Archive for March, 2007

It is almost always possible in any type of production work to reduce the amount of work involved without sacrificing the quality of the item. This is the most important factor in production and should be given the utmost consideration. When you have prepared your sample model, take the time to study it carefully. There are, in all probability, many steps which could be eliminated in the decoration without destroying the artistic value of the piece. Here is the crucial point in the success of your item. It must be attractive enough to sell, but simple enough to produce at a profit.

All unnecessary detail and intricate brush-work should be eliminated at the start. If you do feel the need for some brushwork to give distinction to the item, plan the piece so that one or two brush strokes can be added as an accent, making them simple enough not to hamper your speed of production. The inclusion of handwork will depend upon the market for which you are aiming, but remember” that equally attractive pieces can be produced with a single glaze and produced much more cheaply.

Limit yourself to as few colors as possible. An item can be as effective with one or two well-planned colors as with many. Take advantage of ceramic machinery for your decorating. This is essential in speeding up production since it is the hand labor that is expensive and time-consuming. Use airbrushes, spray guns (for large areas) and spatter guns wherever possible. An initial investment in the proper equipment is a wise investment.

Try to plan your piece so that it can be completed in one firing. This means eliminating a bisque firing and a gold firing, unless you are prepared to charge a higher price for your item. Again, you must consider your market. If you plan to sell the item at a low price, a gold firing would be quite impractical as would brushwork and a bisque firing.

Strip your item down to essentials, but do it sensibly, never forgetting that it must still be an attractive item if it is to sell. Here all your ceramic knowledge, intelligence and good taste will come into play. Study your sample model and see whether you can decorate it in a different, cheaper way. One brush stroke could probably take the place of three; separate color areas could be air-brushed, with the help of masks; a spatter gun could be substituted for sponging or spattering; a colored or crackle glaze could be used as an entire decoration. It is simply a matter of good planning and imagination and if you use plenty of both, your item should be successful.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

Good organization is essential to any production work. It is necessary to plan your work and working area so that the maximum amount of work is achieved in a minimum amount of time. This can be done in many ways. The first step is to arrange your shop or studio into efficient working areas. A general plan is as follows: the molds and slip in one area; next, the glazing equipment; then, the kiln and storage space for bisque ware; and, finally, the decorating and packaging area. This plan will have to be worked out according to the size and shape of your building and will require a great deal of careful thought. It may be necessary to rearrange your shop several times before arriving at the most practical plan for your individual needs.

After the working space has been arranged, the actual production methods must be planned. Since you are interested in quantity, you will want to pour as many pieces as possible in the shortest time. This can be accomplished by pouring a quantity of identical molds at one time, rather than a variety

Illustration 159
The line design can be eliminated and several black and sgraffito strokes added.

of molds. If it is not possible to pour identical molds, at least try to pour molds of approximately the same size so that the setting time of the slip will be about the same in each mold, thus enabling you to open the molds one right after another.

The decorating process can be speeded up by dividing the work into definite stages; that is, do each step of the decorating on many pieces instead of completing a single item at a time.

Glazing should be done by either dipping or spraying, depending upon the particular item. Fairly heavy pieces can be dipped safely in a green or bisque state, but fragile pieces, such as figurines and very thin-walled ware, should be sprayed.

You will find it much cheaper to buy materials in large quantities. Slip, glazes,

Illustration 160
A crackle glaze with color accents on the beak and wings is a simpler decoration.

underglazes, oxides and stains all are available in quantity form at a considerable saving and your dealer will be happy to cooperate with you.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting

While many readers will be concerned with only “one of a kind” ceramics, others may be interested in producing a quantity of ceramic pieces to sell. For this group of ceramists, here are a few suggestions on how to organize the work in the most efficient and profitable manner.

Multiple molds

For production purposes it is advisable to select molds of not more than three or four sections. Molds of more than four pieces require a great deal of time to assemble and occupy a considerable amount of working space. Although it can be done and is done; this is a specialized type of operation and, unless you plan to produce a small, expensive line, it is best to confine yourself to two-, three- or four-piece molds from which you can produce quantity work.

Instead of depending on one mold for each model, use a number of identical molds to cast many more pieces at one time. To speed up the casting operation even more, you can make or buy molds consisting of more than one cavity. This, of course, saves working space and will enable you to remove a number of cast pieces while opening only one mold. A mold of this type, with two or more cavities, is called a multiple mold and is used by most commercial ceramic plants.

To make a multiple mold, you will need a model for each cavity. Embed the models in the same manner described in Chapter III. The only difference in procedure is that the multiple mold will contain a number of models within the walled area instead of the single model in an ordinary one-cavity mold. Multiple molds are usually made from models requiring not more than two or three pieces.

Illustration 158
The ceramic duck, with its line design on a sponged background, could not be made quickly.

Keywords: Ceramic Decorations, Ceramics Decor, Ceramics, Painting