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Finishing

Techniques

CeramicArts

HandbookSeries

Surface

Decoration

Edited by Anderson Turner







Edited by Anderson Turner

The American Ceramic Society

600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210

Westerville, Ohio 43082

www.CeramicArtsDaily.org

SurfaceDecoration

CeramicArts

Handbook

Series

Finishing

Techniques


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Ceramic Arts Handbook

The American Ceramic Society

600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210

Westerville, Ohio 43082

© 2008, 2011 by The American Ceramic Society, All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-57498-290-9 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-57498-525-2 (PDF)

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microlming,

recording or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except by a

reviewer, who may quote brief passages in review.

Authorization to photocopy for internal or personal use beyond the limits of Sections

107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society,

provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center,Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 U.S.A., www.copyright.com. Prior

to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please contact Copyright

Clearance Center, Inc. This consent does not extend to copyright items for general

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in whole or in part in any work in any format. Requests for special photocopying

permission and reprint requests should be directed to Director, Publications, The

American Ceramic Society, 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210, Westerville, Ohio

43082 USA.

Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate.

Due to differing conditions, equipment, tools, and individual skills, the publisher

cannot be responsible for any injuries, losses, and other damages that may result

from the use of the information in this book. Final determination of the suitability of

any information, procedure or product for use contemplated by any user, and the

manner of that use, is the sole responsibility of the user. This book is intended for

informational purposes only.

The views, opinions and ndings contained in this book are those of the author. The

publishers, editors, reviewers and author assume no responsibility or liability for

errors or any consequences arising from the use of the information contained herein.

Registered names and trademarks, etc., used in this publication, even without specic

indication thereof, are not to be considered unprotected by the law. Mention of trade

names of commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation

for use by the publishers, editors or authors.

Publisher: Charles Spahr, President, Ceramic Publications Company, a wholly owned

subsidiary of The American Ceramic Society

Art Book Program Manager: Bill Jones

Series Editor: Anderson Turner

Ebook Manager: Steve Hecker

Graphic Design and Production: Melissa Bury, Bury Design, Westerville, Ohio

Cover Images: Detail of “Mandorla,” by Chris Gryder; (top right) Teabowl by Eric

Serritella; (bottom right) Square box by Anne Fløche

Frontispiece: Fish platter by Ellen Currans



Contents

Unearthing Beauty: Pushing the Limits of Surface 1 Eric Serritella

Color and Texture: Creative Bits and Pieces 7 Hanna Lore Hombordy

Ellen Currans: Textured Slabs 11 Ginger Steele

David Gamble: Texture from Sewer Covers 15

Paul Andrew WandlessRolling Stamps 19

William Shinn

Sprigs from Nature 23 Judi Munn

Anne Fløche: Inspired by Terra Sigillata 27 Lise Lotte Nielsen

Scratching the Surface: A Guide to Sgraffito 31 Wayne Bates

Surface Etching: Wax and Water 37 Ryan McKerley

Surface Etching: Resist and Mist 39 Roger Graham

Pièce de Résistance 42 Russel Fouts

Creating a Weathered Patina 48 Dennis Maust

Chris Gryder: Surfaces from Silt 51 Dori DeCamillis

Marcy Neiditz: Transformation and Mutation 57 Amy Norgaard

Creating Faux Surfaces 61 Billie Mitchell

Building Complex Surfaces with Multiple Firings 64 Nicole Copel



Danville Chadbourne: Indoor/Outdoor Color 67 Jim LaVilla Havelin

Dust and Wax 71 Philippe Faraut

Choi Sung-Jae: Expressive Slip Drawings 73 Phil Rogers

Mitch Lyons: A Marriage of Ceramics and Printmaking 77 Lisa McVey

Printing and Embossing with Linocuts 81

Paul Andrew Wandless

Using Stencils for Multi-Color Decoration 86 Paul Andrew Wandless

Relief Printing with Photosensitive Polymer Plates 90 Paul Andrew Wandless

Majolica Madness 97 David Gamble

Bridget Cherie Harper: Visual Diaries 101 Paul Lewing

Black on White: Modernizing Mimbres Decoration 105 Tracy P. Gamble

No-Fire Decals 108 Brendan Tang

Darren Emenau: Lichen Surfaces 112 Mandy Ginson

Lee Akins: Intricate Surfaces 115 Rafael Molina-Rodriguez

Tea and Friskets 118 Frank James Fisher

Carol Gouthro: Mastering the Surface 125 Judy Wagonfeld

Mary Barringer: Conversing with the Surface 129 Leigh Taylor Mickelson

Fusing Clay and Dichroic Glass 134 Alfred Spivack







Surface

Decoration

by Eric Serritella

Unearthing BeautyPushing the Limits of Surface

Heating clay and stretch-

ing it to create texture is a

technique used by potters

for ages. I was immediately drawn

to the technique during an artist

residency in Taiwan a few years

ago. Since then, I’ve experimentedand developed a body of work I call

“Opened Earth,” in which I try to

show the inner beauty, texture and

earthiness of clay.

I prefer to gently inuence the

outcome and let natural interac-

tions between variables proceed

with their course. Beyond reveal-

ing the beautiful natural texture of

clay, I’m also drawn to the challenge

of spontaneous form development.

After rst heating the surface of the

clay, variables such as clay type, lev-

el of moisture and wheel speed effect

development of the ssures as theclay is stretched. The challenge is to

spontaneously make a strong form

as the clay is expanded. Unplanned

caverns and canyons appear as the

piece expands, and these in turn in-

uence the form.

The “opened earth” technique uti-

lizes sand or dried clay for natural

Stoneware teapot,9 inches in height.The natural colo-

rants from woodfiring comple-ments the surfacetextures.




ssures and tools from around the

studio for creating patterns. I work

with slabs and on the wheel, adding

color with glazes, slips and oxides,

and using heat on the surface. With

many variables involved, this is not

an exacting process, but serves as a

starting point.

TechniqueCenter a piece of clay 10–40% larger

than you’d typically use for a piece

to accommodate a thicker wall (the

thicker the wall, the deeper the crev-

ice). My walls are usually between

½–1 inch thick. Throw to the desired

height using as little water as possi-

ble—the drier the better. Straighten

and even out the wall with a rib (g-

ure 1). Apply silica sand or dry clay

“powder” to the outside (gure 2).

While sand and clay are not neces-

sary, they help dry the outside and

provide contrasting color and tex-

ture. Leave clay uncovered at the

top for the lid gallery. Tip: Apply

sand with clean dry hands.

1 2 3

4 5 6



Surface

Decoration

With the wheel turning very

slowly, apply heat to dry the outside

(gure 3). I use a hand-held butane

torch, although a heat gun or hair

dryer works if you have patience.

Be sure to dry the surface evenly

from top to bottom. The drying time

depends on the output of the heat

source, size of the piece, moisture

level of the clay, wall thickness,

distance of the heat to the clay and

wheel speed. It’s very difcult toquantify the level of dryness needed

to get a certain type of ssure with

so many variables involved. If the

surface is not dry enough, then the

clay won’t create ssures when ex-

panded. If it’s too dry, then the wall

will crack all the way through. Once

the outside surface starts to become

matt and is no longer tacky to the

touch, it’s time to start expanding

the form. Some steam will usuallyrelease from the inside of the pot.

Begin to push out the wall and

shape the pot (gure 4). This is one

of the fun challenges, as it’s neces-

sary to create the form one-handed.

Touching the outside wall ruins the

texture. If you nd that the crev-

ices are not starting to open as you

expand the form, apply additional

heat. It’s much easier to further dry

a pot than to take make a dry potevenly moist again.

Finish the top rim with both

hands (gure 5) and add a gallery

for the lid.

Once the pot is leather hard, trim

the bottom, if desired, and add a

spout and handle (gure 6). Dry

the pot slowly to avoid unwanted

cracking of the attachments due

to the uneven wall thickness and

clay moisture levels. If you’re r-

ing pieces with sand on them along

with other pots in your kiln, be sure

the pieces with sand are on the bot-

tom. Sand pops off during ring andcan stick to glazed pieces below or

beside them. Vacuum out the kiln

after each ring. Sand the red

piece with 200-grit silicon carbide

sandpaper. This removes any sur-

face sand that’s soft and unstable,

and removes that tacky feel of the

unglazed clay.

Teapot, 6½ inches in height, fired unglazed to cone 6 in oxidation.The natural canyons reveal the beautiful hidden texture of clay.




Variations After throwing your form, score the

pot vertically or horizontally with a

needle tool or other sharp tool (gure

7). (Note: I’ve omitted sand on this

piece for a softer texture.) Heat the

outside (gure 8), then expand the

wall and nish the top (gure 9).

One of my favorite texture tools

is a stiff wire brush for tight pat-

terns that are great for many ring

processes (gure 10). This tool cre-

ates shallower crevices and thinner

walls. I usually use this tool without

added sand.

Another patterning technique is to

apply a random owing design with

10 11 12

a combination of shallow surface

texture and deep canyons (gure

11). Rib the outside and apply sand,

then score with a combing tool or rib

as the wheel turns slowly. Change

the angle of the tool as you make

strokes. A soft, wide stroke creates

a combed pattern yielding a series of

shallow ssures, while a deep sharp

stroke becomes a canyon that opens

large and wide (gure 12).

Many different tools, materials and

household items can be used to im-

press patterns on Opened Earth pots

(gure 13). I like two discarded wood-

en blocks I got from a Middle Eastern

textile operation. The stretching of

7 8 9



Surface

Decoration

Stoneware teabowl, 3 inches in height, with impressed patterns,wood fired.

the clay exaggerates the pattern they

create on the surface. Press the pat-

tern into the wall, supporting from

the inside. Tip: If your clay is too wet

from centering and opening, use a

torch to dry the surface slightly and

stiffen up the wall before impressing

the pattern. This also helps keep the

pattern-making tool from sticking in

the clay.

Slab WorkThe following example is for a sushi

plate or teabowl tray, although heat-

ed and stretched slabs can also be

manipulated to make bowls, mugs,

teapots and other forms.

Pound out a slab 1–3 inches thick,

using your hand or a mallet (gure

14). Impress a pattern into the clay

(gure 15. Heat the top and sides,

but not the underneath or bottom

surfaces (gure 16). Don’t dry thick

slabs as much as wheel-thrown cylin-

ders because some elasticity should

be left in the slab for stretching.Stretch the clay by throwing it

down on a solid surface. Throw the

slab at an angle instead of straight

down (gure 17). This causes the

clay to pull and stretch. Rotate

the piece to stretch it into the de-

sired shape—in this case, a rectangle

(gure 18).

13




Stoneware tray, 13 inches in length, unglazed and wood fired.

14 15 16

17 18 CAUTION Always work in a well-ven-

tilated area when heating

the clay, preferably with an

exhaust or fan pulling the

heated clay and torch fumes

away from you. Also, exercise

caution with an open ame.

Remember that the tip of the

torch will be very hot evenafter you turn off the ame.

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SurfDecSample.pdf