Monochromatic Color Range

[Mistfit]

I am new to the glazing idea and had an idea to do a series of cups or bowls in a monochromatic color palatte. How is this achieved in a glaze? Is there something you can do to add a white or a black to lighten or darker the color?

 

[Min]

If you have a clear or white glaze that works on your clay then I would try a blue stain. If you have dry glaze then I would start with 1/2% of a blue stain (will be a very pale blue) and work up to about 8% (which will probably be quite dark). So I would mix up 500 grams of dry glaze with water and add 2. (point) 5 grams of blue stain, then dip a test tile and add another 2. (point) 5 grams which would be 1% stain and so on. You could start with less than 500 grams but the accuracy will be off a bit more by the time you get to the higher percentages.

If you are using a commercial wet glaze then I would guesstimate that it is 50% glaze and 50% water, and work out the weight from there.

mason stain colour chart: http://www.masoncolor.com/ceramic_stains.asp
(Some stains are specific to having or not having certain things in the glaze, zinc free or needs calcium etc.)

Another way you could do it is to dilute a dark glaze with a white or clear glaze.

[Colby Charpentier]

In addition to colorant level testing, as Min mentions, the opacity of the glaze can also lead to further development. Zircopax is a common additive, though there are other opacifiers and other factors that contribute to opacity. It would be helpful to know what type of resources you have at hand before deciding on a course of action. Do you have a stocked glaze lab at your disposal? Are you working with commercial glazes? How much do you care about the specific colors and variations?

[Mistfit]

I am a blank canvas right now. I currently only get to work sporadically at a public pottery where my resources are very limited. I am currently in the planning stages off setting up my own pottery studio. This helps pass the long winter hours til spring when I can start setting things in motion.

 

I am a fan of bright solid colors in a matte or satin finish with areas of unglazed clay, similar to Heath Ceramics.

 

http://www.heathceramics.com/catalog/product/view/id/1083/s/finley-full-set/category/3/

 

I am willing to look into mixing my own glazes if there is a significant savings and it is not overly difficult.

[Min]

(-I am a blank canvas right now. I currently only get to work sporadically at a public pottery where my resources are very limited. I am currently in the planning stages off setting up my own pottery studio. This helps pass the long winter hours til spring when I can start setting things in motion.

 

I am a fan of bright solid colors in a matte or satin finish with areas of unglazed clay, similar to Heath Ceramics.

 

http://www.heathceramics.com/catalog/product/view/id/1083/s/finley-full-set/category/3/

 

I am willing to look into mixing my own glazes if there is a significant savings and it is not overly difficult.

Maybe I spoke too quickly in my first post....

There is a long learning curve to mixing glazes that work the way you want them to and fit your clay. There is also the issue of durability if you are using them on pots meant for food.

 

If you are looking to do the monochrome pots now then I would find a commercial base that you like, your pottery supply store should be able to let you know which clays the glaze should work okay on. Then pick up a small sample size of the colour stain you are wanting to test. Do you have access to a scale accurate to 1/10th of a gram?

 

Lots of books to read between now and the spring if you are interested in learning about glaze chemistry, Mastering Cone 6 Glazes by Hesselberth and Roy is a good one to start with.

http://www.masteringglazes.com/

 

edit: if you don't want to use stain then you could use 2 glazes,ready mixed from a jar

 

-1 dark colour, this will be glaze "A"

-1 base with no colour, this will be glaze "B"

 

-line up 6 cups and label 1 through 6.

-cup 1 will be 100% glaze A (just use glaze from the jar)

- into cup 2 put 8 teaspoons of A and 2 tsp of B

-into cup 3 put 6 tsp of A and 4 tsp of B

-into cup 4 is 4 tsp of A and 6 tsp of B

-into cup 5 is 2 tsp of A and 8 tsp of B

-into cup 6 is 100% glaze B (just use glaze from the jar)

 

If you want more graduations then go up by 1 tsp instead of 2 at a time. Use a tsp or whatever you need to measure with to make enough to brush onto your test tiles.

(keep a good glaze testing notebook)

[Biglou13]

I am a blank canvas right now.........

I am willing to look into mixing my own glazes if there is a significant savings and it is not overly difficult.

1. Definitely savings when you compare to made glazes.

A quick look at some made. Dry mixes. Enough glaze to make 5 gal bucket will run you from approx $30-75 and even more as the ingredients become more exotic. When you start buying in bulk, full bags of dry chemicals you really see savings. But the reward, craftsmanship to make your own is priceless.

 

2. It's not overtly difficult.!

I've made successful glazes and clay. If you know how us a scale and follow directions then you have the skills. Finding and fine tuning a formula / recipe is another issue.

 

I like your concept of monochromatic and leaving open clay, I've made many with open clay, I like the tactile reward it returns.

Mea Rhee, a member here, works in a monochromatic scale but not necessarily in the sense you describe. I like that that your thought process/creative process even considers color palette! Please post some work!