TIGER FUN IN AN AQUARIUM

Adapted from "Tiger Fun in an Aquarium" Step-by-Step on Betty's Web Site

If you're returning to this lesson and have already read the Intro and earlier fires on the tiger, you can click below to go straight to a specific fire.

The Paint Plan For The Tiger Fun in an Aquarium Painting

This painting depicts a tiger playing in a large aquarium.   (Similar to the cat in the fishbowl theme).   I used Corel Photopaint Version 7 to plan my painting on the computer.   I scanned various pictures into files to use in composing my aquarium scene. If you have CorelDraw, Photoshop, or a similar art editing program, you may be able to use the program to plan the layout of many of your paintings.

To begin with, I took a picture of an empty 10 gallon aquarium and "stretched" it to a size approximizing about a 40 gallon.   I had originally used the 10 gallon size in an earlier plan, but it looked out of place with the large tiger.   Then I found some pictures of aquarium water and foliage and "pasted" parts in to set up the aquarium.   Next I "pasted" various fish to swim in the aquarium.

I originally had a photo of a tiger coming face on, but he did not look appropriate.   Someone, seeing the original aquarium scene I had done, with the 10 gallon aquarium and the tiger coming at you head on, said it looked like he had "stumbled" into the aquarium.   And well it did.   I changed the face to use a tiger looking down, as though peering into the aquarium.   I kept the same paws position, but the first version had both paws inside the aquarium. After I thought about it, it seemed that, if he had both paws playing in the aquarium, then he had no way of holding himself up.   So I changed it so that one paw was hanging over the edge of the aquarium, supporting him and the other was "fishing" through the aquarium water.   I wasn’t sure how well a 40 gallon tank could hold up a 500-700 pound tiger.   Some friends told me that if you accepted the fantasy of a tiger in an aquarium, then you could probably accept him leaning on a 40 gallon aquarium tank.

When I was satisfied with my picture plan, I printed it on 720 DPI quality paper.   This produces good resolution and color.   To get the size I wanted, I split the original picture in two halves and made a file for each side.   I printed both picture files and taped them together to get the larger complete picture.

The lesson for this painting is quite long. The painting took 10 fires and this lesson contains very detailed steps for each fire. If you intend to try a painting, following the lessons steps, you might want to do it in "sessions". You can either print out the whole lesson and use it as a guide, offline, or come back at different intervals to get more information. I used a size 12"x17" porcelain tile for my "tigerfun" painting.

Click here to see the picture plan for the painting

(Image Size: 84K)

You will notice that this painting plan contains very "vivid" colors for china painting.   Although my final painted colors are darker and the water leans more toward turquoise than blue, I think I was able to get the deep colors I desired.

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Colors Used:
(individual colors are indicated on the photos for each fire.
These photos are accessible from a link at the end of the instructions for each firing.)

Yellow Brown	Dark Blue	French Black Green
Mixing Yellow	Turquoise	Hair Brown
Strong Yellow	Sky Blue	Rich Brown
Transparency	Baby Blue
Golden Red	Cool Shadow
Crimson Purple	Pure Green
Violet	Chartreuse
White (or "stringing" enamel or structure paste)

Although the above colors are what I used on the painting I did, you do not necessarily have to go out and buy a lot of new colors if you don't have some of these. Feel free to substitute like colors. The Golden Red is a rich orangy red, similar to blood red, but a little milder color. For the Turquoise, which is probably the color I used the most, you can use an actual Turquoise or any blue green color. Transparency is a very pale yellow, leaning towards a Yellow brown. It is mainly used in portrait colors. The one I have is a Jayne Houston product, but I am sure you can get it at other dealers too.

First Fire

1. Using clear mylar acetate and carbon paper, trace the basic design onto the tile, not too many details.
   I used "Always Open", which as the name indicates is an open medium.  I am a slow painter. You are not restricted to an open medium if you feel you can get the painting for the first fire down before the medium starts to dry the paint. I just prefer the slower drying open medium.
   
   
2. Use a turquoise blue for the aquarium water areas.   The turquoise is used as a base color on the first fire, even though the aquarium water actually looks dark blue.   The initial application of turquoise should give the water more brilliance in the finished painting.
   
   
3. There are two ways you can keep the fish and plants in the aquarium clear of the turquoise paint. This applies to this fire and all subsequent fires where the water color is re-applied. You can apply resist over the fish and plants BEFORE you paint the water with turquoise. Or, you can paint the water with turquoise and then wipe out the areas where the fish and plants are. It seems that either using resist or wiping out after painting seem to be 6 of one or one half dozen of the other as far as difficulty.   Either method is very time-consuming for this particular type of painting where there are so many objects which need to be kept from being covered by the water. The advantage of the resist is, you can see the objects you are covering, so you probably get a cleaner line.   When you paint and then wipe out it is sometimes hard to see what to wipe out when everything is so covered with the blue paint of the water. For this first fire, since painting over the fish, that are just traced onto the tile in graphic, might smear the drawing, it is probably best to apply resist over the fish and plants that you don't want covered by the water color. You may be able to get by without resisting the rocks and the parts of the tiger paw that are in the water, if you can smoothly go around them with the water. If not, resist them too.
   
   
4. After you have applied the water color, you are ready to paint the various aquarium fish, plants, rocks and tiger. Pull up the resist to uncover the fish and plants (an any rocks or tiger parts you might have resisted) so paint can be applied to them.
   
   
5. Use Golden Red for the red-toned fish and Violet and Strong Yellow on the angel fish.
   
   If you make some color mistakes on some of the aquarium fish, don't let it upset you. I did this in my painting, with the red fish, which actually had a light blue tail. Just improvise.
   
   
   
   You can use"whink" (hydrochloric acid), to remove any color, but I don't like to use Whink, except in extreme emergencies.   If not used carefully, it can do a painting in, removing the porcelain glaze, along with any paint it removes.   Also, it is an acid, so dangerous to use if not handled carefully.
   
   
6. Paint the large and smaller aquarium rocks with Yellow-Brown.   Leave some parts of the rock a lighter tint for highlights.  Just apply the paint and then, use a Stipple brush over the painted rock, to create the roughness of the rocks, coming back to smooth it in some areas. If you don't have a stipple brush and you paint furry animals or mottled areas, you should try to get one.   They are great for creating a textured look.   A lot of the textured look of the hillside in my "Tiger face in a Waterfall" painting (on my personal web page) was achieved by means of stippling.
   
   
7. For the orange parts of the tiger face and paws, use Yellow Brown.   Again, use the Stipple brush on these areas to create the "fur look". Come back and smooth it as necessary.
   
   
8. For the aquarium plants, use Chartreuse, yellow and Pure Green, with a little yellow for the sand area.   You do not need to define this bottom area sharply at this fire.   Just wipe out several areas of plants (if not resisted) that will later be green and also create some little "sprigs" by using a small tipped wipe out tool and both the wedge-shaped end and pointed end of the larger wipeout tool.   These type of tools are also very handy.
   
   
9. Using the pointed end of the larger wipeout tool, wipe out some of the bubbles in the water and over the tiger.  The small wipeout tool can be used to create the smaller bubbles.   It is very important to get these in on the First Fire, as you cannot come back and make already painted areas white or lighter after they have been fired.   In subsequent firings, you can wipe out more bubbles over the turquoise paint for not-quite-white bubbles.
   
   
10. Now paint the aquarium frame with violet.   I never use pure black alone to show a black color.   Painting with a violet, dark blue or brown on the first fire helps to avoid it having a "flat black" look.   Which underlying color you use depends on your taste and the subject matter.   I suggest the violet for the aquarium frame because it seems that the metal would have some "purplish" tone.   You probably could just as easily select a blue undertone.   We will applying other colors to the frame in subsequent firings, not using the black paint until the fourth fire.
    
    
11. That’s it for the First Fire.   Fire the tile at 016 F. (I think that is about 825 Centigrade)
    
    

Please note that the photo of this first fire has picked up an overall bluish tint.   I suppose this is due to the lighting it was photographed in.   I have tried to adjust some of the blue tint out, but could not get it all out, fearing I might corrupt some of the other colors.

Click here to see the First Fire painting.
(Image Size: 73K)

Second Fire

1. Apply car striping tape (right on top of the violet color on the top frame on the aquarium). This will allow you to more easily get a straighter edge where the water meets the frame.   Apply car striping tape along both sides of the aquarium on the blank tile and along the bottom edge of the aquarium frame (not on top of the violet color of the frame this time, but on the blank tile along the area below the frame) to keep an even line while painting in these areas.   Paint the aquarium water areas with turquoise blue again.   You want to be sure and get a strong turquoise base before you paint the dark blue in the water. Again, you can either resist the fish and plants, etc. or paint over them and wipe them out afterward.
   
   
2. If you use the resist, be sure and remove it before painting the various aquarium fish again. Again, use Golden Red for the red-toned fish and violet and Strong Yellow on the angel fish.   When I did this painting, I put some white on the tail of the red fish which was supposed to have a light blue tail.   I seldom use white, since it generally does not cover other colors the way oils and acrylic paints do, but I wanted to see if I could define the tail of this fish, which I had accidentally colored red in the first fire.   I though that I might be able to come back in a later fire with a lighter color.   When this was fired, I had a happy surprise .   The white I applied seemed to "eat up" the red that was under it, so the tail was light enough that I was able to use the light blue color on it.   I'm not sure why this happened, unless the white had some yellow in it.   (some yellows will lighten some reds).    For the light area on the small fish in the middle of the aquarium, use sky blue, with a little violet on the fin.
   
   
3. Using violet on a very small brush, define the eyes on the various fish, using the small wipeout tool when necessary.
   
   
4. Apply Yellow Brown again for the orange parts of the tiger face and paws, not applying too much color.   And again, use the Stipple brush to texture the tiger's fur, then come back and smooth it just a little.
   
   
5. Paint more Chartreuse on the aquarium plants slightly left of center in the front of the rocks.   Where necessary, wipe out the other plants.
   
   
6. Apply Mixing Yellow to the little jug on the right side of the aquarium.
   
   
7. Using the tip of the larger wipeout tool, refine the bubbles in the water and over the tiger.
   
   
8. Paint the bottom pebbles with Yellow Brown and a small amount of Hair Brown.   You can create a "pebbly" look by "stamping" this painted area with the small tip of the large wipeout tool.
   
   
9. Now pull up the striping tape that was applied over the top frame of the aquarium, and add more violet on all parts of the aquarium frame.   Then remove the striping tape applied to keep the definition of the bottom frame.
   
   
10. That's all for the Second Fire.   Fire again at 016.
    
    

I have again marked the colors I used on the picture of the second fire.     For some reason, this time the tile photographed smaller.   I can't imagine why, since I used the same camera.   It is a Olympus Digital Camera.   And, the overall bluish tint is not quite as strong, but there is some graying   (It is a white tile, by the way).  

Click here to see the Second Fire painting.
(Image Size: 43K)

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Third Fire

1. This fire you may want to use resist for all of the fish, most plants and bubbles. You want to put a stron application of turquoise this time (probably the last application of turquoise for the water), and you may not be able to see the plants and bubbles under the new application of paint.

   Apply car striping tape again, this time just to the bottom edge of the frame and each end of the bottom frame, to try and keep the straight edge.
   
   

2. After the Resist has dried, apply a generous amount of Turquoise in the water portion. (though not so much that the paint might bubble or "pop" in the kiln.  You probably do not need to resist the large rocks and jug, as they are large enough to avoid with the turquoise.
   
   
3. Apply a little more Yellow Brown to the Tiger face, making sure to define the tip of the nose.   Then apply Golden Red in front of the ears, to the creases down the forehead and to define the darkened area over the nose.  Carefully shape the "frown" of concentration between the eyes with this same Golden Red.
   
   
4. Apply a little Golden Red in the shadow areas of the paws.   Use the Stipple brush, where you feel it was necessary to soften the strokes on the fur.
   
5. A little Transparency can be used to shape the tiger's mouth under the nose
   
   
6. Using a very light application of Turquoise, shape a few bubbles on either side of the tiger's face. Use the point of the large wipeout tool to wipe out some of this color to define the bubbles.
   
   
7. Next, outline a preliminary design on the little jug with Yellow Brown.
   
   
8. Using French Black Green, create some shadows under the rocks and the jug, adding a little Hair Brown along with the French Black Green to soften some of the shadowing.
   
   
9. Now pull up the Resist. Getting the bubblesmay be a little tricky. Using a needle tip will help with this task. Be carefull when you lift the little circles of resist from the bubbles, that you don't smear the paint of the water.
   
   
10. Where necessary, wipe out any rock areas and larger straight plants which may have been covered by the turquoise.
    
    
11. Now paint the aquarium frame with Dark Blue.   This application of these other colors, before painting it black will give the frame more "life".
    
    
12. I pulled up the striping tape.
    
    
13. That's it for the Third Fire.   Fire again 016.
    
    

I have again marked the colors I used on the picture of this fire.   Remember all of the colors are a little less blue than shown here. (The Turquoise has a greener tint).

Click here to see the Third Fire painting.
(Image Size: 61K)

Fourth Fire

1. Now its time to paint the Dark Blue on the water.   If some of the paint covers parts of the fish, plants and bubbles, you can come back and wipe out those areas.
   
   
2. Or, you can apply resist again to the fish, plants, etc. before painting the water with the Dark Blue.  Use whatever method works best for you.
   
   
3. It is important, whether the resist or wipe out method is used, that no hard line is formed between the left arm of the tiger (the one in the water) and the water area.   The area between this arm and the water near the top of the aquarium should be softened.   It will later be darkened (but probably not as black as indicated in the source picture shown on this page.   The black in the upper aquarium area is a little too strong.
   
   
4. You may find, as your firings progress, that many of the plants are varegated in color because they were wiped out in different areas each time you painted.   This happened with my painting. Wiping out, when there is so much application of paint, can also cause a build-up of the paint.
   
   
5. Now you can paint a layer of black on the bottom and top rim of the aquarium.   Again use the striping tape to mask off the edge of the rim for a smooth clean line.
   
   
6. Using a mixture of Dark Blue and Turquoise, go over the frothy bubbles on either side of the tiger's face.   Then use the point of the large wipeout tool again to re-form these bubbles.
   
   
7. Now pull up the striping tape.
   
   
8. And that is it for the Third Fire.
   
   
9. When I painted this tiger, I was only painting on it one evening a week, because at the time, I was limited to the time I had to work on it.   If you are painting this or a similar painting, and have more time to spend for each fire, there is no reason you could not combine some of the procedures defined here.
   
   
10. For instance: You might be able to apply more color to the plants and fish, thus bringing up their color faster than is the case in this painting.
    
    
11. This would mean that the painting would probably by finished in fewer fires than was the case with this painting.
    
    
12. Fire the tile again at 016.
    
    

Click here to see the Fourth Fire painting.

This time, I forgot to borrow the digital that I have been using for photographing the fires of this painting, so I had to use my regular Canon camera.   The coloring is a little different than what I was getting with the digital.   It seems a little duller than the actual painting really is.   I think the next fire, which was photographed with the digital camera, inside the studio, with additional lighting, looks better.

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Fifth Fire

1. Using Dark Blue, mixed with Black and a little Violet, paint in the shadow areas of the water, including some of the shadows behind the plants.   Leave areas of light in the middle of the aquarium water. If some of the paint covers parts of the fish, plants and bubbles, just wipe out those areas.
   
   
2. After wiping out the plants, fish and bubbles, (if necessary) paint the plants light and middle green, using Pure Green and Chartruese. Use Mixing Yellow on a few of the plants.
   
   
3. Paint some shadow beneath the rocks and around the lower portions of some of the plants, using Dark Blue and Black.
   
   
4. Add some Mixing Yellow on the light striped areas of the Angel Fish. Paint the body of the red fish, in the upper right area of the aquarium, with Golden Red.   Paint its tail black. The red fish with the white tail on the lower right side of the aquarium can be painted with Golden Red. Paint its dorsal fin Black and add Black to the eye.
   
   
5. And that is it for the Fifth Fire.
   
   
6. Fire again at 016.
   
   

Click here to see the Fifth Fire painting.
(Image Size: 54K)

Sixth Fire

1. As before, you may use the resist again to mask the fish, plants and bubbles before painting the water.
2. Apply stripping tape to the sides of the aquarium so you could paint the water in the aquarium more freely.
   
   
3. Create a mixture of dark blue, Black and Crimson Purple. Use this paint mixture in the shadow areas of the water near the top of the aquarium, behind the plants, under the rocks and across the top of the tiger's paw which is in the water, in the area just below the frame of the aquarium.   Again, leave areas of light in the middle of the aquarium water.
   
   
4. Paint the stripes on the face and paws of the tiger, using Rich Brown.   Darken the eyes, also with Rich Brown.  Use a little of the Rich Brown to create some shadow on the paw of the tiger which is outside the aquarium and to define the tip of the nose and mouth area.
   
   
5. Using Golden Red, paint in the reddish areas of the face and add a little of the Golden Red to the outside paw.
   
   
6. Remove the stripping tape and, if used, all of the Resist.
   
   
7. And that is it for the Sixth Fire.
   
   
8. Fire at 016.
   
   

Click here to see the Sixth Fire painting.
(Image Size: 54K)

This fire was photographed with the Canon AE1 35MM camera.  The lighting is better this time than the last time I used the Canon.

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Seventh Fire

1. If desired, you may again use the resist to mask the fish, plants and bubbles before painting the water.   Only the shadow areas of the water will be painted this fire.
   
   
2. Apply stripping tape to the sides of the aquarium to allow you to paint the water in the aquarium more freely.   Add tape to the bottom of the aquarium frame too, so you can more easily add more black to the frame.
   
   
3. Mixing the Turquoise, Dark Blue and Black, again go over the shadow areas of the water near the top of the aquarium, behind the plants, under the rocks and across the top of the tiger's paw which is in the water, in the area just below the frame of the aquarium.  Continue to make sure there are still areas of light in the middle of the aquarium water.
   
   
4. Paint the stripes on the face and paws of the tiger again, this time using Black.   Go over all dark areas of the tiger (which you painted with Rich Brown in the last fire) with Black.  Add some more Yellow Brown for the tiger fur.
   
5. Add some more Golden Red, as in previous paintings, to areas of the tiger face and paws.
   
   
6. Add a light wash of Dark Blue and Turquoise in the bubbles area on each side of the tiger, wiping out the bubbles with the wipeout tool.
   
   
7. Remove any Resist you may have used and add some Golden Red to the red parts of the fish.   Re-emphasize the details on the fish, using mostly Black, but paint the light tail of the red fish with Baby Blue.  Add more Strong Yellow and some Black for stripes on the Angel Fish.   Add Pure Green to the plants, using a little Mixing Yellow and Chartruese on the plants in front of the large rock.
   
   
8. Paint some Yellow Brown on the large rock.   Add some Yellow Brown to the design on the little jug in the water (This does not show up well on the photo).
   
   
9. Add more shadow on the gravel under the rocks and between some of the plants, using French Black Green, and Hair Brown in some areas.
   
   
10. Paint the aquarium frame areas with Black.
    
    
11. Next, remove the stripping tape.
    
    
12. And that is it for the Seventh Fire.
    
    
13. Fire at 016.
    
    

Click here to see the Seventh Fire painting.
(Image Size: 54K)

This fire was again photographed with the Canon AE1 35MM camera.

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Eighth Fire

1. We are finally through with the aquarium water and can now concentrate on other details and touches for strengthening the painting.
   
   
2. Add more Yellow Brown on the tiger's face and outside paw to deepen the color.   Also more Golden Red in some areas of the face and along the side of the paw.   Shape the tip of the tiger's nose with a little Black.
   
   
3. Use some Black mixed with a little Yellow Brown to deepen the shadow on the upper part of the paw which is in the water.  Paint more Black over the tiger stripes on the face and paws.
   
   
4. Add more Yellow Brown and Golden Red to the large wedge-shaped rock and Yellow Brown to the smaller rock in the middle of the aquarium.   Give the aquarium plants another application of Pure Green and Chartruese, depending on whether they are light or darker.   Use some French Black Green near the base of some of the plants.  Used the French Black Green in the shadows between the plants and under the rocks too.
   
   
5. Add Yellow Brown and Golden Red to the little jug to define its roundness.
   
   
6. Give all ofthe aquarium fish another application of the same colors which were previously applied, with care taken to define the lines on each one.   Try to be sure and leave any highlights on the fish.
   
   
7. The foam on either side of the Tiger's head should be further defined and darkened with Dark Blue and Turquoise.   Then wipe out some of the bubbles with the rounded point of the larger wipeout tool.
   
   
8. Using a mixture of Turquoise, Dark Blue and a little Cool Shadow, create the puddles of spilled water around the base of the aquarium.   After the shapes of the puddles are painted, go over those areas in vertical strokes of various colors which might be reflected from the aquarium.   For these reflections you can randomly paint Pure Green, Mixing Yellow, Yellow Brown and Golden Red and a little French Black Green.   The decision for where to paint a particular color can be made by looking at the area of the aquarium above that puddle section and trying to paint in colors likely to be reflected there.   After you paint these vertical strokes of color here and there, lightly brush through them with several thin horizontal and curved strokes. To do this, use a brush which, although it may have some oil, has no paint color.   This should result in a "soft wipeout" in the water where each stroke is made, simulating small ripples in the puddles.
   
   
9. In the middle puddle, create a few bubbles, by using Turquoise and Dark Blue to make rounded shapes and then wiping out highlights.   The lower edges of the bubbles can be kept straight to create half-cylinders, as though they were floating on the top of the puddles.   Create them in different sizes with some grouped together, creating about 4 or 5 bubbles in all.
   
   
10. Use French Black Green in the puddles near the base of the aquarium frame for shadows.
    
    
11. And that is it for the Eighth Fire.
    
    
12. Fire at 016.
    
    

Click here to see the Eighth Fire painting.
(Image Size: 62K)

This fire was photographed with the digital camera.

Ninth Fire

1. Using Transparency, lay in the color for the table or surface on which the aquarium is resting.
   
   
2. Paint Hair brown around the lower edges of the puddles to indicate shadows.
   
   
3. Paint French Black Green across the upper part of the tiger's paw which is dipping into the water, to further deepen the shadow area there.   You don't need to stay right on the paw, but just brush across and smooth the edges to blend with the rest of the water.   Any bubbles which are covered by this painting should be wiped out afterward.
   
   
4. Using French Black Green, create shadows in the water under the chin of the tiger.   More shadows can be indicated by painting a little Hair Brown, mixed with Black on either side of the mouth and nose area (against his ruff).
   
   
5. Add a little more Yellow Brown around the upper ruff and outside ears area to further define these against the background.
   
   
6. Touch up the aquarium plants here and there, where needed with Pure Green, Chartreuse and Mixing Yellow.
   
   
7. Add more Dark Blue and Turquoise to the foam on either side of the Tiger's head.   Again, wipe out some of the bubbles with the rounded point of the larger wipeout tool.
   
   
8. Apply more French Black Green to the puddles near the base of the aquarium frame to further deepen these shadows.
   
   
9. Paint more Black over the already black stripes on all parts of the tiger.
   
   
10. Shadow areas in the plants can be further deepened with French Black Green.
    
    
11. And that is it for the Ninth Fire.
    
    
12. Fire at 016.
    
    

Click here to see the Ninth Fire painting.
(Image Size: 76K)

This fire was photographed with the digital camera.

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Tenth Fire

1. Paint Rich Brown in the shadow areas of the large rock, especially under the tiger's paw.
   
   
2. Pure Green, Chartreuse, and Mixing Yellow should be applied, where necessary on the plants.
   
   
3. Apply more Yellow Brown and Golden Red to the tiger's face and paws to deepen this color.
   
   
4. Apply Rich Brown to round out and create shadowing on the tiger's paws.
   
   
5. More French Black Green (mixed with Rich Brown) should be painted on the upper shadow of the tiger's paw in the water. (Be sure and wipe out bubbles afterward)
   
   
6. Add more Golden Red and Yellow Brown to the little jug to further round out its shape.
   
   
7. In the shadow areas, under rocks and between the bottoms of plants, apply French Black Green and Rich Brown.
   
   
8. Add a little Dark Blue around the center fish (by the smaller rock) to define its shape. Then add Black and other accents of color, where necessary to define the different fish.
   
   
9. Some Rich Brown can be added to define the shadow areas on the smaller rock.
   
   
10. Paint more Black on the aquarium frame to darken it.
    
    
11. Use a little French Black Green under the puddles, here and there to darken these shadow areas.
    
    
12. Add more French Black Green where the puddles meet the base of the aquarium.
    
    
13. For the wall behind the tiger, to simulate wallpaper, place strips of 1/8 inch striping tape, vertically, at 1 1/2 inch intervals on the background white of the painting.
    
    
14. Then paint a light Turquoise wash (using vertical brush strokes) over the white area, behind the tiger, which is not covered by the tape. Be careful to keep the area around the tiger's head and bubbles on each side defined but not too sharp to where it will look unnatural.
    
    
15. Now, remove the striping tape.
    
    
16. And that's all for the 10th Fire.
    
    
17. Fire to cone 16.
    
    

This should be your last fire, except for painting on the whiskers and signing the piece.   I used Rose Seivert's (Rosebud Perfection Paints) white paint for the whiskers on the tiger. Rose's catalog, featuring her paints, is on this PPIO web site. You can find her in the drop-down listing of Catalogs on the PPIO home page at http://www.porcelainpainters.com. You can also use any enamel or structure paste that will "string" for the whiskers, if you like.

Click here to see the Tenth Fire painting.
(Image Size: 52K)

Click here to see the Finished Painting

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