Archive for September, 2006

When you desire a purely decorative effect with no attempt at realism, you can use colored glazes. The simplest way to decorate a figurine this way is to apply a fairly soft colored glaze to the entire figurine and fire it. The soft glaze will tend to run off the high points and pool in the depressed areas, bringing out the modeling of the piece. This is particularly effective on modern figurines where the emphasis is on the sculptural design rather than on the realistic reproduction of a figure.

Another glaze treatment that is simple but always attractive is a stained crackle glaze. A white or light colored crackle glaze should be used so that the crazing will show to the best advantage after it has been stained. Glaze the entire figurine (including the face) with the crackle glaze and fire it. After the piece has been fired, rub liquid shoe polish or India ink into the crazing and the figurine is finished. On some figurines, religious subjects in particular, accents of gold will enhance the simple glaze decoration. Such accents should be applied and fired before the staining process. Although crackle glazing is an extremely simple treatment in actual application, its decorative effect is difficult to surpass even with more complicated ceramic techniques. Any crackle glazed piece, whether a figurine, animal or dish, is always in good taste and refreshing to the eye because of its simplicity.

Colored glaze can also be combined with bisque areas on many figurines. The most effective way to do this is to leave the skin areas bisque as a contrast to the rest of the figurine which is glazed with one or more

Illustration 120
Gold stars are appropriate decoration for a religious figurine. Remember that a little gold goes a long way.

colored glazes. This treatment is most adaptable to the more exotic type of figurine which can be given a dark skin color. Paint the skin areas with underglaze color and leave them unglazed, and glaze the clothes with contrasting colors. The glazes should be fairly hard so that they will not run into the unglazed areas. For brown-skinned figurines the light colored glazes provide the most interesting contrast; a white crackle is especially effective. To simplify the procedure, red clay can be used for the figurine, eliminating the need to paint the skin. In this case, the glazes used must be opaque in order to cover the dark clay.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

The clothes should be treated simply and with as few colors as possible. Too many colors are apt to be distracting on a small figurine. It is sometimes difficult to cover large areas of a figurine with underglaze color without a streaky result. For this reason, it is a good idea to leave many large areas white. These white areas can be broken up with a small all-over design, such as simple flowers, stars, stripes, plaids, dots, etc. In addition to avoiding undesirable streakiness, white areas that have been decorated in this manner will lend a clean, modern and professional look to a figurine. Remember, however, to keep the pattern simple and light. The decorative effect will be destroyed if the pattern is heavy or too elaborate. Often a colored border and a flower or butterfly painted on a pocket will be sufficient decoration. On religious figurines, small stars are always effective and appropriate. (See Appendix.)

As a contrast to the patterned white areas, smaller areas can be painted a solid color. For a more naturalistic effect, the colored areas can be painted with a wash over which “dry brush” strokes of a darker shade of the same color are applied. This technique, while more complicated and usually unnecessary, will simulate to some extent the texture of cloth.

After the figurine has been decorated, glazed and fired, small touches of gold may be applied (see page 111). But do not overdo the use of gold. A little gold goes a long way and too much will cheapen rather than enrich the decoration. Many decorators are apt to become overly enthusiastic when armed with a brushful of gold. It must be used sparingly and with discrimination if it is to be effective at all. A hairline border of gold on the bottom of a skirt or jacket, a few gold stars-small accents of this type will add sparkle without destroying the lightness essential to good figurine decoration.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

It is a good idea to bisque figurines for safer handling before decorating them. After the figurine has been bisqued, the face and skin may be painted. The face is the most important detail on a figurine and if it is badly painted, the figurine cannot be considered successful. Any suggestion of heaviness must be avoided.

Paint the skin the lightest underglaze flesh tone available. The cheeks may be left the skin tone or they may be tinted pink. When you tint, use a light pink underglaze and dilute the color to a wash. Try the color out on a piece of newspaper. There should be only the faintest hint of color in the wash. Separate the bristles of the brush and “dry brush” the wash on the cheeks several times, going in a different direction each time. Do not confine the wash to too small an area, but go well up into the hairline, making lighter strokes of the wash where you want it to fade into the skin color. As the wash dries, it should be almost invisible. If the color looks definitely pink it has probably not been diluted enough and will show up too pink after firing. This is a difficult technique to perfect and requires a great deal of practice. If you cannot master it, it would be much safer to leave the cheeks the original skin tone. In fact, unless you are particularly concerned with a naturalistic effect, the figurine is often more attractive without rosy cheeks.

Now for the eyes. Here is where many figurines are ruined at the start. The first rule for painting the eyes is never to use black. The only exception to this rule is in the case of Oriental figurines. On all other figurines a dark brown should be used for the eyebrows and to outline the upper lids. Secondly, do not attempt to paint eyelashes on the eyes. It is true that on many of the imported figurines, those from Japan in particular, you will find beautifully painted eyelashes. However, the faces of these figurines have been painted by trained artists of great

Illustration 118
Dry brush and washes produce a naturalistic finish for this duo.

skill and unless the ceramic decorator falls into this category, it is much wiser to forget about eyelashes. If they are not done expertly and with the utmost delicacy, eyelashes will tend to give the face a clownish appearance which is not attractive-unless the figurine is a clown. Many of the imported figurines, although they have been skillfully painted, would be just as charming, if not more so, if the eyelashes had been eliminated altogether. Even in the face of such discouragement, if you do want to add eyelashes to the eyes, paint them only on the upper lid, never on the bottom lid.

The eyes themselves must be kept as simple as possible. First, paint a half circle of color for the iris of the eye, with a smaller half circle of black for the pupil. Use a slim brown stroke for the eyebrow and the same type of stroke to outline the upper part of the eye. The upper lid can be indicated by another, but shorter, brown line following the outline of the eye. Do not outline the bottom of the eye. This, as well as eyelashes, imparts a grotesque quality to the face. In the case of Oriental faces, the outlining may be done in black with the upper lid eliminated and the half circle painted a solid black or brown. (See Appendix.)

The mouth may be left the skin tone or it may be painted a medium or light pink. Do not paint the mouth maroon or red. Too dark a mouth will add heaviness to the face. This is especially important for figurines of children, angels, Madonnas, etc. The face must at all times be kept as delicate as possible. Painting the hair of a figurine presents few problems. The simplest and often most effective way is to paint the hair a solid color. If a more naturalistic effect is desired, the hair can be painted a solid color with “dry brush” accents of a darker wash. These darker “dry brush” strokes should be lightly applied and they should not be much darker in color than the solid color. The appearance should be one of softness which will be destroyed if the accent strokes are too heavy or too dark.

Illustration 119
A light pattern of small flowers effectively breaks up the white area on this porcelain figurine. (Courtesy of
Florence Cox.)

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

Figurines have always been a popular form of ceramics and will, no doubt, continue to be for some time to come. However, there is a tendency on the part of beginners to rush into figurine decoration too quickly, without sufficient skill or forethought. Because figurines are small, compared with most ceramic forms, a certain amount of delicacy is required both in their actual handling and in their decorative effect. The most successfully decorated figurines are those which have been given a light, simple treatment, executed with a careful eye to design and good taste. Figurines cannot be decorated with sloppiness or heaviness; it is too easy for a figurine to become grotesque rather than charming.

What to aim for?

The most important thing to keep in mind when decorating a figurine is that the over-all effect must be decorative. This does not mean that the figurine cannot be treated in a naturalistic manner; it simply means that you must remember that you are not painting a portrait but are decorating a ceramic piece. While faces will probably have eyes, heads will have hair and bodies will, in most cases, have clothes, these details should be simplified and arranged in a decorative manner. Realism can be sacrificed altogether, as with a glaze decoration, or it can be a fairly important consideration, but in no instance should realism become the primary aim.

In order to achieve the effect of decorative charm which is so necessary to figurine decoration, strive for simplicity and lightness of touch. Colors should be subdued in tone and employed sparingly; detail should be very lightly suggested and all unnecessary frills eliminated.

Illustration 117
Oriental figurines receive a simple but effective treatment.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

Here is another variation of a spattering technique which produces still another effect. The piece is first glazed with any colored glaze, the deep colors, reds in particular, being most satisfactory for this technique. Borax, mixed with enough water so that it can be easily applied to a toothbrush, is spattered heavily over the glazed surface

Illustration 115
(Above) A solution of borax and water is spattered on an unfired dark blue glaze.
(Below) During the firing, the borax pulls off the colored glaze, so the finished piece is mottled.

Illustration 116

and the piece is fired. During the firing the borax will tend to pull off the colored glaze, resulting in some very interesting mottled effects.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting