Glazes Success

8/12/2019 Glazes Success

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by Annie Chrietzberg

Glazing for Success

Glazing, for a lot of people,is the bane of their ceram-ic lives. While there’s no

speci c glazing system that ts ev -eryone’s needs and preferences, themore information you have allowsyou more options when you get into aglazing corner. My system for glazingevolved with my own body of work,and as the work changes, I draw on

various aspects of it to suit the par -ticulars of the pieces in front of me.

For complex forms consisting ofthrown and textured elements, I usea combination of pouring, dippingand brushing to get the color whereI want it. Dipping is the easiest wayto ensure an even application, andpouring, with a little practice, is thenext. Brushing takes more practice,time and attention, and I only use it

when the rst two methods are notoptions for a tricky place on a pot.

The two troublemakers involvedwith glaze application are waterand gravity. When a bisque pot be -comes too saturated with water, itwon’t accept glaze correctly, so usethe least amount of water possiblewhen glazing, including when you

are making corrections. And as forgravity, I doubt there’s anyone whohasn’t experienced the waywarddrip of one glaze owing toward theearth across the perfect applicationof the previous glaze.

Tips for SuccessKeep bisqueware clean. Lotions,or even the oils from your hands,can create resist spots where glaze

adheres unevenly or not at all.Throughout all phases of the glaz -ing process, including loading andunloading the kiln, handle bisque -ware with a clean pair of disposablegloves ( gure 1). If you think yourbisqueware has been compromised— splashed with something, coveredwith grime, or maybe handled by avisitor—bisque it again rather thanrisk a crawling glaze.

Remove all dust before glazingincluding bisque dust, studio dustand even household or street dust.Use an air compressor for foolproofresults, but work outside or in awell-ventilated area away from yourprimary workspace, as bisque dustis extremely abrasive to your lungs( gure 2).

“Auntie Myrtle:A Covered Dish.”Glazing complicatedpieces requires pour-ing, dipping andbrushing of glazes.Practicing with vari-ous techniques en-sures greater successwith each piece youcomplete.

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Use silicon carbide paper to re -move any rough spots you missedbefore bisque ring. Place your workon a piece of foam to prevent chip-ping. After sanding, wipe with adamp sponge to remove all traces ofsanding dust ( gure 3).

Use a damp sponge instead of

rinsing, which should be kept to aminimum. Wring the sponge thor -oughly and rotate it so each area isonly used once. I tend to use half adozen or so of those orange roundsynthetic sponges during any givenglazing session ( gure 4).

Glazes must be well mixed. I usean electric drill with a Jiffy Mixer

attached ( gure 5). If there is dryglaze caked on the sides of the buck -et, sieve the glaze, then return it toa clean bucket.

Glaze all the interiors of your potsrst by pouring the glaze in, then

rolling it around for complete cover -age. For complex pieces requiring a

number of glazing steps, glaze theinsides the day before to give you adrier surface to work with, especial -ly for brushing ( gure 6).

When removing unwanted glaze,scrape off as much of it as you canwith a dental tool or a similar smallmetal scraper to keep a sharp line. Adamp sponge removes the remaining

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glaze with a few strokes, keeping wa -ter usage to a minimum ( gure 7).

Use a stiff brush to help cleanglaze drips out of texture ( gure 8).

For dipping glazes, select an ap -propriately sized container for thework at hand. I have lots of differ -ent sizes of shallow bowls that are

perfect for dipping the sides of mypieces. Wide shallow bowls allow meto see what I’m doing, so I even usethem for smaller things that t intothe glaze bucket ( gure 9).

When you can’t dip or pour, it’stime for brushing. Watch yourbisque as you brush—glaze is shinyand wet when rst applied, then

becomes matt as the bisque absorbsthe water. If you recoat too soon overa damp coat, you’ll move the founda -tion layer rather than imparting asecond coat ( gure 10).

Consider gravity when brushingand hold the pot both to encouragethe glaze to go where you want it to

and to keep it from running whereyou don’t want it ( gure 11).

If a drip ows onto a previouslyglazed surface, stop, set the pot downand wait. Resist the urge to wipe thedrip with a sponge. Let the drip dry,then carefully scrape it off with adental tool or metal rib. Use a smallcompact brush to wipe away glaze in

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areas you can’t reach with a sponge( gure 12).

Don’t brush glaze from the big glazebucket. Pour a small amount intoa cup, then briskly stir it occasion -ally to ensure that it stays properlymixed. Keep a large, damp spongenearby to keep the brush handle

clean. Stray drips often start with ahandle full of glaze ( gure 13).

If you’re glazing pots that don’thave a de ned foot, push them acrossa piece of 220-grit silicon carbidesandpaper. The sandpaper removessome of the glaze from the contactareas, indicating where you need towipe off the remaining glaze.

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Brushes

I use sumi brushes, which have

long bristles that come to a

point, but in the past, I have

also used hake and multi-

stemmed hake brushes for

large areas. Experiment with

all the long, springy-bristledbrushes. Mop brushes might

work for you, but don’t buy

expensive water-color brushes.

Applying glaze is a cruder ap-

plication than watercolor, and

an expensive, ne water-color

brush won’t work as well for a

glaze as a cheap hake from the

ceramic supply store.

A brush with long, springy

bristles that come to a point is

best. Successful brushing not

only relies on technique of ap-

plication, but also the glazes

you’re using and the tem-

perature you’re ring to. Some

glazes lend themselves wellto brushing, while others are

more nicky. Make wide tiles

representative of your surfaces

and use them to test how well

your glazes take to brushing.

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Glazes Success