be used, it is enough to say that a sufficient number can be obtained to produce by admixture, in various degrees, tints for the production of any subject required. It is only necessary to remember, as said before, that in these mixtures the stronger colors must not be in such proportion as to overpower the weaker. A list of useful colors has been given in a previous chapter. In regard to the mixtures of these colors a few words may be of use.

Black is a very useful color for shadows, making, in its admixture with white clay, numerous pleasing tints of grey, which may be varied by the addition of any other color which may be desired. As black is one of the strongest colors, however, it must be very sparingly used where a light tint is needed. In the mixture of blue and green, the former must exist in a much smaller proportion than the latter, if the mixture is to have a greenish tint. Experience alone can give success, but enough has been said to prevent the beginner from making very disastrous mistakes.

The painting must, of course, be executed while the clay is wet, and should be finished in one sitting. If this is not possible, it may be kept wet in the way described for keeping the ware before painting.