Decoration Techniques
Underglaze
Underglaze was not used in schools when I was a kid, we just had a selection of brown, blue, black, clear and white glazes. UNderglazes have revolutionised the way we teach ceramics in schools. They are a cheap and reliable way of colouring ceramics and the way you put them onto the ceramics is similar to painting. The colours are similar to the finished product so students can get an idea of what it will look like after it is fired. Great detail can be achieved with patience and the right brushes. They can be thinnned down and used like watercolours or they can be used straight from the jar with up to three coats to make a strong opaque colour.
Underglazes can be applied while the clay is green, that is before the first firing, or they can be added to bisque fired work, covered in glaze and put into the glaze firing. They usually need a glaze coating to bring out their colours at earthenware temperatures.
there is an information sheet on underglazes ( no. 12) at the northcote pottery website:
http://www.northcotepottery.com.au/tech-tipsproduct-info
glaze
Glaze is basically a powdered raw glass that you mix with water and apply to your pot. When it gets to a certain temperature it turns to a clear glass.
Its not really that simple but I use this as a good way to explain it to children. Glaze also has many ingredients that do things like, make sure it doesn't run, make sure it sticks to the pot and makes a particular colour.
Glaze works differently on different clays.
You must be careful not to have any glaze in contact with your kiln shelf as the ceramic work will become glued to the shelf during the firing process. ( this ruins shelves which are expensive) It is a good idea to coat your shelves in Bat wash to help prevent the problem. And establish a rule that if children don't wipe their own bottoms they won't get fired. ( they might enjoy the metaphor)
Northcote Pottery has a fact/tip sheet on earthenware glazing, it is number 11.
http://www.northcotepottery.com.au/tech-tipsproduct-info
Here are two examples of an orange earthenware glaze on different clay bodies.
Using coloured Slips for Once fired work.
I used to make a lot of ceramics that was once fired earthenware which I decorated with coloured slips.
It is a good option for busy teachers who want their students to make something, that they will only have to fire once. The slips I use will keep nice colours if fired at earthenware temperatures, but these will change dramatically if fired to stoneware.
The following recipes and ideas are designed for earthenware clays and firing only.
At earthenware you have terracotta which fires orange, and white handbuilding clay which will fire a creamy wh
ite colour, so that's two colours to start with. You can make slips with these clays. The easiest method is to put dried clay into water and leave it for a while. Store in a sealed container.
A pink slip can be made by adding a little bit of red iron oxide to white slip.
You can make a grey slip with manganese dioxide and terracotta slip
A grey slip with manganese dioxide and white slip
a dark brown slip with red iron oxide and terracotta slip, or black iron oxide and terracotta slip
You can buy a very white decorating slip from Northcote Pottery cheaply or buy a very white clay such as porcelain and wet it down into slip.
I also use turquoise and alice blue underglazes from Northcote Pottery whenever I do this technique. these two underglaze colours look good when fired once only.
Painting onto bisque tiles
You can buy plain white bisque tiles at Northcote Pottery and I use them for ceramic murals.
They only need to be decorated and glazed and then placed into one firing (the glaze firing), to be completed.
A simple process for a good result.
see these websites for examples of the use of bisque tiles
http://reflectionsofstjohns.blogspot.com.au/
http://noahsarkatovernewton.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/fresh-out-of-kiln.html
The main concern is not to use liquid underglazes to thickly, or have any lumps of it as this will result in peeling and taking the glaze off as well.
You can prevent this by making sure that your underglazes are well-stirred and the right consistency ( thin cream, like you buy in the supermarket). Give clear instructions about not putting the underglazes on too thickly and only using three layers of underglaze at the most.
Check the tiles for any lumps of underglaze and scrape them off before applying the glaze.
Apply three layers of glaze and whack into the kiln.
Apply glaze carefully with a soft brush. Glaze should be brushed on softly and never re-brushed as it will begin to wet and smudge the painted design underneath. So one carefully applied brushstroke over each part of your tile. Leave it to dry, then apply the second coat. The second and third coat of glaze can be put on more rigorously as the glaze has a setting material in it that prevents it being easily washed off.
Majolica
In this technique, bisque fired earthenware, is coated with opaque white glaze and then colored overglaze decoration is applied. Historically the glaze was white and included tin to make it opaque.
the colors are brushed on top of the raw glaze.After the decoration is applied the piece is fired in the kiln.
Traditionally, in Italy, Portugal and Spain, potters use raw pigments such as cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, rutile, and antimony.
To the raw pigment one may add a little flux in the form of frit or talc. A little china clay or ball clay may be added to aid in suspension and adhesion. You could also add gum to make the surface more durable prior to firing.
You can use underglazes but modern majolica painters who do not use underglazes often rely upon commercially manufactured colors called "stains".
The direct nature of applying color through this brush technique has appeal because the fired result looks pretty close to way it was applied.
Here is a link to a video of a majolica artist using stencils to decorate a tile in majolica style.
http://www.oerth-tile-works.com/Majolica-Techniques.html
And a link to a site which has very technical but informative step by step instructions on how to do majolica. By Clay Cunningham, and demonstrations of the work of Posey Bacopoulos.
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-techniques/ceramic-glazing-techniques/the-magic-of-majolicamaiolica-how-to-create-vibrant-painterly-decoration-on-pottery/?floater=99
How to do it
Apply the base glaze ( white earthenware or white tin based) to earthenware bisque fired work. If you are brushing the glaze on, make sure you do the greater amount of coats. If the instructions say 1-3 coats, do three.
Make sure there is no glaze where the pot touches the kiln shelf, otherwise clean these areas.
Mix stain or underglaze with a frit or similar material to make a paste. The mixture should be frit 75% and colour 25 %.
Apply over the glaze and gradually work up your picture. Remember that the colour is weaker than pure stain or underglaze because it has been mixed with a frit so you may need to put it on thicker or in more layers.
Try: Spattering with a toothbrush, spraying with a squirt bottle, or dabbing with a crumpled rag .
Place in a kiln and fire to earthenware temperature.
Here are a few tips for designing and executing your composition by – Jake Allee ( a ceramics teacher in colarado)
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-glaze-recipes/low-fire-glaze-recipes/messing-with-majolica-an-instructor-shares-tips-for-learning-and-teaching-the-majolica-technique/?floater=99
Another technique that ceramics artists love, is to scratch-through the colour after it dries. Suppose you paint a leaf, for example. After the colour dries, you can scratch-through and draw veins for the leaves. The technique can be very beautiful and effective.
Other information re majolica
Then the desired decoration is painted on to the raw glaze base with glaze colours.
The manipulation of the brush and colours are of great importance.
The colours are transparent so the brush strokes of each coat of colour can be seen, one colour painted on top of another forms a third or forth colour.
The light usually comes from the left and to accentuate it, on this side a little of the white glaze base is not painted.
Shading can be the same colour painted with different intensities or two different colours that are over lapping, violet with dark brown, yellow with ochre and many others.
When fired the glaze base and colours fuse together, they integrate to form a smooth, vitrified and unbroken surface which gives depth and strength to the colours.
You can use carbon paper to apply your design or use a soft pencil.
Underglaze
Underglaze was not used in schools when I was a kid, we just had a selection of brown, blue, black, clear and white glazes. UNderglazes have revolutionised the way we teach ceramics in schools. They are a cheap and reliable way of colouring ceramics and the way you put them onto the ceramics is similar to painting. The colours are similar to the finished product so students can get an idea of what it will look like after it is fired. Great detail can be achieved with patience and the right brushes. They can be thinnned down and used like watercolours or they can be used straight from the jar with up to three coats to make a strong opaque colour.
Underglazes can be applied while the clay is green, that is before the first firing, or they can be added to bisque fired work, covered in glaze and put into the glaze firing. They usually need a glaze coating to bring out their colours at earthenware temperatures.
there is an information sheet on underglazes ( no. 12) at the northcote pottery website:
http://www.northcotepottery.com.au/tech-tipsproduct-info
 |
| earthenware fish with yellow underglazes and other colours thinned and washed into the cracks. |
glaze
Glaze is basically a powdered raw glass that you mix with water and apply to your pot. When it gets to a certain temperature it turns to a clear glass.
Its not really that simple but I use this as a good way to explain it to children. Glaze also has many ingredients that do things like, make sure it doesn't run, make sure it sticks to the pot and makes a particular colour.
Glaze works differently on different clays.
You must be careful not to have any glaze in contact with your kiln shelf as the ceramic work will become glued to the shelf during the firing process. ( this ruins shelves which are expensive) It is a good idea to coat your shelves in Bat wash to help prevent the problem. And establish a rule that if children don't wipe their own bottoms they won't get fired. ( they might enjoy the metaphor)
Northcote Pottery has a fact/tip sheet on earthenware glazing, it is number 11.
http://www.northcotepottery.com.au/tech-tipsproduct-info
Here are two examples of an orange earthenware glaze on different clay bodies.
 |
| earthenware handbuilding caly with orange and rococo red glaze from Northcote pottery, many many layers of glaze applied. |
 |
| terracotta fish with the same glazes. Note that the glaze has run a little, but I avoided putting it down the bottom of the fish. |
Using coloured Slips for Once fired work.
I used to make a lot of ceramics that was once fired earthenware which I decorated with coloured slips.
It is a good option for busy teachers who want their students to make something, that they will only have to fire once. The slips I use will keep nice colours if fired at earthenware temperatures, but these will change dramatically if fired to stoneware.
The following recipes and ideas are designed for earthenware clays and firing only.
At earthenware you have terracotta which fires orange, and white handbuilding clay which will fire a creamy wh
ite colour, so that's two colours to start with. You can make slips with these clays. The easiest method is to put dried clay into water and leave it for a while. Store in a sealed container.
A pink slip can be made by adding a little bit of red iron oxide to white slip.
You can make a grey slip with manganese dioxide and terracotta slip
A grey slip with manganese dioxide and white slip
a dark brown slip with red iron oxide and terracotta slip, or black iron oxide and terracotta slip
You can buy a very white decorating slip from Northcote Pottery cheaply or buy a very white clay such as porcelain and wet it down into slip.
I also use turquoise and alice blue underglazes from Northcote Pottery whenever I do this technique. these two underglaze colours look good when fired once only.
Painting onto bisque tiles
You can buy plain white bisque tiles at Northcote Pottery and I use them for ceramic murals.
They only need to be decorated and glazed and then placed into one firing (the glaze firing), to be completed.
A simple process for a good result.
see these websites for examples of the use of bisque tiles
http://reflectionsofstjohns.blogspot.com.au/
http://noahsarkatovernewton.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/fresh-out-of-kiln.html
The main concern is not to use liquid underglazes to thickly, or have any lumps of it as this will result in peeling and taking the glaze off as well.
You can prevent this by making sure that your underglazes are well-stirred and the right consistency ( thin cream, like you buy in the supermarket). Give clear instructions about not putting the underglazes on too thickly and only using three layers of underglaze at the most.
Check the tiles for any lumps of underglaze and scrape them off before applying the glaze.
Apply three layers of glaze and whack into the kiln.
Apply glaze carefully with a soft brush. Glaze should be brushed on softly and never re-brushed as it will begin to wet and smudge the painted design underneath. So one carefully applied brushstroke over each part of your tile. Leave it to dry, then apply the second coat. The second and third coat of glaze can be put on more rigorously as the glaze has a setting material in it that prevents it being easily washed off.
Majolica
In this technique, bisque fired earthenware, is coated with opaque white glaze and then colored overglaze decoration is applied. Historically the glaze was white and included tin to make it opaque.
the colors are brushed on top of the raw glaze.After the decoration is applied the piece is fired in the kiln.
Traditionally, in Italy, Portugal and Spain, potters use raw pigments such as cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, rutile, and antimony.
To the raw pigment one may add a little flux in the form of frit or talc. A little china clay or ball clay may be added to aid in suspension and adhesion. You could also add gum to make the surface more durable prior to firing.
You can use underglazes but modern majolica painters who do not use underglazes often rely upon commercially manufactured colors called "stains".
The direct nature of applying color through this brush technique has appeal because the fired result looks pretty close to way it was applied.
Here is a link to a video of a majolica artist using stencils to decorate a tile in majolica style.
http://www.oerth-tile-works.com/Majolica-Techniques.html
And a link to a site which has very technical but informative step by step instructions on how to do majolica. By Clay Cunningham, and demonstrations of the work of Posey Bacopoulos.
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/pottery-making-techniques/ceramic-glazing-techniques/the-magic-of-majolicamaiolica-how-to-create-vibrant-painterly-decoration-on-pottery/?floater=99
How to do it
Apply the base glaze ( white earthenware or white tin based) to earthenware bisque fired work. If you are brushing the glaze on, make sure you do the greater amount of coats. If the instructions say 1-3 coats, do three.
Make sure there is no glaze where the pot touches the kiln shelf, otherwise clean these areas.
Mix stain or underglaze with a frit or similar material to make a paste. The mixture should be frit 75% and colour 25 %.
Apply over the glaze and gradually work up your picture. Remember that the colour is weaker than pure stain or underglaze because it has been mixed with a frit so you may need to put it on thicker or in more layers.
Try: Spattering with a toothbrush, spraying with a squirt bottle, or dabbing with a crumpled rag .
Place in a kiln and fire to earthenware temperature.
Here are a few tips for designing and executing your composition by – Jake Allee ( a ceramics teacher in colarado)
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-glaze-recipes/low-fire-glaze-recipes/messing-with-majolica-an-instructor-shares-tips-for-learning-and-teaching-the-majolica-technique/?floater=99
- Start with sketches. This way, you have most of the composition worked out before you commit.
- Simplify your colour palette. Too many colours appear “over the top” and can confuse the eye.
- Define the borders of your image area. You can use a banding wheel to define the image area on plates. For other forms, first use a light wash to define your boundaries.
- Always work light to dark. Use light washes first and created depth by gradually using more intense application of stain. Use yellow first and black last for the final emphasis of critical points in the composition. Don’t forget to use the white of the glaze as your lightest value.
- Work background to foreground. Apply background colours first (figure 2). As you work with each colour, move through the composition, filling in areas in the midground and foreground that have the same colour (figure 3). Remember to block out areas, leaving them white where light coloured foreground imagery overlaps the background. The coloured stains are like watercolours; they’re not opaque. Any marks you make continue to be visible even under layers of other colours. If you plan well, darker lines in the foreground used to develop details and that overlap lighter ones in the background enhance the idea of perspective, as the foreground lines will appear closer
- Work from the top of the form to the bottom. This helps to avoid smearing your previous work. If you are decorating a plate, work on the outside edges last
Another technique that ceramics artists love, is to scratch-through the colour after it dries. Suppose you paint a leaf, for example. After the colour dries, you can scratch-through and draw veins for the leaves. The technique can be very beautiful and effective.
Other information re majolica
Then the desired decoration is painted on to the raw glaze base with glaze colours.
The manipulation of the brush and colours are of great importance.
The colours are transparent so the brush strokes of each coat of colour can be seen, one colour painted on top of another forms a third or forth colour.
The light usually comes from the left and to accentuate it, on this side a little of the white glaze base is not painted.
Shading can be the same colour painted with different intensities or two different colours that are over lapping, violet with dark brown, yellow with ochre and many others.
When fired the glaze base and colours fuse together, they integrate to form a smooth, vitrified and unbroken surface which gives depth and strength to the colours.
You can use carbon paper to apply your design or use a soft pencil.
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