How To Get Some Color On Black Bisque Ware - Engobe,underglaze?

[hershey8]

I inherited some Black Raven clay (Kickwheel, now Stone Mountain). So I threw and bisqued some things. I had made up some 20x5 (Tony Hansen) glazes which glossed up and fit very well. But the black swallowed most of the color. I don't think adding an enormous  amount of oxides or stains is going to fix this, but have thought of creating an engobe or underglaze, and applying this to the ware. I haven't  found much on diy mixtures; one I found suggested ball milling a stain, which I have read is a "no-no", because it can release encapsulated toxins. All of my work is Cone 6, and I like to stay reasonably "food safe." Anyone have any thoughts or recipes for ^6 engobe or underglaze that might save these pieces from target practice?  Thanks, ja

[LeeU]

I don't think I could ever glaze such a gorgeous body, but just FYI, per Stone Mountain's site, they may have a product line for your quest: 

 

Check our our "Black-Tie Affair" glaze sample pack, featuring ideal glazes for this dynamic clay body.  

 

Also never a bad idea to call the supplier and have a chat-most vendors seem to love to help! 

[bciskepottery]

Rutile blue glazes look good on Standard 266 -- a similar black/dark brown clay body (actually, any rutile glaze reacts well with the iron in the clay body). 

[preeta]

you still have some clay left over right?

 

i would just use slip if your intention is to hide the black. on greenware with extra layers. i've done that myself and the slip colour does remain. 

 

or underglaze.

 

or do two layers of glaze. white underneath and colour on top.

 

or glaze trailing. dip the whole thing in white and then trail coloured glaze on top. 

 

however i really like white on black clay and i like some of the claybody unglazed. 

 

i've used a different claybody that was black and i had to be careful about either the bisque firing - slow,  or reduce the amount of area covered by glaze. otherwise there was a lot of bloating.