Ceramic Arts Daily – Pottery Video of the Week: Tips and Techniques for Making your Own Colored Clay

Curt Benzle mixes some colored stain into his dry clay body.

Glaze isn’t the only tool for adding color to your ceramic work. Mixing the color right into the clay is a really cool alternative. Curt Benzle got into colored clay because he really liked the precision that he could achieve in his decoration with the technique. He liked it so much that he has been making work with this technique for about 40 years.

Today I am sharing a clip from Curt’s new DVD on the subject. In this clip, he gives tips on making colored clays from scratch. I have to admit, I haven’t dabbled much in this technique because it seemed like an such an effort to make the colored clay. But, as Curt explains, it is really not that bad, especially if you set yourself up with a segmented plaster drying bat. Easy Peasy! – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.

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Curt Benzle’s Expanding Your Creative Palette with Colored Clay
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To learn more about Curt Benzle or see more images of his work, please visit http://www.benzleporcelain.com/.

Brandon September 30, 2011 at 1:01 am -

they should really add voice captions for ppl that cant read lips and cant hear .
Beth March 28, 2011 at 4:37 am -

As a high school ceramics teacher, my students have watched this video and are dying to try making colored clays. Which mason stains would be the most compatible and SAFEST to use with a low fire white clay body? I would plan to slake the dry clay with the stains in water outside of class time so they are not dealing with the dry stain powders. Even so, should I avoid certain colors?
Dolores March 25, 2011 at 11:39 pm -

I used this technique with white earthenware but not with the mason stains these stains can be used with this medium?
Carla March 20, 2011 at 2:13 pm -

The video is great. Thank you for the info. I also would like to know when Mr. Benzle forms his beaitiful work. The clay coming out of the plaster bat did not look very malleable. Carla Lombardi
samar March 20, 2011 at 7:55 am -

great! thanks
Jan March 19, 2011 at 6:39 pm -

I find fault with the camera work: for example, when he held up the container with the colored slip and explained with paintbrush in hand that the consistency should be like heavy cream you really couldn’t see it. But otherwise, very informative.
Rozz March 19, 2011 at 2:20 pm -

I also am one of the ones that can’t hear the video. This has happened a number of times. Such a disappointment.
Ted March 19, 2011 at 11:58 am -

Great method! Thanks Curt! You can see his art here /galleries/artists/benzle-curtis/ The link to his website should be https://benzleporcelain.com/ NOT https://benzleporcelain.com/ as it is on the ceramicartsdaily blog. Likely your browser says the security certificate can’t be validated… He also has videos on Youtube and great pics on other people’s websites – see the links page http://benzleporcelain.com/links.asp
Craig & Tracy March 19, 2011 at 11:21 am -

I like his safty considerations. Enjoied the video. I agreewith Fraser. I would like to see how he uses the colored clay.
Fraser March 19, 2011 at 12:49 am -

I also would like to know how you use the colored clay after it comes out of the molds. Thank you for the video.
Jan March 18, 2011 at 11:50 pm -

what do you do with the clay after it comes out of the plaster bat…is it soft ??? or do you need to soften it….Thanks
Valerie March 18, 2011 at 11:27 pm -

OMG!!! I just looked for and found photos of this guy’s ceramics! WOW!!! they are beautiful colorful forms. I think they are awesome. Ihope its OK to say this here. I guess I will find out. I found photos of his work at Huntsville art blog.
Valerie March 18, 2011 at 11:20 pm -

I like his drying bat! That is really cool. I mix Mason stains in Frost porcelain in wet clay…by making little pinch pots add water and wedge…and I add more clay and more stain as work. I don’t measure and have never had problems. Been doing this for many many many years. I amy be too critical but even tho this guy’s video is great, it is so time consuming….how long does it take to acutally use this clay he mixes? I think we all have our techniques that work for us…I would like to see his work also.
shawn March 18, 2011 at 10:01 pm -

He is a lively one though isn’t he ! lol
shawn March 18, 2011 at 9:57 pm -

great !!!!
shawn March 18, 2011 at 9:57 pm -

worked grew for me video, and audio
Jenn March 18, 2011 at 6:58 pm -

you don’t need to smash the dry clay into dust – that’s just a health & safety hazard no one needs. Instead just measure your dry clay & colourants, then slake the clay down. Add the colour to the container of slaked clay & mix it. Then reclaim it on a plaster bat. Much less dust this way!
Jennifer March 18, 2011 at 6:57 pm -

To those having problems, please make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Shockwave (flash) player. You can download it here for free: http://get.adobe.com/shockwave/ If that doesn’t solve the problem, please send an email to editor@ceramicartsdaily.org answering the following questions: What browser is used to access the video? What is the security setting? What version is the browser in use? Does the problem happen every time? What is the specific problem, no sound, no picture, etc? Do older videos (from last year for instance) play ok? What is the operating system What is the connection speed (dial up, cable, dsl) What is the version of flashplayer installed? Sorry for the inconvenience. We are trying to solve this problem but are having trouble replicating the issue. Your answers to these questions will help us in our troubleshooting. All best, Jennifer Harnetty, editor
Peter March 18, 2011 at 6:27 pm -

How odd that it works for some and not others. No problem at all here in London.
Wendy March 18, 2011 at 5:29 pm -

Sound is a problem again this week. I have the speakers and the volume on the video cranked all the way, and all I get is the static from the speakers. Too bad.
judy March 18, 2011 at 3:39 pm -

yes, it would be nice to see his face so i can lip read what he is saying. I pretty much wasn’t able to follow what he was talking about since i couldn’t make any sense of whats happening especially since the details were in the spoken word I’m assuming. Is the DVD closed captioned or english text?? Thanks, judy
Carol March 18, 2011 at 3:28 pm -

True. Can’t read his lips and I couldn’t hear the demo. He was mostly talking instead of demonstrating.
Meadow March 18, 2011 at 3:07 pm -

Would have been nice to see his face before he started doing his demo!! Meadow
Christine March 18, 2011 at 2:07 pm -

This is the third consecutive video which I cannot open. All previous videos have been okay. What is the problem??
Lore March 18, 2011 at 1:44 pm -

Try http://www.benzleporcelain.com
Cathy March 18, 2011 at 1:42 pm -

I’d like to see some of his finished pieces using the coloured clay. Is there a web site of his work?

Pottery Video of the Week: Tips and Techniques for Making your Own Colored Clay

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