Archive for July, 2006

After you have mastered the many ceramic techniques, it is then up to you to apply your knowledge and skill in such a manner as to express the full range of your creative abilities. It is not enough to learn techniques. You must combine and arrange them into exciting, unusual ceramic pieces. The way in which the techniques are integrated, one with another, will determine, to a great extent, whether or not the ceramic piece is a vital, imaginative work or simply a run-of-the-mill product, interesting only because it is hand made.

Fortunately for the ceramist, the combinations possible are almost inexhaustive and each decorator can, with experimentation and ingenuity, evolve his own particular methods of decorating that will be unique and individual. The suggestions offered in this chapter are intended to serve as a springboard for your own ideas and further experiments.

OPAQUE CRACKLE GLAZE WITH BISQUE ACCENTS

While an opaque crackle glaze may be used in many ways-for Majolica decoration, as a simple glaze decoration, over a colored clay body, etc.-it is often interesting if combined with small accents of bisqued color. The areas to be left bisque should be clearly defined, either by the modeling in the piece or by means of an incised line outlining the area.
Paint the accent areas with underglaze color and then cover them with wax or latex. Now glaze the entire piece with an opaque crackle glaze and fire it. The resist material

Illustration 107
Underglaze, sgraffito and colored glaze are being combined for this plate’s decoration. The center is sponged solidly with a dark blue underglaze color and the design is incised with a sgraffito tool.

burns out in the firing (if latex is used it can be peeled off after the glaze has been applied) and the finished piece will be an interesting contrast of crackle glaze and colored bisque. Rub a stain into the crazing after the piece is fired.

Illustration 108

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Texture in the mold

Interesting ware of a rough, pitted texture, similar to that of stone, can be cast from a previously treated mold. To produce this stone-like texture in the cast pieces, mix coffee grounds or sawdust with enough glycerin or mineral oil to form a mixture of the consistency of soup. Spatter this mixture over the inside surface of the mold with a toothbrush, put the mold together and cast the piece. When the piece is fired, the coffee grounds will burn out, leaving tiny pits in the clay surface.

Another textural possibility for cast pieces is to substitute colored grog or small chunks of colored glass for the coffee grounds. Unlike the coffee grounds, the grog and glass will not burn out but will remain embedded in the clay, producing a contrast in both color and texture.

Engobe decoration in the mold

Ware that is to be completely covered with engobe for subsequent sgraffito decoration can be cast from an engobe-coated mold. The colored engobe is poured into the mold, allowed to stand for several minutes and then poured out. Immediately, while the engobe is still wet, regular casting slip is poured in. The cast piece will be covered with a coat of engobe and is ready for a sgraffito decoration. (See Appendix.)

Cast pieces with an inlaid design of engobe can be produced by painting the design in the mold. The design is painted or slip-trailed with engobe on the inside surface of a drain mold. The casting slip is then poured into the mold before the engobe design has dried. As the slip hardens, it will pick up the engobe design, resulting in a cast piece containing a colored inlay decoration. This method can also be used with press molds. The decoration will be even more interesting if more than one color engobe is used in the design.

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A certain amount of ceramic decoration can be achieved by decorating directly in the mold, rather than on the individual piece. Naturally, for the ceramist who is interested in producing more than one piece of a kind, any such time-saving device is a great asset. Also, there are some decorative effects that are difficult to obtain in any other way. By decorating in the mold it is possible to cast pieces with raised designs, pieces with a textured surface and even engobe ware.

Incising a design in the mold

To produce cast pieces decorated with a simple raised design, the design is often incised directly in the mold. When the slip is poured into the mold, it fills in the cut areas, resulting in a raised line on the cast piece. This procedure can be used to particular advantage in the pooling of soft glazes where raised lines are necessary for separation walls.

The design is first drawn lightly in the mold with pencil. The lines are then incised with a sgraffito tool, but this should be done very lightly at first until the entire design is more or less sketched in with the tool. Go over the lines again, making a deeper cut, and repeat the process as many times as necessary to obtain the desired depth. Cut carefully and gradually, since there is little that can be done if the lines become too deep. The incising will be easier if the surface is dampened first. Small mistakes in cutting can be removed with fine sandpaper, but in the event of any deep or glaring mistakes, it is best to try to work them into the design in some way.

Before the cutting goes too deep, make a cast for the purpose of checking the design, so that corrections can be made in the mold at this point. If the raised lines are not high

Illustration 105
A simple design can be incised in the mold. The slip that fills in the cut areas will result in a raised line on the cast piece. The finished piece is pictured in Illustration 42, page 30.

enough on the cast piece, cut the lines in the mold deeper. On the other hand, if the raised lines are too high on the cast piece, the only thing that can be done is to sponge or sand them down a little on each piece; this can no longer be remedied in the mold.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

While we have discussed many ways of using glazes in ceramic decorating, there are many more possibilities which you can discover by constant experimenting. If you wish to exploit to the fullest the field of decorative glazing you will be able, with this and preceding chapters as a basis, to develop your own special glazes and techniques.

You will find it possible to make almost any color glaze. Add underglaze color or oxides to a clear glaze to produce a transparent colored glaze, or to a white opaque glaze for various shades of pastel colored opaque glazes. Adding specks to any glaze is an easy way to make an interesting glaze, while experimenting with a soft glaze applied over another soft glaze will lead to a hundred different mottled effects. Experiment with textured glazes by adding slip to the glaze for a rough, matt surface. This type of glaze is sometimes referred to commercially as a “lava” glaze and provides an unusual textural contrast for glaze decoration. By combining and rearranging the techniques we have already discussed, you can evolve methods of glaze decorating that will be both individual and satisfying.

Experiment not only with glaze but also with the firing of a glazed piece to produce different effects. A matt glaze, for example, will become shiny if overfired and many glazes change completely in color and texture when overfired. It is almost impossible to predict accurately how any one glaze will react under varied circumstances, which is why experimentation is essential when working with glazes.

Always make a small test of each glaze before using the glaze. When testing a glaze, divide the testing piece into three sections: one section for a heavy application of the glaze, another section for a medium application and the third section for a very light application. It is also a good idea to make two identical test pieces and fire them at different temperatures. In this way a true test of the glaze can be made. As an extra precaution, especially when working with some of the very soft glazes, test pieces should be fired both vertically and flat, since the glaze may react in one way when applied on an upright piece and in quite another way on a flat piece. Number all tests and keep a record of each for future reference.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

You can use ordinary bottle glass or prepared powdered glass as a ceramic decorating material with many unusual effects. Take any colored glass bottle and break it up into small chunks by wrapping it in many thicknesses of newspaper and pounding with a hammer or stone. Place the pieces of glass on a glazed flat bowl or dish and fire the piece. The glass chunks will melt during the firing and a smooth pool of colored glass will decorate the fired piece. Since the glazed piece may be either fired or unfired when you place the glass on it, you can sometimes “fix up” a fired piece that lacks interest by simply adding ground glass and refiring.

If you purchase powdered glass you can use it in dry form by heaping the powder in the center of the glazed dish, then firing. You can also add water to the powder and proceed to pool the liquid glass in the dish with a brush or medicine dropper.

You can make colored glass by adding dry underglaze color to borax. You may also achieve many interesting effects with borax alone. Sprinkle a generous amount of powder (a layer at least ?- of an inch

Illustration 102
Borax can produce many interesting effects. A generous amount is heaped in the center of
a glazed, unfired dish.

high) over any color glazed piece and fire it. The borax will pull off the existing color, producing a mottled pattern. This is particularly effective with dark red glazes as the borax often leaves patterns of soft grey and white.

Illustration 103
When the dish is fired, the borax pulls off the color, producing a mottled effect.

Illustration 104
A soft, transparent, dark-colored glaze was applied over a soft white opaque glaze. (Courtesy of Zelbur Ceramics.)

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting