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Developing Brush Work


Chantay

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So now that I have some glazes working I want to try doing some decorative brush work. The pic I am posting is the type of inky color I am looking for. Also would like to be able to make the strokes streaky looking. My understanding is to get this look the brush work is done on top of the glaze. I have tested a 50/50 mix of iron oxide and gerstly borate on three separate glazes. Brush marks disappeared on two glazes. On the one glaze where the marks were visible after firing they were very faint. Can anyone make suggestions?

 

When I remember whose pot this is I will credit it unless someone has already stated it. Thanks. Oh!!!!! Michael Kline!

 

 

post-13967-0-53973200-1430365597_thumb.jpg

post-13967-0-53973200-1430365597_thumb.jpg

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Hi Chantay,

 

Michael Kline's brush work isn't done on top of glaze. He decorates greenware with a wax/stain combo which are then slipped. His pots are finished in a wood kiln, so this probably introduces some extra fluxing.  Here are two videos showing his decorating and slipping processes.  

 

 

 

 

 

*****EDIT - Haha, hit post to find out that bciskepottery had just posted one of the same MK videos.

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Chantay;

Iron os a flux on it's own. You don't need any Gerstly.Try 5 teaspoons of iron and one of Albany/Alberta slip clay.

I use black iron oxide.

Are you firing in an electric kiln? If so, you are oxidizing the iron outta there.

Tom.

Check out my gallery for brush decoration.

T :)

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Well, no wonder I wasn't having any luck getting a similar look.  I could just use black underglaze under a clear glaze except the underglaze doesn't flow well enough to do this kind of brush work.

 

I was hoping to use black iron oxide so that places where the brush work was thin it would be semi-translucent or gray.  I was hoping that a well known maker/instructor of Japanese pottery would see this post and make a suggestions.  

 

Tom, I will give the clay/iron mix a try and see how it comes out.  Test, test, test.  I think I know understand how a potter can make the same pots with the same glazes year after year.  I am so burned out on glaze test....

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chantay, i have noticed your burnout.  it shows in the recent posts you have made.  glazing does not have to be agonizing, it just has so many variables that affect the results.  just changing one thing at a time means you will be 100 years old by the time you test everything that attracts you.

 

try some of the well publicized and commonly used recipes in books.  once you get a glaze that works on your clay and the way you fire, you are ahead of the game.  at that point, try different colors using the base glaze that works and you will eventually have a working palette of stable and attractive glazes.

 

then the fun begins when you combine them!

 

there are matte glaze recipes that work.  the Varigated Slate Blue in Hesselberth and Roy is one.  i do not use it if i want texture to show through as it covers evenly. that is a quality of glaze that is not mentioned in recipes but i think it should be.  most of what i make has carved or relief work that i want to show. 

 

added today, VSB glaze looks great on top of some other glazes, just came across a test i did years ago and it was there.  

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Chantay;

You still are not saying if you are firing electric or gas, oxidation or reduction and to what cone?

This would help immensely with advice.

Iron won't show up in an oxidation firing to the same degree.

T

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Old lady,

 

I am burned out on glaze testing. This past week was a great turnaround. I made about 40 test tiles with three new glazes. All the New glazes worked great. I also found some great combinations. I have reliable receipies. I think there was some operator error. I think a lot more info could be given with glaze receipies. I like a dark red clay. Most glazes look terrible on it even if they look good on white or tan clay. The red clay has a lot of iron in it. Many glazes won't work with it.

 

Sorry Tom,

I fire cone 5/6 electric. The black iron oxide does look burnt out. So what do the Japanese potters put on their wood fire pots? At least part of the firing is in oxidation.

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So what do the Japanese potters put on their wood fire pots? At least part of the firing is in oxidation.

 

A part of any natural fuel kiln firing is in oxidation, even wood. A natural fuel firing may include a body reduction phases (typically early on, around cone 012 to 010 and a glaze reduction phase (typically at near the end of the firing). At the end of the firing, you close off the fuel ports and the damper . . . basically, preventing air to enter the kiln while it cools. At least that is my understanding.

 

They use red iron oxide, other oxides, etc. The challenge is finding glazes that work with the oxides. Red iron oxide, in addition to being a colorant, is also a flux that can cause an otherwise stiff, non-moving glaze to become runny. It is how the red iron oxide interacts with the glaze ingredients.

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I have been thinking about this. I will try some test with RIO with and without some stain add and maybe some fruit. I will mix with wax and apply to green ware. I will then slip the pot with white flat. For glaze firing I will wax the brush work then clear glaze the slip.

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fruit?? will that work like chocolate?  dark chocolate Klondikes work for me.

 

if fruit is spellcheck for frit then chocolate frit would be Nesquik?

(sorry, it's late and that's all I could come up with)

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Old lady,

 

I am burned out on glaze testing. This past week was a great turnaround. I made about 40 test tiles with three new glazes. All the New glazes worked great. I also found some great combinations. I have reliable receipies. I think there was some operator error. I think a lot more info could be given with glaze receipies. I like a dark red clay. Most glazes look terrible on it even if they look good on white or tan clay. The red clay has a lot of iron in it. Many glazes won't work with it.

 

Sorry Tom,

I fire cone 5/6 electric. The black iron oxide does look burnt out. So what do the Japanese potters put on their wood fire pots? At least part of the firing is in oxidation.

Two things.

1. You could coat your pots in a white slip, adjusted for cone 6 applied at leather hard. Then you have the dark body on the bottom and lighter colours over the slip. Glazes always show better colour on a lighter surface. Just like painting on white paper vs. brown.

2.The Chinese wood-fire potters used iron decoration. This is where it came from. I am not a cone 6 guy, so don't have the answer for iron at that temp. TJR.

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So what do the Japanese potters put on their wood fire pots? At least part of the firing is in oxidation.

A part of any natural fuel kiln firing is in oxidation, even wood. A natural fuel firing may include a body reduction phases (typically early on, around cone 12 to 10 and a glaze reduction phase (typically at near the end of the firing). At the end of the firing, you close off the fuel ports and the damper . . . basically, preventing air to enter the kiln while it cools. At least that is my understanding.

 

They use red iron oxide, other oxides, etc. The challenge is finding glazes that work with the oxides. Red iron oxide, in addition to being a colorant, is also a flux that can cause an otherwise stiff, non-moving glaze to become runny. It is how the red iron oxide interacts with the glaze ingredients.

 

You mean cone 012 and cone 010.

TJR.

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