Glazing
We are glazing bisqueware (clay that has been fired once in the electric kiln, looks pink/white and sounds like a chime when hit gently), and are not glazing greenware (clay that has not been fired yet, gray, bone dry, does a clunk sound went hit gently).
We need to have a "dry foot" on our pots. This is an area at the base of your piece that has been cleaned off of glaze. One can also use wax to protect the dry foot, but we will not be doing this on our first pieces. We will be sponging it off with a small sponge.
To choose your glaze, look at test tiles and choose a color(s) you like that will enhance your texture, so not a glaze that covers the texture thickly and does not let it be seen. You need to use a glaze that shows texture well on any pot that has texture.
Stir and wisk up glazes so that they have an even consistency each time you are using the glaze. The consistency should be like rich chocolate milk. We have two glazes that are thicker (crackle glazes): do not add water to them. Also come and check with me if you think a glaze is too thick and needs to be diluted a little with water. You can dunk pottery into the glazes in the 3 gallon containers. You need to paint on the glaze of the 1 gallon containers. You can also find smaller containers of the glazes in the cupboard above the sinks.
Be careful of red looking glazes as they may stain your clothes. Wear protective clothing. Also do not touch any of the glazes if you have cuts in your hands or arms. Wear gloves, use tongs, or brush on the glaze if you have any cuts.
When dipping into glazes only dip for one second, then bring it back out of the glaze and shake a little. Let it dry. If you have any little air bubbles, you can smooth out with your fingers once dry and like chalk. Dipping twice is okay, but do not dip more times than two times.
Once you have glazed a piece, be careful to not hit it against other pieces or anything else because the glaze may flake off. Also clean your hands before touching a next piece that is glazed because the powder on your hands can transfer to the next piece.
You can also brush on glaze, using the large hake brushes and brush on three layers. Wait until it dries between layers.
Crackle glazes are not food safe, because food can get into the cracks, but it can be used on the outside of a dish that will be used for food.
Make sure you are not wasting glaze: do not mix glazes into a container, do not ever pour glaze down the sink, put into small containers if you think there may have been contamination with another glaze (if glazes got mixed together).
Clean any tools off, scrapping the glaze off into the containers and getting as much glaze off the tools before cleaning the tools.
Requirements for our three pinch pots:
One pot with one color on inside and another on the outside. Where there is texture, use a glaze that will show it! Glaze the inside first, then the rim, then clean off any spills on outside, then add a second color on outside.
One pot where you have two colors on the outside. The first color is on the inside and the bottom area of pot, and a second color on the top part of the outside. OR One pot where you overlap a second glaze on a part of the first glaze. This will give us a third color in the overlapping area. Your overlapping color should be lighter than the first color or it will not show.
One pot where you brush on glaze. Let it dry between each layer and brush on three layers.
All pots need to have no glaze on the bottom. You should have a dry foot on the whole bottom area of your pieces and no glaze on the bottom 1/4 inch of the bottom of the exterior wall.
We need to have a "dry foot" on our pots. This is an area at the base of your piece that has been cleaned off of glaze. One can also use wax to protect the dry foot, but we will not be doing this on our first pieces. We will be sponging it off with a small sponge.
To choose your glaze, look at test tiles and choose a color(s) you like that will enhance your texture, so not a glaze that covers the texture thickly and does not let it be seen. You need to use a glaze that shows texture well on any pot that has texture.
Stir and wisk up glazes so that they have an even consistency each time you are using the glaze. The consistency should be like rich chocolate milk. We have two glazes that are thicker (crackle glazes): do not add water to them. Also come and check with me if you think a glaze is too thick and needs to be diluted a little with water. You can dunk pottery into the glazes in the 3 gallon containers. You need to paint on the glaze of the 1 gallon containers. You can also find smaller containers of the glazes in the cupboard above the sinks.
Be careful of red looking glazes as they may stain your clothes. Wear protective clothing. Also do not touch any of the glazes if you have cuts in your hands or arms. Wear gloves, use tongs, or brush on the glaze if you have any cuts.
When dipping into glazes only dip for one second, then bring it back out of the glaze and shake a little. Let it dry. If you have any little air bubbles, you can smooth out with your fingers once dry and like chalk. Dipping twice is okay, but do not dip more times than two times.
Once you have glazed a piece, be careful to not hit it against other pieces or anything else because the glaze may flake off. Also clean your hands before touching a next piece that is glazed because the powder on your hands can transfer to the next piece.
You can also brush on glaze, using the large hake brushes and brush on three layers. Wait until it dries between layers.
Crackle glazes are not food safe, because food can get into the cracks, but it can be used on the outside of a dish that will be used for food.
Make sure you are not wasting glaze: do not mix glazes into a container, do not ever pour glaze down the sink, put into small containers if you think there may have been contamination with another glaze (if glazes got mixed together).
Clean any tools off, scrapping the glaze off into the containers and getting as much glaze off the tools before cleaning the tools.
Requirements for our three pinch pots:
One pot with one color on inside and another on the outside. Where there is texture, use a glaze that will show it! Glaze the inside first, then the rim, then clean off any spills on outside, then add a second color on outside.
One pot where you have two colors on the outside. The first color is on the inside and the bottom area of pot, and a second color on the top part of the outside. OR One pot where you overlap a second glaze on a part of the first glaze. This will give us a third color in the overlapping area. Your overlapping color should be lighter than the first color or it will not show.
One pot where you brush on glaze. Let it dry between each layer and brush on three layers.
All pots need to have no glaze on the bottom. You should have a dry foot on the whole bottom area of your pieces and no glaze on the bottom 1/4 inch of the bottom of the exterior wall.
