Is this fine line work on glaze? or an oxide?

[Grace london]

I just love Ruan Hoffmans work, and I would love to know how to get this nice sharp blue line. Is it just a simple clear glaze with on glaze? Or a white slip with blue underglaze? High or low? Any thoughts, gratefully accepted. 

G

 

[liambesaw]

You could ask him, but it definitely looks like a nice cobalt blue.

[Babs]

Almost looks like he is applying his hand made decals...

[Min]

I think Babs nailed it, from this article he speaks of using  paperclay and decals.

For fine lines you could get a smiliar effect using a water based wax resist on leatherhard clay then scribing through it with a pintool or needle then brushing underglaze over. Underglaze will go in the lines and wipe off the wax. For the lettering you can do a reverse image of the text with a black background on a printer then apply underglaze to the white unprinted areas, let it dry, then dip the paper into water for about 15 seconds then apply the paper to the leatherhard pot. Rib over the paper to get the underglaze to stick to the pot.

Childs tumbler below has the lettering done with paper and underglaze technique (ignore the black areas, bits of paper with the printer ink which burns off).

 

[Grace london]

Thanks for your replies. I just doubt it's all decals, each plate is hand painted.  Could it be slipped, then clear glaze, perhaps decorated with On Glaze? Could also be cobalt as it is so nice and dark, and you can see the brush work very well. My cobalt always melts into the glaze......Oh I don't know : ( 

[Denice]

What cone are you firing at, this looks like Majolica glaze to me that has been fired to C04.   I made Majolica tiles for three years with a a lot of fine line work.   Denice

[Min]

Try a different glaze. I use a cobalt blue underglaze and it doesn't move.

[neilestrick]

All that line work looks like brush work to me. A cobalt slip or underglaze would work.

[Rae Reich]

Yes, cobalt slip won't bleed into the clear as readily as cobalt carb/water used like ink. 

[Grace london]

Would Cobalt slip be as vibrant blue I wonder?... I will bisque the stain/oxide/underglaze and then clear glaze. Will also try Gerstley B/Oxide mix then clear glaze.  Any other suggestions while I'm at it wonder munchkins? Many thanks!

 

[oldlady]

as to the vibrancy of the cobalt slip, go to my name, choose profile and then albums.   the blue bowls are done in cobalt slip, the body clay sieved and brushed on, and a translucent glaze over all.

[Mark C.]

I'm guessing it's homemade decals like Bab's said after looking at some other works of his. Decals make the most sense and are easy to make and apply.

[Grace london]

I asked him and he said it is cobalt under a clear glaze. 

[JohnnyK]

2 hours ago, Gra said:

I asked him and he said it is cobalt under a clear glaze. 

I just love it when an artist replies with a helpful answer to a query for a method or technique. I had two experiences in the past with opposite responses or lack of...While taking my first college level ceramics class, as one of my projects was copying a vase that I found in "500 Vases". I determined a plan for the project and proceeded to make my version of the vase. All went well until the piece was bone dry and I picked it up like I did while I was working with the wet clay...the vase exploded in my hands. In frustration, I contacted the artist, Jeff Pabatoy, and told him what I was up to in class. He, in turn, told me his process for making the vases he does and it turned out to be almost exactly the way I built my vase. Knowing that the process was a good one, I successfully constructed another vase and it made it through the bisque and glaze firings with  one small crack. Jeff was a real help in this case. The other time, I contacted another artist a couple of times about his glazing process on a bowl and never heard back from him. With the glaze work I'm doing now, I feel confident that in the not too distant future I will be coming close, if not duplicating, his outcome. Hang in there, Gra, and you'll get to where you want to be!

JohnnyK