scoobydoozie

This is an interesting question as ceramics is still changing.... I attended a Mayco Knowledge Workshop last summer where we used underglaze (true underglaze, not their Stroke & Coat) on cone 04 low-fired bisque and then immediately applied their clear glaze on top without firing first. We then fired once to cone 06. The piece came out beautiful with no crazing, shimmering, pealing, cracking, etc. Mayco has reformulated their underglazes to allow it to be applied to bisque and clear glazed over before firing. It's truly amazing in my opinion. Mayco is doing a top notch job at innovatin

Black acrylic paint has always worked for me. Non-toxic and helps seal the cracks. Purchase a high quality artist acrylic and not the 99 cent art store hobby paint. PS - I never use a crackle where it will come in contact with food or drink. Especially when selling a piece, you don't know what the un-informed purchaser will use it for. (as in they may not use it only for tea and use it for something that may allow the cracks to harbor harmful bacteria.)

Learned tons last night at throwing class. A few others also had specific questions, so we had lots of demonstrations. Learned how to make a rolled rim and also about using sodium silicate and underglaze to create a "crackled" thrown piece. Such great info last night and a great evening! Now I just have to practice, practice, practice!

I found a planter that I just love the shape of and I'm going to ask the instructor to walk/teach me thru throwing that particular shape. I'm hoping that if I ask, the instruction will be better. Wish me luck and I'm having fun, regardless. Who can't have fun mucking about in mud? LOL!

Denice, that sounds EXACTLY what I'm looking for! Will check into the local colleges for the fall term and hopefully find something better suited to my needs.

I'm 46 and I'm currently in my second throwing class called "Learning to Throw" at Dunedin Fine Art Center (FL). As a student, I would appreciate more structure in the classes. It seems to be an anything goes as far as what you build or how you build it. I would appreciate more focus to get the skills needed and allowing creativity IN that process. It seems the creativity comes first and the skills may or may not follow. My issue is that the skills are needed in order to allow the creativity to really flow and be fully realized. For example, I would like to focus a couple of sessions