kswan

I used to teach that there was dipping, pouring, sponging(often overlooked), brushing, and spraying when applying glaze coats. Some cases such as really large pieces would require lots of thought, and usually lost of coats of glaze and in those cases sponging can work very well.
 
best,
Pres

Note: @oldladyis glazing greenware, so wants to reduce the likelihood of overly wetting her pots’ feet. The carpet isn’t cushy enough, like most sponges are, to wet the clay where she doesn’t want it. 

There's way too much weight in the middle of that piece to be supported by those ends. If you can leave a part unglazed in the very middle, you can support it from underneath. For example, take a small shelf post and top it with a rolled or rounded piece of clay in the same shape as your curve. Since the sculpture will shrink you could make the support a half centimeter or so lower than your sculpture, which would still support it when it wants to warp downward.

I've found that certain glazes just don't brush on well. I mostly dip and pour from a glaze bucket, but I brush glaze on some of my more awkward shapes. Adding a gum to the glaze helps with brushing, although the commercial ones are full of gum. I've noticed that you have to brush those on more thickly than you'd think, so they look like they're going to fall off the pot. 
You can also try to wet the surface of your bisque a little bit before applying glaze. It can help prevent the first coat from going on unevenly because it keeps the glaze damp for a little longer. 
I do something similar for wiping the foot ring, except I use one of those flat sponges. It looks like a dish cloth, but it is made of sponge. I found anything thicker than that would hit the area I wanted glazed and make a smudge. It stays flat as I wipe across it and then I rinse it when it gets dirt and lay it out again. 

I've found that certain glazes just don't brush on well. I mostly dip and pour from a glaze bucket, but I brush glaze on some of my more awkward shapes. Adding a gum to the glaze helps with brushing, although the commercial ones are full of gum. I've noticed that you have to brush those on more thickly than you'd think, so they look like they're going to fall off the pot. 
You can also try to wet the surface of your bisque a little bit before applying glaze. It can help prevent the first coat from going on unevenly because it keeps the glaze damp for a little longer. 
I do something similar for wiping the foot ring, except I use one of those flat sponges. It looks like a dish cloth, but it is made of sponge. I found anything thicker than that would hit the area I wanted glazed and make a smudge. It stays flat as I wipe across it and then I rinse it when it gets dirt and lay it out again. 

@DirtRoads About 10 years ago I was doing a lot of wholesale work and feeling overwhelmed by the workload. So I sat down with my accountant and said “I think I need an employee” with the intention of creating an EIN and a payroll system. But my trusty accountant said, without pausing at all “DON’T DO IT.” He said I would spend all of my time being a manager instead of a potter, I would make the same amount of money, and I would be a lot less happy. He told me to restructure my business so I could handle it by myself instead. I took his advice and started phasing out my wholesale accounts, and got rid of them completely in a year or two. And started doing more and better shows. Now I make fewer pots and a lot more money. And I’m much happier than I was. 
I figure he has 100+ clients, all self-employed and small businesses, and he has seen all of the mistakes that business owners make. It’s a common fallacy, that a bigger operation can make more money. And being a manager really sucks! It’s far more valuable to be selective and to say “no” to things that aren’t really productive. It’s great to have someone in my corner who has that kind of perspective. 

testing is very important so recording what you do is critical.  i had a friend who kept each glaze to one page of a 3 ring notebook.  she noted the base glaze by number on both the test and the page it was recorded on.   she wrote the recipe and if she tested various mason stains to get other colors, each color got it's own page.   i do something similar but often wish i had here more descriptive notes.  some of mine say,  never again!  but not why.  the reason for the never again is so if you find what looks like a nice color on someone else's clay, you will know it looks awful on yours because the recipe is right there to compare.

There’s a brief learning curve to dipping or pouring glazes, the glaze itself has to be the right viscosity, you need a little preparation, and of course you have to have enough glaze. Totally worth it. 30 seconds vs. five minutes.
 I have had a few hilarious moments pouring glaze, watching it go everywhere but back into the bucket.
As far as tips, the biggest help to me was learning to adjust viscosity of the glaze with Epsom salts. Another thing is using wax resist. I was reluctant for years, went out of my way to avoid it. I found I spent an equal amount of time cleaning off glaze (and wasting it) as I did applying wax in the first place. I only use it sparingly though. 

Adjusting thixotropy* has made a big difference for me.
Info help please with glazing Bisque for an amateur - Clay and Glaze Chemistry - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
determining target specific gravity for glazes - Clay and Glaze Chemistry - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
Brushing on glaze - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community
The other factor that stands out is practice and repetition.
I'm using wax emulsion for a sharp transition between liner and outside glazes, masking tape for a sharp line at the foot, also for two-tone where I'm looking for the boundary to follow carved line or some other feature - tape, glaze, wax, wait to dry, pull the tape, then second glaze.
*where the slurry (glaze) behaves as a liquid when moving, but gels when it stops moving.
Rheology (digitalfire.com)
 

in case anyone wants to try bab's suggestion about carpet, be sure to use something from the thin but strong commercial stuff.   you do not even need wax if you do foot rings on the wet carpet, just slide the whole piece across the carpet,  the excess glaze will wash off instantly.  keep it pretty clean, especially if the glaze is a dark one.

I don't sell pieces that have technical flaws in them, like an S crack or a little crack where a handle meets body. If they're still functional though, my husband and I use them. I try not to break anything that is still functional because I hate wasting things. There are organizations that give household items to people transitioning out of shelters, and they are very happy to receive nice handmade items.  Also, if there is something aesthetic I don't like about a piece (color not exactly right, handle bigger or smaller than normal), I will still offer it for sale because it may be just right for someone else. I'm a bit hard on myself when something doesn't look exactly how I want it, but I've learned not to outright dismiss a piece. Some shows I've been in have a policy about only first quality, no sale items at my booth, which is fine with me because I worry people might start asking for discounts on other things too. A couple minor pinholes don't automatically become seconds, but if I don't like it I refire.
Colors are underglazes covered with my clear or satin glaze to avoid worrying about leaching, except for my vases, where I use colored glaze for the inside and the handles. I've made a clear with a little added mason stain that I've started using recently, and that's been working out nicely though.  I prefer to be cautious in areas where it could be a safety risk. 
Like Pres, I strive to make my best work with the knowledge I have built up over time. It took me many, many years to get to a point where I felt comfortable selling anything, and in baby steps. I've read recently that the clay I use (BMix5) might be more porous than people realize. I did tests on it when I first started using it, for glaze fit and acid testing. I fire it to almost cone 6, but I recently got paranoid about it and I'm going to do more testing, including a more thorough absorption test. Last time, I did a shorter boiling/soaking time and got negligible weight gain. Over the last 6 years since I've been using this clay, the pieces we use daily in the kitchen are still solid, not crazed, and not hot in the microwave. No one has told me of any problems they've had with my pieces, thank goodness. But still, I'm going to use the winter to test some things out to reassure myself. I may even tweak my clay as well, now that I have a pug mill! I've thought of going to half porcelain, half stoneware and maybe adding a little fine grog to make my life a little easier. 
I feel like I need to share some of this stuff with a ceramics therapist... 

I think you might want to look at a kaki or tenmoku like this:
Harris #1 K (Kaolin) | Glazy
I think holding during cooling increases the red though, so if you want a browner color rather than reddish, don't hold on the cooling cycle.  On Glazy you can look at people's tests and see what results they get with application thickness, cooling, and different clay bodies. 

I think you might want to look at a kaki or tenmoku like this:
Harris #1 K (Kaolin) | Glazy
I think holding during cooling increases the red though, so if you want a browner color rather than reddish, don't hold on the cooling cycle.  On Glazy you can look at people's tests and see what results they get with application thickness, cooling, and different clay bodies. 

The problem with underglaze showing texture is that it is usually opaque and hides texture. You can wipe away high points like Neil said, but the filled in spots will not have fine details, if that's what you're going for.  If you want to see fine details, a better option might be clear glaze mixed with a mason stain brushed on in the blossoms. For a more blocky or stylized look, wiping away underglaze from highlights will work.
Maybe even try to mix the underglaze with clear and brush that on? Not sure if it would be concentrated enough color.

Be sure to check with Speedball about compatible clear glazes. I have had good results from mixing commercial stains and underglazes with the clear overglaze, but pinks are the most fugitive and temperamental, especially at cone 10 (oxidation, I presume).
Test, test, test!

The problem with underglaze showing texture is that it is usually opaque and hides texture. You can wipe away high points like Neil said, but the filled in spots will not have fine details, if that's what you're going for.  If you want to see fine details, a better option might be clear glaze mixed with a mason stain brushed on in the blossoms. For a more blocky or stylized look, wiping away underglaze from highlights will work.
Maybe even try to mix the underglaze with clear and brush that on? Not sure if it would be concentrated enough color.

I don’t have any teapots documented, but I do make them on occasion. 
In terms of tools to drill holes with, my favourites are just drill bits. If I have a lot of holes to make, I’ll even use them in the drill. The trick is to wait until the pot is set up to a firm leather hard so that when you do the holes, the clay isn’t sticking to itself at all. Cleanup is negligible at that point. Waiting until the pieces are a bit firmer can also help eliminate some of the warping, because it’s easier to not accidentally distort things. 
Another approach can be to work really, really fresh: attach handles and spouts while everything is freshly thrown. Leave the body of the pot attached to the bat, and add your spout and handle wet. Throw the lid, and just let everything set up together. Use a blowtorch or heat gun on the flange so that the lid doesn’t stick, and when the pot has firmed up enough to cut off the bat, you have minimal finishing. With this approach, you likely aren’t including a built in strainer though. As a tea drinker I usually use a tea egg for loose leaf, and find it superior to the built in ones.
 

I appreciate everyone’s responses here so much. Very grateful. 
Pots, they shouldn’t hurt anybody and they ought to have integrity. That’s my standard.
Easy to use is a goal, but so is a sensory experience. Always striving for those. When they align, I’ve made good pots. 
Liner glazes that are a good hard glass, with little (2% or less) or no metallic oxides besides iron or zircopax. Sooner or later anything that can come out will. Underglaze for color. 
The clay needs to be vitreous. Pots in a microwave get awfully hot and food stays cold if they’re porous. Also, mold will grow in any crazed areas. I’ve seen it, it’s unsanitary and downright gross. The list goes on. I’ve wrestled with it. Clay should be vitrified. 
Cosmetic blemishes or flaws are case by case. Clusters of pinholes are a hard “no,” but a couple, on the sides not the bottom, can pass. Blisters, never. “S” cracks, I found that not firing them solved the problem of deciding to sell them as well as how to prevent them. Crawling is rarely beautiful, pretty much never. Crazing, on vitrified clay, can pass, but it’s a flaw. Greatly reduces the integrity of the pot. No one will be food poisoned, the pot will die before its time clattering in the cupboards or the sink.
As far as shivering, and I know it should go without saying, but one shivering pot dooms the whole lot. 
Throughout the process things happen occasionally that I don’t expect. If the integrity of the pot seems intact, and it won’t hurt anyone, I ask myself if I’ll accept it. “This happened. It is how things are. This is where I’m at right now. Nothing wrong with this pot, just not what I expected. Can I accept it?” Very heavy stuff, reflective. Like a metaphor, you know? I double check the pot’s integrity with a hammer to be sure.
@kswan, I’ve boxes of pots I won’t sell and can’t bring myself to smash, I’ll do what you do. Never thought of that, thank you. 
Ceramics therapist, I could use one of those. Haha!

Community Gallery and other outlets the best. Flawed pieces Op shop or, I do a Mark C, or give away to the fence posts in my area. Gallery perfect, well my "sets" are not sets but families. Never my ambition to do the perfect set. Did once upon a time but took the joy out of it for me. 
Refire those that I deem would benefit for another roasting.

I don't sell pieces that have technical flaws in them, like an S crack or a little crack where a handle meets body. If they're still functional though, my husband and I use them. I try not to break anything that is still functional because I hate wasting things. There are organizations that give household items to people transitioning out of shelters, and they are very happy to receive nice handmade items.  Also, if there is something aesthetic I don't like about a piece (color not exactly right, handle bigger or smaller than normal), I will still offer it for sale because it may be just right for someone else. I'm a bit hard on myself when something doesn't look exactly how I want it, but I've learned not to outright dismiss a piece. Some shows I've been in have a policy about only first quality, no sale items at my booth, which is fine with me because I worry people might start asking for discounts on other things too. A couple minor pinholes don't automatically become seconds, but if I don't like it I refire.
Colors are underglazes covered with my clear or satin glaze to avoid worrying about leaching, except for my vases, where I use colored glaze for the inside and the handles. I've made a clear with a little added mason stain that I've started using recently, and that's been working out nicely though.  I prefer to be cautious in areas where it could be a safety risk. 
Like Pres, I strive to make my best work with the knowledge I have built up over time. It took me many, many years to get to a point where I felt comfortable selling anything, and in baby steps. I've read recently that the clay I use (BMix5) might be more porous than people realize. I did tests on it when I first started using it, for glaze fit and acid testing. I fire it to almost cone 6, but I recently got paranoid about it and I'm going to do more testing, including a more thorough absorption test. Last time, I did a shorter boiling/soaking time and got negligible weight gain. Over the last 6 years since I've been using this clay, the pieces we use daily in the kitchen are still solid, not crazed, and not hot in the microwave. No one has told me of any problems they've had with my pieces, thank goodness. But still, I'm going to use the winter to test some things out to reassure myself. I may even tweak my clay as well, now that I have a pug mill! I've thought of going to half porcelain, half stoneware and maybe adding a little fine grog to make my life a little easier. 
I feel like I need to share some of this stuff with a ceramics therapist... 

I don't sell pieces that have technical flaws in them, like an S crack or a little crack where a handle meets body. If they're still functional though, my husband and I use them. I try not to break anything that is still functional because I hate wasting things. There are organizations that give household items to people transitioning out of shelters, and they are very happy to receive nice handmade items.  Also, if there is something aesthetic I don't like about a piece (color not exactly right, handle bigger or smaller than normal), I will still offer it for sale because it may be just right for someone else. I'm a bit hard on myself when something doesn't look exactly how I want it, but I've learned not to outright dismiss a piece. Some shows I've been in have a policy about only first quality, no sale items at my booth, which is fine with me because I worry people might start asking for discounts on other things too. A couple minor pinholes don't automatically become seconds, but if I don't like it I refire.
Colors are underglazes covered with my clear or satin glaze to avoid worrying about leaching, except for my vases, where I use colored glaze for the inside and the handles. I've made a clear with a little added mason stain that I've started using recently, and that's been working out nicely though.  I prefer to be cautious in areas where it could be a safety risk. 
Like Pres, I strive to make my best work with the knowledge I have built up over time. It took me many, many years to get to a point where I felt comfortable selling anything, and in baby steps. I've read recently that the clay I use (BMix5) might be more porous than people realize. I did tests on it when I first started using it, for glaze fit and acid testing. I fire it to almost cone 6, but I recently got paranoid about it and I'm going to do more testing, including a more thorough absorption test. Last time, I did a shorter boiling/soaking time and got negligible weight gain. Over the last 6 years since I've been using this clay, the pieces we use daily in the kitchen are still solid, not crazed, and not hot in the microwave. No one has told me of any problems they've had with my pieces, thank goodness. But still, I'm going to use the winter to test some things out to reassure myself. I may even tweak my clay as well, now that I have a pug mill! I've thought of going to half porcelain, half stoneware and maybe adding a little fine grog to make my life a little easier. 
I feel like I need to share some of this stuff with a ceramics therapist... 

I folks, we have several new suggestions for QotW in the pool, so I will choose the first one from @Kelly in AK :
I’ve seen it addressed in various ways and places on the forum, but with the holidays coming up lots of pots are being sold and it feels like a timely question.  Absorption, crazing, pinholes, % of metallic oxides, barium, lithium... lead??? How about “S” cracks?  Cutting to the meat of the question he asks:
QotW: What’s the standard for work you’re sending out into the world? 
My answer to the question is the same as it always was: To produce the best work possible with my existing knowledge and skills.  This meant even in the beginning, Ring True, No "S" cracks, use well for pouring, drinking eating for functional. Functional and Decorative well fitting glazes, good recipes, well fired. No cracks or loose areas in constructions,  I always refer to my first statement about the quality, knowing that there have been variables that I did not know of, but once known corrected.
Thanks to Kelly for the topic suggestion!
 
best,
Pres

Almost all my wares are functional for food service, where all food surfaces are liner glazed*.
Colored glaze recipes are from reputable sources and follow established best practices; all are food safe.
I discount some wares with minor cosmetic flaws, otherwise, flawed ware is drilled for use as planters, hammered, or used in our house.
No crazing (excepting display pieces), no cracks, no crawling.
It has to look and feel right, be thick enough to withstand use without being heavy, be easy and comfortable to handle, pleasant to drink from (for mugs, cups, glasses, soup bowls), clean easily, withstand hot water and microwaving, not absorb water, and be somehow interesting. The hammer or drill is waiting.
Standards can evolve. I'm still looking at, handling, using and evaluating ware - my own, and others, and trying different things, for example, I've set foot ring diameters now, and make the foot rim a bit wider. Standard diameters take away what was a variable - so I can throw to that diameter, the profile can be truer and more consistent, it's easier to trim. A bit wider foot ring doesn't seem to chip as easily but takes longer to polish and is heavier.
I'm also "set" in so many things, heh.
Usage may be the best test, also measuring absorption, heat shock test, lemon juice, banging until it breaks, soak in hot alkali solution, etc.

Still working on culling at the wheel through final placement, it's a process.
I still aim for making twice as much greenware as will fit into a bisque load, then cull and recycle.
Kiln space is precious!
Ware I otherwise liked (a lot) earn a parking spot in a planter bed - there's not many. Some of the teapots that don't pour right are there.
* Low expansion durable clear - enough Zircopax to make it hazy - that goes on well, melts well, doesn't move much, doesn't craze. It's working.
No other colorant.

About 6 years ago I made the switch from cone 10 reduction to cone 6 oxidation, so I can share a few observations about that.
I also don’t think cone 6 has any more or less problems than cone 10, but they are a different set of considerations. I find I have to be much more aware of “bucket behaviour” for cone 6 glazes than I did with cone 10, for instance. But with cone 6, the turnaround time is faster, which is pretty satisfying. I don’t know if the same holds true in Australia, but I found that my clay got exponentially less expensive, but my glaze materials got more costly.  But I buy more clay than glaze stuff, so. 
It took a good year of testing to refine things to get to where I felt like I understood what was going on. Learning about the different changes that happen to ceramic materials at different points in the firing helped enormously, so I think you’re on the right track with focusing on learning how to fire your kiln properly. Understanding how heatwork affects glazes is pretty helpful.
Switching to cone 6 made me a better chemist and gave me a lot more understanding of my materials. I found that focusing on firing the clay body to proper maturity solved most of the glaze problems that I encountered at cone 6. Often the focus at cone 10 is only on the glaze.  If you’re making functional work, you should do a bit more due diligence around testing for porosity at cone 6. Sometimes what the manufacturer recommends on the box is not what you get out of your own kiln.

Finally got round to doing what has been suggested many times before.  Filled a pillow case with dried out clay, thin pieces mainly, and put pillowcase into bucket of water.
Left it for a week (community centre - only go there weekly).  Pulled it out, stood it in a bowl to drain.  Left it for another week.  Poured off excess water.  Left it for another week.
Took it out of pillow case this week, cut lumps off, handed out to class to use.  Perfect and little to no effort on my part - hurrah.
Can't believe how easy this was.  I usually reclaim in a bucket, and removing anything drier than slip has always been a nightmare. 
Started another pillowcase this week from the previous 4 weeks dried out clay.  This has changed my life.
Humidity is low indoors, and heating is on, which has helped with evaporation.  Might work a bit quicker in the summer.