Jump to content

Iron Oxide Wash Questions


Guest

Recommended Posts

Has anybody successfully airbrushed an iron oxide wash onto a pot?

 

What ratio of water to oxide did you use?

 

Have you tried any other colorants?

 

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have airbrushed mason stains and use the gravity feed cup.My stain is mixed with porcelain clay body slip with about 10% calcined kaolin. I spray on bone dry greenware.These pieces are shellac carved for the black. Then airbrushed for the sky transitional color. Bisqued and then glazed.

Marcia

post-1954-0-70204000-1502029811_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-89818600-1502029828_thumb.jpg

post-1954-0-33161100-1502029884_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Marcia, I've always admired your work.

 

So you use body slip with about 10% calcined kaolin and stain. I'm guessing both clays gives it some body so it doesn't run?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ron,

 

I've not airbrushed iron oxide on bisque, but I've done something similar when young and stupid. Won't say exactly what, since it was a bad idea and stained my teeth for like a month.

 

Ratio of water to oxide is tough to give insight into. The ability to keep the Fe2O3 in suspension is more important than exact ratios. It settles very quickly--consistency is tough. I would add a pinch of cmc gum to your dry oxide, if not using clay or underglaze base for suspension. Then maybe do a few tiles upping iron percentages until you get what you like.

 

The one other thing I can add is that it can sometimes cause crawling if applied too thick. I think this is because until fired and incorporated in the glaze or body, it's just dust on bisque and causes the associated problems. But if you're doing a wash and wipe, this won't be an issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ronsa why do you want to airbrush a wash? do you want gradation? why an iron wash instead of an iron engobe or iron slip?

 

why airbrush?

 

i am so much more curious as to why you want to do this?

 

i know someone at school airbrushed iron oxide on a rutile glaze and the iron was hardly visible. she used copper too and that showed up beautifully. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for asking preeta

 

My end result is I want to airbrush designs on to pots. An airbrush will give me the fine control that I'm looking for and Iron oxide because the dark color is what I had in mind for the design I'm looking to do. I'm planing on doing this both under and over different glazes until I find what I'm looking for.

 

Why start out with iron oxide? Well... there are still a lot of holes in what I know about ceramics and I guessed iron oxide would be a good place to start since I have heard/read that iron oxides look good. I'm sure down the road I will be using other colorants including stains and oxides, one step at time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ronsa I hope you don't mind me continuing to ask you questions. Because I am still confused.

 

Are you going to airbrush on the design?

 

To me the beauty of any oxide is the ability to wipe off bisqueware. The ability to highlight the carvings. Cobalt carbonate is a favourite at our school because you always see something as long as you don't overdo it. It shows up under glaze which is not true of iron oxide.

 

I now remember using a brush to paint on a iron oxide Persian design on the outside of the bowl on top of the glaze which came out beautifully. With each brush dip I had to stir the iron oxide to get sorta an even look.

 

When selling I don't want to take the chance of iron or other oxides touching either food or lips. You will be surprised how many professional potters have noticed

 

Why not use a dark matte glaze if you are air brushing.

 

Or do you want to just play around with iron and get to know what all its properties are

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Preeta, from my limited experience I believe most dark matte glazes are comprised of iron oxides. 

 

I do know some oxides are toxic.

  1) not everything I will be doing will be for drinking or eating off of.

  2) please correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think iron oxide is toxic

 

Yes I want to both play around and see what happens and I will be using an airbrush to paint on the oxides

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you hoping to glaze over?

Best to run glaze tests as it would be a pity to hit on exactly to ratio t ok find it bleeds and ruins your design.

Cobalt, iron and manganese will give a blacker outcome. Iron alone can"weaken" undr glazes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.