Through the years, the art of painting on china and porcelain has been popular with all ages. It is an art that can be as simple as a few brushstrokes or as complicated as multiple firings with layers upon layers of work. Powdered minerals are mixed with oil and painted onto the china and then fired in a kiln. Historically, European Limoges and German china were most sought-after, and factories employed full-time artists to paint these pieces. In the United States, many cities in the industrial belt had china and porcelain factories including Detroit, Cincinnati and Chicago. These American companies were known for their fine artists and allowed the artists to sign their work – which was seldom allowed in the European factories. The process and art of painting on china and porcelain is the same today as it was years ago.