Coloring Embossed Lettering

[Claudia]

Hi All -

I have purchased an inexpensive alphabet set to emboss lettering on a bunch of mugs. I have tried using iron oxide to highlight the lettering, finishing off with a transparent white glaze (Glaze firing Cone6). Problem is, once I have applied the iron oxide and wiped it off, bits of colorant get into the the surrounding bisques body. The result is an antique look, which is nifty. However, I would prefer that only the lettering was stained. (I've tried mason stain too, but when I sponge down the pot, that stain washes off the embossed area as well as the rest of the mug.) What are my best options for cleanly highlighting the lettering? Thanks.

[Pam S]

Have you tried painting wax around the outside of your lettering and then applying the stain?

 

Hi All -

I have purchased an inexpensive alphabet set to emboss lettering on a bunch of mugs. I have tried using iron oxide to highlight the lettering, finishing off with a transparent white glaze (Glaze firing Cone6). Problem is, once I have applied the iron oxide and wiped it off, bits of colorant get into the the surrounding bisques body. The result is an antique look, which is nifty. However, I would prefer that only the lettering was stained. (I've tried mason stain too, but when I sponge down the pot, that stain washes off the embossed area as well as the rest of the mug.) What are my best options for cleanly highlighting the lettering? Thanks.

 

[Pres]

Hi All -

I have purchased an inexpensive alphabet set to emboss lettering on a bunch of mugs. I have tried using iron oxide to highlight the lettering, finishing off with a transparent white glaze (Glaze firing Cone6). Problem is, once I have applied the iron oxide and wiped it off, bits of colorant get into the the surrounding bisques body. The result is an antique look, which is nifty. However, I would prefer that only the lettering was stained. (I've tried mason stain too, but when I sponge down the pot, that stain washes off the embossed area as well as the rest of the mug.) What are my best options for cleanly highlighting the lettering? Thanks.

 

 

I have had the same problem in the past, and now if I want to really bring up the lettering with now antique effect I lightly sand the pot after the stain. Sometimes I wash the excess stain let dry then sand, others just sand. Emery cloth works well for the sanding. Also try using an opaque glaze over your stamps, you get a different effect and the iron will bleed through the opaque glaze.

 

Another thing you can do with the stamps is to make a reverse stamp impression by making clay stamps from the stamp. When pressed against the clay it does very little, but if you lightly rub on the inside of the pot against the stamp you can get a nice raised effect.

[Claudia]

Have you tried painting wax around the outside of your lettering and then applying the stain?

 

Hi All -

I have purchased an inexpensive alphabet set to emboss lettering on a bunch of mugs. I have tried using iron oxide to highlight the lettering, finishing off with a transparent white glaze (Glaze firing Cone6). Problem is, once I have applied the iron oxide and wiped it off, bits of colorant get into the the surrounding bisques body. The result is an antique look, which is nifty. However, I would prefer that only the lettering was stained. (I've tried mason stain too, but when I sponge down the pot, that stain washes off the embossed area as well as the rest of the mug.) What are my best options for cleanly highlighting the lettering? Thanks.

 

 

 

Thanks for the idea. Unfortunately, I'm not all that handy with a brush.

[Claudia]

I like the idea of sanding. Will try it. Thanks!

[richardsan]

Thanks for the idea. Unfortunately, I'm not all that handy with a brush.

 

 

how big are the letters?

...i use raised stamps to indent my work, then dab a little glaze on the bisque, then wipe down, leaving a bit of glaze in the indent. i then mask off and air brush/dip.

you could try coloured slips on your greenware, as well.

work out a masking scheme. i use painters tape on bisque.

 

and...get better with your brush...; ^)

 

 

 

[tluvs2create]

Can I ask you how you get the letters with the embossed look? I have a post asking just this question. I have some stamps but when I stamp them in the clay the letters are recessed. Then I thought I would make stamps out of the recessed clay to get the embossed look but I can't reverse the letters which is what it needs to be to turn out right. I can reverse the order of the lettering to come out correct by the letters cannot themselves be reversed. Does this make sense? Did you purchase some kind of stamp set where the letters themselves are recessed? Or am I missing something? I have been racking my brain on how to get the raised letters. Sorry I can't help on the glazing - haven't gotten that far yet.

[Marcia Selsor]

You could try using a small pain roller on the embossed part. Then damp sponge off the iron. You would use less water and may not get so messy.

Marcia

[Pres]

Can I ask you how you get the letters with the embossed look? I have a post asking just this question. I have some stamps but when I stamp them in the clay the letters are recessed. Then I thought I would make stamps out of the recessed clay to get the embossed look but I can't reverse the letters which is what it needs to be to turn out right. I can reverse the order of the lettering to come out correct by the letters cannot themselves be reversed. Does this make sense? Did you purchase some kind of stamp set where the letters themselves are recessed? Or am I missing something? I have been racking my brain on how to get the raised letters. Sorry I can't help on the glazing - haven't gotten that far yet.

 

 

I stamp the letter on a piece of tracing paper. then transfer the reverse image to a piece of leather hard clay withe the stamped side to the clay. pin mark the image and carve it out. takes time, but> > > I have them forever afterward. It also works on wood with a dremel tool. Sorry I forgot to mention that in my previous post.

[Marcia Selsor]

One thing I have been doing lately is spraying an underglaze color, apply shellac and then wet carve the porcelain,

This technique could be applied to the idea of embossed colored letters. The stamps wouldn't work but you could brush the number or letter freehand with a brush and shellac. If you look in my gallery, there some shellac examples there.

Marcia

[AmeriSwede]

One thing I ahve been doing lately is spraying an underglaze color, apply shellac and then wet carve the porcelain,

This technique could be applied to the idea of embossed colored letters. The stamps wouldn't work but you could brush the number or letter freehand with a brush and shellac. If you look in my gallery, there some shellac examples there.

Marcia

 

 

 

 

Thanks Marcia, for that added input. Sounds like a technique I want to try in the near future. I've also been thinking about using reversed letter stamps

that will give me a raised releif. Am presently in the middle of making the set of embossed letters for the stamps, but love your idea as well, for other styles of fonts.

 

Rick