Dear Garth,
Thank you very much.
And yes, it is exactly like watercolors. We use dry pigments which we then mix with oil. Some people mix the dry pigment with glycerine and then thin with water. Some mix the dry pigments with powdered sugar and then use water. But I use the traditional American method which mixes with oil and then paints with a medium of copaiba and a little clove oil and Turpenoid Natural. I have even mixed with linseed oil before, but that tends to dry and I like the paint to stay open.
Also, you can remove any paint that has been applied 'before firing' by just wiping or washing it off as it never dries until fired.
Paint can be removed 'after firing' by using an acid which is used to remove rust from porcelain sinks.
The paints that we use are the same pigments as with other media so some are transparent and if they contain zinc or titanium then they are opaque. Also, there are additional special glazes like lusters, enamels, and 24k gold that can be applied also for speciality effects such as with some of the antique famous KPM portrait tiles from Europe.
A good place to learn more about this method is to go to:
http://ppio.com and see some of the websites and the library there on various techniques etc.
Again, thank you so much for the nice compliment. It is always nice to know that other artists appreciate this very old art form. The nice thing about it is that as long as it doesn't get broken, then it will virtually last forever with no fading or damage.
I really appreciate your post.