maya Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I am fairly new to pottery and often find my thoughts and imagination outrun my knowledge and skills......my thoughts are currently taking me to very fine lines. For example, a head-full of strands of hair. I tried making a very fine line with an applicator, using underglaze, but after firing the glaze "settled" a bit and while it didn't exactly run, the lines were no longer pencil thin as when I applied them. So I did a little research online and saw two products that could possibly do the trick: choxils like a chalk, with the density of a pencil. According to the product description, these "pencils" can be sharpened in traditional pencil sharpeners. The other choice are potter's pens. Has anyone used either of these products to make very fine lines and been pleased? Or, are there techniques / products out there that I don't even know about yet?? BTW, I bisque to cone 06 and fire to cone 5 with a brownish speckly clay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 You could also try underglaze pencils if you want a smooth surface. If a textured surface does not bother you then you could make all the fine lines with thin needle type tools, bisque fire, apply underglaze then wipe off. This will leave the color in the lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Potters pens leave a thicker line-underglaze pencils-will leave a finer line as you can sharpen the point. I have used both. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLowes Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Along the lines (ugh) of what Chris was saying, you can do as Lorna Meaden does and scratch the lines into leather hard ware, then underglaze, let dry and scrape back to expose individual lines, then bisque and glaze as usual. If you look at Google images of her work you should be able to see the general idea, but also that the underglaze tends to excape into the covering glaze. She soda fires, which adds the tendency to pull the underglaze into the soda glaze matrix, and at cone 6 oxidation that may be less of a concern. https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=867&q=lorna+meaden+pottery&oq=lorna+meaden&gs_l=img.1.3.0l4j0i24l2.2356.5162.0.10960.12.11.0.1.1.0.78.631.11.11.0....0...1ac.1.58.img..0.12.623.H9upBFNyYjw John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 The free Unerglaze User's Guide on this website has some good ideas and recipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colby Charpentier Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Continue to use underglazes with an applicator if you're more comfortable with that application method and like the result. First try bisquing the underglazed work again prior to glazing. If that doesn't help at all, fix your glaze or find a new one. For this type of detail work to show through, look into a white body or a slip. Sgraffito is another option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Tube lining is the term for these fine line. I use a sawed off ear syringe with a hypodermic needle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maya Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thank you for all the ideas.......... underglaze pencils sound like they could work. I was reading an article by Judith King and she echoes my feelings: half of her wants to draw and paint, and the other half to make things with clay. I'm hoping the pencils will give me that "drawing feeling" on my clay and still maintain their fine lines after firing. It's an adventure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Tube lining is the term for these fine line. I use a sawed off ear syringe with a hypodermic needle Marcia, Do you apply it to bisque or greenware? Is the surface flat or you make a groove prior to underglaze application? Any suggestions on a Cone 5-6 transparent glaze that wouldn't destroy the colors? Thank you. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 When I was going through my last figurative phase, I settled on a technique that reminded me a little of etching. I scratched fine lines into a leatherhard (on the dry side) pot, then bisqued. I then wiped a black stain wash onto the piece, which darkened the fine lines, then wiped it off. This mermaid bowl is an example: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 You might try Amaco Zinc Free Clear. The bottle says cone 5/6. I fire to cone six and this is what I use over my underglaze decoration and painting. It is a gloss but I have found a thin coat gives almost a satin look rather than a hard shiny appearance. Using a zinc free clear keeps the zinc in the glaze from messing with your underglaze colors. Using regular clear some weird stuff can happen to your colors, I've had black turn blue, other colors run like mad, some colors disappear entirely, etc. When I started using the zinc free clear all the weirdness went away... Well all the weirdness concerning the colors at least the general weirdness of my life is still in force. LOL T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 ok, the truly needle fine black lines are done through wax with a needle tool. then the black is painted on the lines and wiped off the wax. mckenzie smith showed a workshop full of people how this is done. works great, those lines were this thin and this black---------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrgpots Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 ... When I started using the zinc free clear all the weirdness went away... Well all the weirdness concerning the colors at least the general weirdness of my life is still in force. LOL T Based on what you have just said, I think I have major Zinc defeciency......lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thank you guys. Pugaboo, Have you tried the zinc-free glaze over iron oxide? I found that several clear glazes I used kills iron oxide or Amaco Velvet terracotta color underglaze (that, I presume, contains iron oxide). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae Reich Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 ok, the truly needle fine black lines are done through wax with a needle tool. then the black is painted on the lines and wiped off the wax. mckenzie smith showed a workshop full of people how this is done. works great, those lines were this thin and this black---------------------- I brush on a little wax to "wash" the excess colorant off the waxed areas, since wiping sometimes disturbs the wax around the fine lines and water can seep into the lines' edges. This also provides a coating of wax into the lines if additional layers of glaze are to be added. A clear glaze can be used instead for the "wash" to fill the incised lines for a smoother fired surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 When I was going through my last figurative phase, I settled on a technique that reminded me a little of etching. I scratched fine lines into a leatherhard (on the dry side) pot, then bisqued. I then wiped a black stain wash onto the piece, which darkened the fine lines, then wiped it off. This mermaid bowl is an example: That's awesome! Very nice illustrative style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanL Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 The thinnest lines I have been able to do, was to use a 00000 size paintbrush, draw the line with underglaze paint and then to scrape the line to the desired thickness with a knife. Else it can also work to carve the line into greenware, bisque fire, and then use manganese oxide or black underglaze paint to "flow" into the line. Either way it remains a difficult task requiring a steady hand. lots of luck with this! SusanL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 I should probably clarify that in the etching-like work I posted above, the fine lines were made with a knife, then washed with black after bisque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 a needle through wax is easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted June 5, 2015 Report Share Posted June 5, 2015 Michael- Sorry for the delay in answering I haven't had any drastic changes in the RIO when covered by the zinc free clear. I a,so second the painting a layer of wax into leatherhard clay then inscribing the lines with a sharp tool like a needle tool. Then you take your underglaze or other liquid medium and brush over the finished area. The lines will grab the color and the waxed parts will bead up. Simply dab any beads of color you don't want. Bisque fire as usual. You can then add additional layers of color and such after bisqued. Technique gives very nice fine lines. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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