[mregecko]

I'm a potter with fairly little experience using underglazes -- most of my work has been high-fire stoneware with glazes and simple oxide washes.

I want to start a new project that I'd love some advice on... It's going to be a color study on some sculptural pieces, and I'm thinking that I would like to use commercial (Amaco, Coyote, Spectrum, whatever) underglazes painted on stoneware as my media.

However, I'm a little unsure what to do to get the surface I want... The un-glazed underglazes I've seen always come out a gritty / velvet-matte texture that's slightly unpleasant. However, I definitely don't want the surface shiny like it would be with a clear glaze over it.

I love the simple, slightly fluxed sheen I achieve with oxide washes (iron, manganese, etc) over stoneware... Is there any way to accomplish this same surface texture over underglazes? I was thinking maybe a light frit wash, but honestly not sure if that would work, proportions, etc...

Another thought was using a very watered down clear glaze, but this too can be a little unsure.

Any advice / thoughts would be great!

Cheers,
-- W

[neilestrick]

You could add a little frit to the commercial underglazes. It'd take some testing, of course. At cone 6 some of them start to shine up a little bit anyway. Speedball Underglazes hold color very well at cone 6.

[Lucille Oka]

The clear finishes that may work (of course you must test and see if this is what you are looking for) is the Amaco Sahara HF series, HF-12 Clear Satin, there is sheen but not a high gloss & HF 17 Waxy White, it is a white translucent glaze that has a texture much like set pure confectioner's sugar icing.

[mregecko]

Lucille Oka, on 15 January 2013 - 03:23 PM, said:

The clear finishes that may work (of course you must test and see if this is what you are looking for) is the Amaco Sahara HF series, HF-12 Clear Satin, there is sheen but not a high gloss & HF 17 Waxy White, it is a white translucent glaze that has a texture much like set pure confectioner's sugar icing.

I don't know why a clear satin didn't occur to me... Definitely something I'll have to test. I'm still not sure it'll be the exact right answer for me, but maybe a thinned down satin clear could give the sheen I'm looking for. Thanks for the idea :-)

And neilestrick, I haven't seen or heard much about the speedball underglazes... Maybe I'll buy one or two and test them out to see if they'd work for me.

Great ideas so far!

[bciskepottery]

You could spray or brush a soda ash/water solution over the underglazes; that should produce a low sheen. Becareful not to apply too much or the underglaze may run (soda ash fluxes).

You could also use a frit/water solutuion.

[neilestrick]

mregecko, on 15 January 2013 - 05:33 PM, said:

Lucille Oka, on 15 January 2013 - 03:23 PM, said:

The clear finishes that may work (of course you must test and see if this is what you are looking for) is the Amaco Sahara HF series, HF-12 Clear Satin, there is sheen but not a high gloss & HF 17 Waxy White, it is a white translucent glaze that has a texture much like set pure confectioner's sugar icing.

I don't know why a clear satin didn't occur to me... Definitely something I'll have to test. I'm still not sure it'll be the exact right answer for me, but maybe a thinned down satin clear could give the sheen I'm looking for. Thanks for the idea :-)

And neilestrick, I haven't seen or heard much about the speedball underglazes... Maybe I'll buy one or two and test them out to see if they'd work for me.

Great ideas so far!

The other great thing about Speedbal Underglazes is they are less expensive than Amaco Velvets and such.

[Chris Campbell]

bciskepottery, on 15 January 2013 - 07:10 PM, said:

You could spray or brush a soda ash/water solution over the underglazes; that should produce a low sheen. Becareful not to apply too much or the underglaze may run (soda ash fluxes).

You could also use a frit/water solutuion.

Could you share the recipe proportions for that soda ash/water spray?

[bciskepottery]

Chris Campbell, on 16 January 2013 - 11:16 AM, said:

bciskepottery, on 15 January 2013 - 07:10 PM, said:

You could spray or brush a soda ash/water solution over the underglazes; that should produce a low sheen. Becareful not to apply too much or the underglaze may run (soda ash fluxes).

You could also use a frit/water solutuion.

Could you share the recipe proportions for that soda ash/water spray?

Gosh . . . Maybe a teaspoon or so in a cup of water, heated in a microwave to help with dissolving soda ash. Never really paid much attention to quantities. I've done this in electric kiln, cone 6 on bare white stoneware.

[bigDave]

[/quote]

I don't know why a clear satin didn't occur to me
[/quote]

I use the laguna clear matte, funny thing is youd think a light coat would be better, nope light coat goes glossy, only heavy does it become matte

just FYI

http://www.lagunacla...ansand/ms67.php