Slips Not Producing Colour ...

[Whispering Grass]

I have just fired bisque fired some clay tiles, where I had used slips of various bright colours ... scaup blue, intense orange etc ... I assumed after the bisque firing the colours would develop .. there are however still as I painted them on. Do the colours not develop until I glaze fire then ? Am confused / disappointed and not sure what I did wrong or indeed what I need to do in future to correct this ?

 

thanks

[Chris Campbell]

If you only fired them to bisque temps they will not change much.

To see what they will look like after higher firing, run them under a tap.

The color when wet is about the same as it will be later.

 

You did not say how you made the slips or what % of colorants you used.

If you are still not happy with the color, please let us know how you made the slips.

I work with Mason Stains and will be glad to help.

[Whispering Grass]

Many thanks Chris .. once again coming to my rescue ! :-) ... They were made up by the suppliers, so purchased pre made up ... will go and run under the tap now ...

 

thanks again !

[Cyndi]

If you only fired them to bisque temps they will not change much.

To see what they will look like after higher firing, run them under a tap.

The color when wet is about the same as it will be later.

 

You did not say how you made the slips or what % of colorants you used.

If you are still not happy with the color, please let us know how you made the slips.

I work with Mason Stains and will be glad to help.

 

 

 

Hi Chris,

I would like to learn more about using Mason Stains. Where is the best place to research and find information to learn. Thanks, Cyndi

[clay lover]

Me too.

I mixed equal amounts of a Mason stain, Epk and frit 3110. brushed it on dry green ware, and when I glazed it with clear over, it bubbled up where the colors were layered. What went wrong?

The dish looked super before firing, but not after. Was not over fired, I had cones in.

 

Could we have a 'class' on using mason stains? Please?

[Chris Campbell]

It is hard to get good information on the creative use of mason stains and color.

I do teach workshops on coloring clay so ask your local arts center to invite me! <G>

 

Robin Hopper has good stain, color and slip info in his book Making Marks. You can buy

It through Potters Council and save money since you are Members.

 

As to your stain, EPK and fit ... I don't have a clue.

You have a combo of slip ingredients mingling with unknown glaze ingredients ...

Could be any of a dozen things.

 

I make my slips from the clay body my pieces are made from so the match is perfect.

Water, stain, clay in a blender. Add a dab of Epsom salts if you need it thickened.

I live to make things simpler.

 

Hope to meet you in a workshop someday!

[Marcia Selsor]

I think the bubbling is from too thick of an application. I spray that recipe on with an airbrush. Where it is thick, it bubbles. I think that recipe is from Val Cushing's handbook. I used to use it as an accent wash on bisque ware. To use a slip on greenware you might be better to use some from your claybody. Mason stains have a reference code you really need to follow. Example "don't use with zinc, can be used with zinc, prefers 7-10% calcium for better color"..etc.

You need to refer to these for the best color.

 

 

Marcia

[clay lover]

Marcia, the process I used came from a workshop I took this past summer. We saw thwe instructor's finished work , used her recepies and process on our greenware and brought it home to bisque, clear glaze and fire.

 

The process was like painting with water colors, very free and fun, and the instructors' finished work was beautiful.

First we sprayed a background coat of a color, then 'painted 'the designs over that with 3 other colors, the finished pieces of the pro's looked sort of like majolica. Very colorful, but with obvious brush strokes.

 

Mine fired out well except where the colors overlapped, making me think it may bubbled from having several layers, therefore too thick???

 

I make my own porcelain slip, use Mason's stains and don't have problems. Lea Leitson told me to use 2 tsp Stain to 1 quart slip of a brushing consistancy. Worked great for me. Sieved to 100 mesh.;

 

"Making Marks" is on my want list.

It's a long list

I got my 5" extruder today.!!!!!!!

I am now broke again.

The list goes on.

[Marcia Selsor]

Was your claybody the same as the instructor's examples?

Marcia

[Marcia Selsor]

was the clear glaze the same? I use several clear recipes for different effects on the stains.

Marcia

[TheSmartCat]

You don't say which Mason Stains you used and what temp you fired to. All Mason Stains are not created equal. Some are better for body stains, some for glazes etc. One of the easiest things you can do is look up them up in a pottery supply catalog. There are generally charts which give a lot of info as to chemical make up, firing range, etc. Mason also makes a fairly accurate color chart with a lot of info in it. One of the first things I learned from Walter Ostrum workshop was to use the frit that has the greatest amount in your glaze recipe. Make a lot of good size tiles or small,flat bowls that you can use for testing and test, test, test.

[clay lover]

At the workshop I took, we used the stains and mixture the instructor supplied, the same clay and then brought the pots home to bisque fire and clear.aer glaze with my clear. then glaze fire, Most of the pieces looked very good, except for the bubbles where the 4 colors overlapped. All of the stains were what the iinstructor used, we went that day to Highwater and bought some of the same ingredients to have at home.

 

I am wondering if the same process could be used on bisqued pieces?

[TheSmartCat]

My work is all low fire ^4/^3. I rarely paint on greenware, but when I do I use a mix of frit 3124 and gerstly borate (paste, because some like to store it mixed with water to the consistency of library paste.) I keep it mixed in dry form and generally mix it 1:1 by quantity with mason stain and add water until I get a good brushing consistency. I bisque fire and then use a clear glaze over. I've used my own glazes and various commercial glazes successfully. Most of the time I work on bisque. I use the paste (frit/gb) in varying consistencies. I don't overlay colors but I do blend them with water with no problem. Again I use clear glazes with no problem. Mostly I paint on raw glaze. I use stain and 3124 1:1, This gives a watercolor to wash effect depending on how thin it is. Mixing a few drops of glycerin to a spoonful of wet stain/frit gives a smooth brush stroke, very much like ink and wash on paper. I also use the paste mix which gives a *very*dense color. I use the stain/frit mix w/ water when I want to blend colors on the raw glaze.

 

A few things to remember: Clear semi-mat glazes are chancy; colors react in strange ways, bubbling, colors off. NEVER use chrome 6029 if there is zinc in the glaze, or any manganese/ alumina stains, 6020 in particular, which is mainly a high fire porcelain body stain.

 

I keep lots of bisqued test bowls on hand so I can continually test.

 

Hope this helps.............sc

[autour de la terre]

I have just fired bisque fired some clay tiles, where I had used slips of various bright colours ... scaup blue, intense orange etc ... I assumed after the bisque firing the colours would develop .. there are however still as I painted them on. Do the colours not develop until I glaze fire then ? Am confused / disappointed and not sure what I did wrong or indeed what I need to do in future to correct this ?

 

thanks

 

 

Hi, I always put a transparent glaze over the coloured slips and refire, then the finished colour will show, for sure !

Of course low fire slips - plus low fire glaze

high fire slips - plus high fire transparent glaze.

autourdelaterre, Judith

[Marcia Selsor]

When using mason stains it is very important to refer to the reference codes for each stain. I have marked all my stain storage bags with the reference codes on each one. reference code #5 is don't use with zinc. refernce code #9 use with certain percentage of calcium in the glaze. These make the colors work well.

Marcia