Sign up for your FREE subscription to the Ceramic Arts Daily Newsletter and we will give you Getting the Most out of Ceramic Glazes and Underglazes Free!

click here to subscribe for free! already registered? log in here to download freebie!

Pottery Video of the Week: Steven Hill’s Surface Decoration with Thick, Oozy Slip

By Steven Hill, October 5, 2012 Read Comments (24)

Print This Post

Today I wanted to announce that Steven Hill’s DVD, The Surface Techniques of Steven Hill, is now available as a download. So, in celebration, I am bringing back a great clip from the DVD.

Using thick slip as a decorative device is an exciting way to retain the appearance of malleability in a finished fired work. In today’s video, Steven demonstrates his slip decoration process, and explains how it informs his glazing process. Steven is a master of this technique and watching him apply his slip decoration makes me want to immediately run to the studio and mess around with thick slip. - Jennifer Harnetty, editor.

Having trouble watching the video?

Please see our Video FAQ to troubleshoot.

This clip was excerpted from The Surface Techniques of Steven Hill, which is now available as a download, or a DVD, in the Ceramic Arts Daily Bookstore.

To learn more about Steven Hill or see images of his work, please visit http://stevenhillpottery.com.

24 Comments on "Pottery Video of the Week: Steven Hill’s Surface Decoration with Thick, Oozy Slip"

Denise McDonald October 7, 2012 at 1:54 am -

Catherine, most likely your slip cracked off because you applied it to a leatherhard pot. As the underlying pot and the slip dry out, they shrink. If the water content of both is too different – i.e. firm pot, sloppy slip, the shrinkage amount is too different. The slip needs to shrink more that the leatherhard clay because there is so much more water in it, so it has to crack and separate from the pot. The wetter the pot is when the slip is applied, the better (but not too wet that it collapses naturally). Using casting slip (slip that has been deflocculated, therefore requiring less water content to flow) would help with this. Applying it thickly would have exacerbated the problem.
Gil October 5, 2012 at 8:56 am -

Sure, you could use a hair dryer, but a torch is much faster. I just want to say how much I respect this wonderful artist. His ideas and techniques are original, thoughtful, and beautiful. Many kudos to Mr. Hill!
catherine pawsey October 5, 2012 at 8:55 am -

I’ve tried this technique on 2 pots. The first one had slip applied immediately after throwing, (no drying as I hadn’t read this forum and the 2nd pot was slipped when leather hard. The first one bisque fired fine but the 2nd one had big pieces of slip that came away from the clay wall. Did I put it on too thickly (it was applied thicker than the first one) or was it because the clay was drier than the slip? Any ideas?
Tiffany October 5, 2012 at 8:54 am -

I like how he relies on the slip to make the drips on the side of the pots instead of relying on a very runny glaze. His finished pieces are gorgeous!
Anita October 5, 2012 at 8:52 am -

I make porcelain slip with broken up bits of soft clay and water in an old blender.
Josh October 5, 2012 at 8:52 am -

Does anybody have a good recipe for a thick porcelain slip?
Larios October 5, 2012 at 8:50 am -

I LOVE using this technique on my pots, but I usually stop with applying the slip with my hand. I don’t run a rib across afterwards. I like the organic fluidity of the “hand-built” movement. Looks like flowing fabric and even better with a runny glaze!
Stacy October 5, 2012 at 8:47 am -

Looks pretty soft by the way he was altering the rim.
Harry October 5, 2012 at 8:45 am -

To make this slip, I toss peices of dried out porcelain scraps into a bucket with water. Stir every now and then, Add more water as needed and when you have enough strain it. You can add Epsom salt (in very samll quantities – one tsp at a time to thicken to consistency you’d like).
cate October 5, 2012 at 8:45 am -

Very cool!
Sue October 5, 2012 at 8:44 am -

@Josh, If you use a porcelain body, just use your trimmings to make slip. You can use any porcelain recipe or body to make slip.
Debbie October 5, 2012 at 8:42 am -

De-licious ! This method would also work on hand-build work thank you
Sharon October 5, 2012 at 8:42 am -

Have tried this with much stiffer stoneware slip. Caution: don’t leave sharp points on your pattern if using stiffer slip. I got carried away playing hard with the technique, forgot the basics and have not gotten back to sanding off the nasties. Thank you so much for posting this. Another way of playing with the clay for my pottery bucket list. Sharon M. Dartmouth NS
Mary Jo October 5, 2012 at 8:41 am -

I’mure Steven’s slip has been screened, therefore no lumps or foreigen bodies. I have one bucket of just such screened slip an love it having available for any project – don’t even mind the pain of screening. When he’s applying the slip to the form all I see is continued saturation and weakening of the walls. But someone previously explained the he uses his torch to dry out the walls after forming. We pyromaniacs are all alike…I’m a torch fan, too. You Just need to be aware of the amount of moisture you are adding to a newly formed pot. Thanks, loved the demo. MJ
Cris October 5, 2012 at 8:35 am -

Great technique, still confused as to the softness of the form as he applies the slip, and why it does not collapse when he pulls it oval. Must be right on the edge of what he knows will work. I need to see the whole video!!!! Thanks for highlighting it. Saw him in person do this at a potters council wkshop in NY, at Adelphi many years back and have tried something close to it, with little success. I can do the oval shape or the slip decor, but have made many a fine pot collapse in the process of trying to do both.
judy October 5, 2012 at 8:31 am -

I love how this turns a plain piece into an art piece also. It is beautiful.
ROBIN October 5, 2012 at 8:31 am -

I enjoyed your presentation of the Oozy Slip and will try it on some of my pieces in the near future. It makes your pieces look attractive. Thank you
Martha October 5, 2012 at 8:22 am -

Thank You I really enjoyed the playful method of this application:- ) Martha San Antonio,Texas
Janie October 5, 2012 at 8:21 am -

Could you use casting slip? I love the way this looks.
Lana October 5, 2012 at 8:13 am -

Howard, thanks for the rest of the info on drying the inside. Could we use a hair dryer instead of the propane torch to dry the inside? Would you say he dried the insdie to a soft leather then since he pulled the rim so easily? I want to try this for sure.
Howard October 5, 2012 at 8:12 am -

I’ve watched a weekend demo with Steven, and what the clip omits is that after the pot is thrown, and before the slip is applied, he uses a propane torch to heat the inside so it is stiff enough to support the pot while the outside is wet enough to bond to the slip. Steven designed a long tube that allows him to get the torch flame deep inside. Also, all you need to do to make the slip is use the same body as you throw with (there should be NO grog), soak it down and force it through a sieve like you would your glaze.
Lynne October 5, 2012 at 8:03 am -

yep very inspiring love the casualness of this application…
Catherine October 5, 2012 at 8:02 am -

I, too, have had trouble opening the videos — and I was using Explorer. With Mozilla Firefox the videos work. And on the slip: When I pour out the settled slop bucket, the water goes in the garden and the lumpy slip goes into another bucket. There, I use a wisk to turn it into the most delightful slip. That lovely slip is saved in a screw-top jar.
Nancy October 5, 2012 at 8:02 am -

So is the pot leatherhard or still soft when you apply the slip?