Decorating Low Fire Pottery with Slips, Underglazes, and Lusters
Although bright colors have become just as easy to achieve at cone six as they are at cone 06, Gail Kendall still prefers the low fire approach, inspired by the casual decretive style of peasantware from Europe and Great Britain. In today’s post, Gail explains her techniques for creating simple and beautiful slip-decorated surfaces. She also shares her slip and glaze recipe. – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.
How to Prepare Colored Slips for Slip Trailing, Plus Lots of Slip Trailing Tips!
Slip trailing is a lovely way to add dimensionality to your work. And it is super simple to prepare your slip from your own clay body. In today’s clip, an excerpt from her DVD Layered Surfaces, Erin Furimsky explains how to prepare slip for slip trailing, plus gives a bunch of tips on how to get the most out of your slip trailer.
An Easy Way to Transfer Imagery to Pottery
A few years back, Doug Gray was interested in incorporating his digital photography into his clay work. He tried decals, but it wasn’t the look he was after – he wanted the photos to help him create the images, but he didn’t want the images to look exactly like photographs. One day he had… Read More »
How to Make Delicate Translucent Platters with Porcelain Slip and Terra Sigillata
Think thin porcelain. Now think even thinner porcelain and you have the plates of Christina Bryer. These translucent plates are a slip-casting marvel but not nearly as impossible to make as you would think. In today’s post, an excerpt from the April 2013 issue of Ceramics Monthly, Christina walks us through the process of making her delicate platters. – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.
Cardboard Stencils and Colored Slips Add Imagery and Texture to Slabs
I love using stencils in my work. I’ve tried lots of different materials as stencils, but I had never thought to use cardboard. Karmien Bowman uses cardboard for stencils to create lively imagery as well as dimensionality on her slab built pottery. In today’s post, an excerpt from From a Slab of Clay, Daryl Baird explains Karmien’s process. Having dozens of clay tools is by no means a prerequisite for slab work. But, don’t be surprised as you work on your initial projects that you start looking at the utensils in your kitchen drawers or at the hand tools in your garage and find yourself thinking, “I wonder how those would work on clay?” If so, good for you!
Layers of Information: How to Build Surface Texture Layer by Layer
Today, Annie Chrietzberg explains how Lana Wilson uses bisque stamps, textured materials, rolling, and paddling to create layered texture on her work. She also explains her darting technique for creating a slab-built platter.
How to Make a Stencil for Pottery Using Adhesive Stencil Film and a Screen
There are a number of ways to make stencils, with the easiest method being making stencils out of paper. But for more complex designs or designs with very fine components, adhesive stencil film and a screen are really handy. In todays video, an excerpt from Fundamentals of Screen Printing on Clay, Paul Wandless explains this process. Enjoy!
Beyond Wax Resist: Alternatives for Interesting Resist Decoration on Your Ceramic Art
Belgian potter Russel Fouts has done a great deal of experimenting with various “permeable” resists and today, he shares some of the results of his experimentation.
Block Printing Stamps: A No-Fire Way to Make a Great Impression
There are myriad ways to get texture on clay – one of these being the handmade bisque stamp. But sometimes you just want more immediate gratification. That’s where carving block printing material comes in. In today’s post, Ann Ruel explains how to use these printing tools to easily create your own stamp designs (with no need to own a kiln). These could come in handy for someone who works at a community art center and doesn’t want to wait for a bisque stamp to be fired.
Beautiful Ceramic Surfaces Inspired by Textile Patterns
With a seamstress mom and a quilting grandma, Colleen Riley was surrounded by textiles growing up so it makes a lot of sense that her clay surfaces resemble fabric designs. In today’s post, an excerpt from the January 2013 issue of Ceramics Monthly, Colleen explains the techniques she developed for creating surfaces that resemble batik fabric.
