My China Art

My China Art can be best described as Structured Art that is identifiable.  I use the traditional method of painting by transferring a pattern onto the porcelain surface using carbon paper.   

Know your market before making a dozen items of the same thing.  I have found different and unique are in demand while flowers and birds are not.  

Thoughts and Ideas

1. Many China artist use decals to outline the area to be painted.  Decals produce high quality work for many beginners. 

2. Fancy borders are easy with decals.

3. Customized decals may be printed with a laser printer.

4. Simple drawings transferred to transparency film for overhead projector allows customization and simplifies the tracing process.

5. Black graphite paper makes it easy to transfer a drawing to flat ceramics using blue painter tape to attach to piece.

6. The transparency allows easy alignment and realignment on the ceramic for tracing with black graphite paper.  

7. Free hand draw with a fine Sharpie pen or Stabilo pencil works for curved surfaces of bowls and pots.  

8. Lines made with Sharpie or Stabilo and black graphite will burn off when fired in the kiln. 

9. Using a hand rest or Mahl stick helps when working with a pen. 

10. An interesting source of patterns to paint maybe found in the Forest Service, National Parks and Fish and Wildlife Service Coloring Books. Fish and Wildlife Service also has an aquatic species coloring book but I have only found it as a print copy.

11. National Geographic has bird patterns at the Backyard Birds A-Z site.

12. Tattoo art offers some simple design that looks good on china and popular with younger customers.

13. Chemical structures, dragons, insects, fish, fisher persons, and math formulas are in demand.

14. Seasonal items like snowmen, snowwomen, teddy bears, snowmen snowboarding and melting snowpeople are also in demand.      

15. Working multiple pieces with the same pattern at the same time increases the chance of matching pieces.