: mregecko - Viewing Profile

Hi everyone -- just curious if anyone has used any of the Pebeo "porcelaine" paints before. They're a paint-and-bake (in an oven) that is supposed to set and be stable/washable, etc.

My curiosity stems from a fairly large platter that I threw, that formed a slight crack in the center. I know all the reasons S cracks happen, but I thought that this could be a fun project to play with Japanese Kintsugi -- "repairing" broken / cracked pieces with a mixture of Urushi (Resin) and gold dust, highlighting and celebrating the flaws.

Unfortunately, Urushi and gold dust are hard to come by and/or expensive.

So I went to my art store and found some different "approximations" to test on test pieces. I'm going to try some epoxy with powdered gold pigment, I got some gold leaf, and some Amaco Brush 'n Leaf.

But the one that I'm most intrigued by is the Pebeo Porcelaine paints. I've never used anything like them.

So... yeah. Anyone used them before? Think this will work, or am I just trying to imitate something that is inimitable?

Thanks in advance!

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

Hello everyone -- just wanted to post here some experiences I've had and see if anyone has some recommendations and/or similar troubles.

I've been working with IMCO Stoneware 1-C for a few months now, loving it as a mid-firing stoneware (texture and color).

However, when I fire it to the advertised maturation temperature of ^6, I see a good bit of bloating.

At ^5 everything seems fine.

To cover the normal basic troubleshooting, I've noticed bloating between ^5 and ^6 considering:

• Same clay batch and even BAG
• Same bisque firing
• No carbon coring noticeable when broken open
• Pyrometric cones and digital readouts confirming temperature
• Same glaze treatments
• Pieces were identical [or as close as possible], part of the same batch

I took photos of the cones and some of the bloated vs non-bloated pieces. Not sure if they would help, but can post. I also dropped IMCO an e-mail to see if anyone has had similar issues.

My main issue is that the glazes I have available mature a little better at ^6 than ^5, and if I can't nail this down then I may have to switch clay bodies.

Any thoughts?

Best,
-- MrE

Hey all -- long time reader, first time poster.

I've been doing ceramics for about 5 years, mostly ^10 reduction but with a smattering of ^5-6 Ox experience.

But I'd really like to try a small pit fire on my own.

I'm located in the San Francisco area, and am having a heck of a time finding anyplace where I can do a small pit for a few pieces (maybe a hole 3' x 3'). Obviously cities are difficult, but it turns out a lot of public beaches have regulations against fires too (understandable).

If anyone in the Bay Area (or anywhere, for that matter) has ideas on where I could get started with this, I'd appreciate the input.

Best,
MG