The design having been drawn upon the surface with a lead pencil, the ground, if it is to be colored, may be laid on with some color, or mixture of colors, which will harmonize with the decoration. As it is impossible to paint it smoothly with a brush, or to do it by any of the methods in use for over-glaze painting, the ground must be “dabbled” on, either with a small blending brush, or better, a sponge, which has been cut to the proper shape and size, and which may be fastened in a quill and used as a brush. This is dipped in the color which has been mixed upon the palette, and with it the color is applied to the surface of the vase, producing a mottled ground, which may be shaded from light to dark, by the application of more or less color, as desired, and also may be varied by the introduction of other colors which will harmonize with each other, and with the decoration. The design may then be painted in flat washes, which should be laid on freely, with the shadows boldly defined. This done, a line, either of black or dark olive green, made from dark brown and a little green, may be painted around the design, outlining and relieving it against the ground. The painting finished, the piece should then be fired to fix the colors. If necessary, it can be touched up in any places which are thought to need deeper tints after this firing, and before the final process of glazing. It must be remembered, however, that the effect of the glazing will be to deepen the colors, and, unless the result of this process has been learned from experience, the tendency will rather be to get them too dark than too light. The most important thing is, to keep the relative value of the lights and shadows. If this is done, the effect will not be bad, even if the colors should fade a little in firing. Another very important item in under-glaze painting, which has been mentioned before, is, that the colors must be in proper condition for use, and to that end, must be carefully rubbed down with a muller or palette knife. Inattention to this detail has caused much work of rude and rough appearance to be produced, which might otherwise have been fairly good. In the Lambeth and Bennett ware the charming effect of color will generally be found to have been produced by a system of burning which would scarcely be considered legitimate, according to the strict rules of the potter’s art. The ware is not fired in the biscuit as hard as such ware is usually fired, and the glaze applied is softer than the body of the ware demands. This soft glaze is used to save the colors, and not being suited to the body of the ware will, generally, be found to be badly crazed. In this case, however, lovers of beautiful and harmonious colors, in the decoration of pottery, will think that the ends justifies the means, and as the articles are wholly adapted for ornamental purposes, this defect of glaze detracts but little from their value.