Birthe has also written a wonderful book on glass techniques, titled " Magic on Glass" that can be ordered through Backacher's Books

My idea was to transform photos I liked into a design for china. I saw the ducks in a magazine somewhere I can't remember, but took it out, as I always do when I see something I can use for inspiration one day. I looked very carefully at the birds and noticed the feathers' shape and pattern, how the shadows made the bird sculptural, and every little detail I could see at the eye, the beak and the feet. Then I traced everything possible, and had some copies made, in a bigger scale. On one of those copies I did my drawing, added the little landscape, the leaves and the poles. Again tracing onto the china with graphite paper. The same procedure with the rhinoceros. Here the surroundings are inspired from my memories. I know the people in Africa live in round cottages, and that the earth is red in some places. The tree is a bit worn out by the heat, and I did the mask to connect the image of the person at the houses with something in the landscape. 1st fire: Mix matte black with pen oil (I use RCP thinner on waterbase, because I have been painting for about 45 years now, and the turps aren't good for me anymore) Draw the animal very carefully, fill out the shadows in black, and connect the lines nicely. Draw the small leaves in the foreground in normal black, and draw the poles. Mix a bluegreen for penwork and draw the two green leaves. Fire.

close-up view of duck plate

2nd fire: Mix the bluegreen again and a yellowgreen (e.g.. chartreuse) and sponge the colour on with a very fine sponge for padding. Carlos Spine sponges work very nicely. Keep some light in the leaves, clean with a damp brush and let them dry. Meanwhile, paint the small leaves in the foreground, the beak and the little landscape, where you add some more colours as olivegreen and light pompadour. But look at the colours please, and pick those closest to those you have on your palette. (the european colours just have other names, but in fact the basic materials are the same.) Make negative lines in the dry paint with a toothpick or a wipe-out tool, blow the leftover away and fire. The square plate is made the same way, penwork in matte black (he animal) and the tree, leaves and border in shiny black. 2nd fire: Red lines and leaves.

CLICK HERE to go back to the ON-LINE LESSONS PAGE CLICK HERE to go back to the PPIO HOME PAGE *on-line lessons and lesson pages are the property of PPIO and the contributing artists and may not be reproduced for distribution without permission from PPIO