Pot Decoration Trials On Computer

[John255]

One day when I was feeling square I made a squarish mug.

 

Since this was a new shape I had no plan of what decoration, or how it was to be glazed.

 

So I thought about taking a photo of the bisque piece and discover experimental designs using a simple drawing app on the computer. Apps like Paint Brush for Mac, or Microsoft Paint that comes with Windows will do.

 

I will choose one of the designs for a prototype and use Mayco Coat & Stroke as underglaze on the #130 porcelain. Then glaze overall with John's clear, and fire to cone 6 . Previous test show this works well. See attached.

 

John255

 

 

 

 

 

[smastca]

What a great idea! And I love the square designs.

[Claypple]

What is "John's clear"?

[John255]

What a great idea! And I love the square designs.

 

 

Smastca,

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

John255

[John255]

What is "John's clear"?

 

 

Claypple,

John's clear is a clear transparent glaze I've tuned up for my firing likes.

I use it on Standard #130 porcelain fired to full bend large cone 6.

John’s Clear Gloss For Cone 6

 

Silica (325 mesh) 20%

 

Kaolin (EPK) 20%

 

G-200 (HP) Feldspar 20%

 

Wollastonite W-20 15%

 

3134 Frit 25%

 

Total 100%

 

 

 

 

 

[Claypple]

What is "John's clear"?

 

 

Claypple,

John's clear is a clear transparent glaze I've tuned up for my firing likes.

I use it on Standard #130 porcelain fired to full bend large cone 6.

John’s Clear Gloss For Cone 6

 

Silica (325 mesh) 20%

 

Kaolin (EPK) 20%

 

G-200 (HP) Feldspar 20%

 

Wollastonite W-20 15%

 

3134 Frit 25%

 

Total 100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, I see. Thanks.

[scoobydoozie]

Very interersted in how they turn out. Being a computer geek and ceramicist, myself, the only issue I can see is that the outline on the computer is done with a "crayon/chalk" texture that may be difficult to replicate when painting on the ceramic piece. I love the texture though and am curious to see how the lines compare with the digital prototypes. Good luck!

[John255]

Very interersted in how they turn out. Being a computer geek and ceramicist, myself, the only issue I can see is that the outline on the computer is done with a "crayon/chalk" texture that may be difficult to replicate when painting on the ceramic piece. I love the texture though and am curious to see how the lines compare with the digital prototypes. Good luck!

 

 

Scppbydoozie,

I like your user name.

Also ironically, it turned out that the computer crayon was chosen to match the appearance of the fired prototype test to be sure the S&C would serve as underglaze without running off the pot. The viscosity of the S&C was a bit thick for the nozzle, and with my shaky hand the rough line was just what I wanted. See attached. The idea of being able to make choices before ruining pots seems to be working. Of course, the ladies have been doing this trick with hair color for years. Thanks for your comments.

John255

[Claypple]

So, what was wrong with the computer's designs? I like the one from the right upper corner.

Contrary to the hair stylists, we have an option to wash the glaze off if we do not like how it turned out

(before we glaze, of course).

 

Well, who am I to tell you that, since you have 34 years of experience with the pottery.

[John255]

So, what was wrong with the computer's designs? I like the one from the right upper corner.

Contrary to the hair stylists, we have an option to wash the glaze off if we do not like how it turned out

(before we glaze, of course).

 

Well, who am I to tell you that, since you have 34 years of experience with the pottery.

 

 

Claypple,

Actually nothing was wrong with the designs, they served their purpose of preview without glazing.

About half of the viewers liked the upper right as you did and my wife played around with it, and changed it as shown in the attached.

So today I'll do the drawing, and see how it fires.

The simple photo method so far would be only good for simple graphic designs something I rarely do.

Thanks for your comments.

John255

[Chantay]

I think it would look cool if the hole in the handle was off-center.

 

-chantay

[jrgpots]

I think it would look cool if the hole in the handle was off-center.

 

-chantay

[Pres]

So, what was wrong with the computer's designs? I like the one from the right upper corner.

Contrary to the hair stylists, we have an option to wash the glaze off if we do not like how it turned out

(before we glaze, of course).

 

Well, who am I to tell you that, since you have 34 years of experience with the pottery.

 

Claypple,

Actually nothing was wrong with the designs, they served their purpose of preview without glazing.

About half of the viewers liked the upper right as you did and my wife played around with it, and changed it as shown in the attached.

So today I'll do the drawing, and see how it fires.

The simple photo method so far would be only good for simple graphic designs something I rarely do.

Thanks for your comments.

John255

 

I often try out designs for new forms using Blender, but had not considered planning out the glaze decoration using a paint program before. Painter would certainly allow this sort of planning on a Blender rendered form. I''ll have to try it.

[John255]

So, what was wrong with the computer's designs? I like the one from the right upper corner.

Contrary to the hair stylists, we have an option to wash the glaze off if we do not like how it turned out

(before we glaze, of course).

 

Well, who am I to tell you that, since you have 34 years of experience with the pottery.

 

Claypple,

Actually nothing was wrong with the designs, they served their purpose of preview without glazing.

About half of the viewers liked the upper right as you did and my wife played around with it, and changed it as shown in the attached.

So today I'll do the drawing, and see how it fires.

The simple photo method so far would be only good for simple graphic designs something I rarely do.

Thanks for your comments.

John255

 

I often try out designs for new forms using Blender, but had not considered planning out the glaze decoration using a paint program before. Painter would certainly allow this sort of planning on a Blender rendered form. I''ll have to try it.

 

Pres,

Thanks for comments. I'm not acquainted with either of the apps you mentioned so I Googled them.

Both would seem to allow all kinds of 2D and 3D preview with some experience.

If you pursue this line I hope you will start a thread and show us some of the possibilities.

My approach was for simple line drawings on photos, with bucket color fills that anyone could learn in a few minutes with MS Paint.

Drawing on pots is a skill I will have to develop, so I thought the computer would save a lot of ruined pots.

I hope others will try this simple method and show some of their trials.

I glazed my second one yesterday and will fire it next week and post a photo.

Regards,

John255

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Big Electric Cat]

Well, I think this thread has gone on long enough, so I'll post and we can put this topic to rest.

Here's some pots I rendered in Rhino a couple years ago, I do many designs this way.

It has a steep learning curve, it was all I did for four hours a day for about three months. I also use a photo program to just do surface design.

 

 

[OffCenter]

Well, I think this thread has gone on long enough, so I'll post and we can put this topic to rest.

Here's some pots I rendered in Rhino a couple years ago, I do many designs this way.

It has a steep learning curve, it was all I did for four hours a day for about three months. I also use a photo program to just do surface design.

 

 

 

 

Nice!

 

Jim

[John255]

Big Cat,

That is a beautiful preview of a possible pot.

I learned quite a bit just looking it over, although not enough to do it.

It is unfortunate about the learning curve with graphics.

I wish you would post some examples of the surface designs you do, and say a bit about the photo app(s) you use to do them.

Thanks.

John255

[Pres]

Well, I think this thread has gone on long enough, so I'll post and we can put this topic to rest.

Here's some pots I rendered in Rhino a couple years ago, I do many designs this way.

It has a steep learning curve, it was all I did for four hours a day for about three months. I also use a photo program to just do surface design.

 

 

 

 

3D programs do have steep learning curves, and the interface is often confusing. It is one of the reasons I started teaching 3D in HS back in 1988-89.

 

Nice work, did you do and image map for the front one?

[Guest Big Electric Cat]

Thanks for the compliments!

Basically, I learned just enough to be able to do what I wanted, which is "design" and model vessels in pretty realistic way. Compared to concept artists, digital modellers, etc. what I am doing is amateur stuff, for certain. But it is fun, and gives me what I want. I'm not a designer, I just fool around, and know enough "to be dangerous" as they say.

Anyway, Pres you are right, you use your 3D program to construct a "wireframe" model of whatever (vessel) and then apply various "maps" to the surfaces for decoration. You can use Texture maps, bump maps, color maps, transparency maps, et al.

You make your wire model like this:

 

 

then add your surface texture, like this one:

 

 

to get this :

 

 

 

You can create the various maps in any photo/drawing/graphics program that you like, and then apply them to your pots.

You can sit there all day making maps, then sit there all night applying them to "Pots." hen you can change any of a hundred variables; all of which is fun and interesting, but its certainly not like making real pots.

As John pointed out, you need to have your surface treatments reflect what can actually be achieved in the studio, and on this point I tend to be a little "pie-in-the-sky." I tend to like designs that would require me to learn things like airbrushing, silkscreening, etc, and would take me hours to execute. But at least I get some ideas for exploration!

[John255]

Thank you Cat for the beautiful drawings.

I think we've covered the subject from the very simple to the very complex.

I wonder if anyone will try either method for previewing pots?

Regards,

John255