Chapter 20. Designing for Tiles and Pottery 191
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Page
Color Cement Tiles and Vases. Frontispiece in color
Tools for Color Cement Handicraft 18
The Mixing of Plaster-of-Paris 19
Helpful Material for Color Cement Handicraft 20
The Making of Plaster Molds 30
The Making of Molds 31
How to Make Color Cement Tiles 44
Cement Tile Textures 45
The Incised Tile 46
Vase Molds 55
The Finishing of Cement Pottery 56
Use of Color in Cement Tiles 64
Color Tile Methods 65
Plaster and Clay Modeled Cement Tiles 73
Color Cement Tiles and Pottery by Art School Students 74
The Majolica Tile 83
Slip Painted Tiles 84
Slip Painted Tile Methods 85
Sgraffito Tile and Sgraffito in Architecture 93
Modeled and Carved Cement Tile Methods 102
Color Cement Vases 108
Color Cement Vases 109
Mosaic Tile Method 116
Mosaic Tiles 117
Mosaic Stone Tiles 118
Three Cement Box Methods 126
The Making of a Cement Box 127
Helps in Cement Garden Pottery 137
Application of Cement Tiles to Architectural Use 138
Color Cement Flagstones used for a Bridge, Garden Pathway and Entrance 139
Color Cement Used for Chimney Stones and Flagstones 140
Book Support and Candlestick Molds 145
Color Cement Tiles for Interior Decoration 154
Color Cement Tiles for the Fireplace 155
Tile Patterns for Wall or Floor 156
The Unit Tile and Application 157
Cement Tiles and Woodwork 158
A Surface Finish for Cement Handicraft 164
Decorations Painted with Color Cement 171
Cement Color Painted Decorations Applied 172
The Making of Magnesite Cement 177
Magnesite Objects Cast from Molds 178
Schoolroom Projects in Cement 185
A Tile in Cement made in the Grammar Grades 186
A Tile made in the Intermediate Grades 187
Color Cement Tiles and Pottery made by the Students of a High School 188
Problems in Cement by Students of an Art School 189
Helpful Design Principles for Color Cement Work 198
Outline Patterns for Color Cement Handicraft 199
Tone Patterns for Color Cement Handicraft 200
Egyptian, Roman, and Aztec Relief Decorations 201
FOREWORD
It is evident to the most casual observer that the use of cement and concrete has developed into a most important building material--undoubtedly the most important of the age. Industrial and vocational educators have recognized this importance and thousands of school children have received instruction in its use and application to objects of utility. Its use has been the subject of many books, and the reason for the issuing of this book is to present in printed form the use of color cement for the decoration or surface enrichment of cement and concrete objects. We heretofore have thought of cement in terms of rough surfaces and crude retaining walls, little thinking that beautiful patterns and textures are possible with proper combinations of color with cement, presenting possibilities for producing art tiles, pottery, and decorations of a high art quality.
After a study some years ago of the various forms of producing clay pottery and its possible relation to school arts and industrial education, the handicap of necessary firing to give permanency loomed large against its general adaptation by schools. This resulted in considerable research and experimenting by the authors with cement and the use of color in the endeavor to parallel in some measure each of the methods employed in the making of fired tiles and pottery. Particular attention was given to simplifying the process of securing permanent form to many of the plastic forms of schoolroom art, which have been presented in clay and other perishable mediums. With the projects presented in the following chapters permanent useful objects can be secured by students in their school art subjects. Attention was also given to the enriching or refining by decoration the many objects heretofore made in cement and concrete by vocational classes. The problems and methods explained in the following description solve this need.
Craftsmen or amateur home-workers who delight in creating and building objects of beauty around them can find in color cement a medium which will appeal to their needs, in that the necessary working equipment is simple and the work can be done within small space.
The following chapters by no means complete the story of color cement. They record the results of the work of the authors and it is hoped that it will stimulate interested readers to carry this delightful handicraft to even greater achievements.
The results achieved have been accomplished through several years’ patient experimenting by the authors, but the realization that many other teachers, craftsmen and students will be aided in continuing this delightful, durable handicraft, is in itself an enjoyable reward to the authors for their efforts.
Reta A. Lemos
Pedro J. Lemos