Ceramic - Pottery Dictionary

by Susan Mussi

MAJOLICA: Colors (g) Painting with colors

ca: MAJÒLICA: Colors (g) Com utilitzar-los

es: MAYÓLICA: Colores (g) Como se utilizan

The next photos show colors used in different ways.

These same colors are used in all the tiles that follow.
Outlines: Brown outlines.
Borders: Yellow.
Skin: Ochre or a skin color watered down.
Hair: Ochre shaded with brown outlines.
Shoes: Brown for outlines.
Blue cobalt: Light blue by itself or shaded with strong blue.


1) Bread Nº12 from a collection of 12 tiles
Jacket: Shaded with light blue, blue strong then covered with yellow.
Trousers: Shaded in brown strong then covered in dirty brown.
Stools: Shaded lightly with brown strong and then covered with ochre.
Dress: Yellow shaded with ochre.
Scarf: Purple.
Bread: Ochre shaded with brown-red

2) Farmer and donkey, Oficio Nº 32
Shirt: Yellow shaded with ochre.
Baskets: Shaded with brown strong watered down and then covered with ochre.
Horse: Blue watered down, shaded with watered-down brown strong.
Hat: Green copper.

3) Collecting olives Nº4 from a collection of twelve tiles.
Trees: green light shaded with green strong.
Tree trunks: green dirty shaded with brown strong watered down.
Left figure: Hats: purple shaded with brown strong.
Shawl and baskets: shaded with brown strong then covered with yellow.
Skirt: ochre shaded with brown-red.
Right figure: Hats: ochre shaded with brown-red.
Shirt: yellow shaded with ochre.
Bottom Figure: Hat: yellow shaded with ochre.
Blouse: brown strong lightly shaded then covered lightly with brown dirty.
Skirt: dirty green shaded then watered down with brown strong.

4) Grapes Wine Nº1, from a collection of twelve tiles.
Grape leaves. First yellow, making a wide border round the edge of the leaf, then copper green on the unpainted center and going out so as to overlap the yellow, leaving some of it round the edge.
Grapes: A small mark of blue on the right, of medium intensity, to accentuate the shade, on the left a stroke of yellow, leaving bits of white base, then on the right side covered with green light leaving some yellow and white on the left.
Hills: From left to right. Yellow with copper green: Yellow with ochre to shade: Copper green: Blue light with dark blue shading.
Branch: Ochre, shaded with brown-red.

5) Grapes Wine Nº1
Grapes: On the right blue light with a spot of blue dark, a bit of yellow on the left, then covered with purple, leaving white and yellow showing on the left, the rest is the same as in the previous tile.

6) Hay Cutting Bread Nº4
Hat: Ochre shaded with red-brown.
Jacket: Shaded with blue light and blue dark then covered with green copper
Trousers: Yellow shaded with ochre.
Hay: Very light yellow shaded very lightly with brown strong.