glazing clay pottery

You can learn how to glaze pottery with these helpful tips

Now that you have shaped and formed your clay pottery, the fun part it over. Now it is time to get down to business. The shaping has been completed and it has taken the appropriate form. However, if a ceramic piece is left to its own devices, it would serve very little purpose due to the fact that clay is porous substance. This means that once a liquid substance is placed in an unglazed piece, the liquid will leak out of the open pores rendering the piece ineffective if its purpose is for more than merely decoration. Glazing is often viewed as a tedious job that can make or break a piece. However, there are ways to make this process less painful and much more enjoyable. These simple pottery glazing tips can help beginners successfully complete their works of art with minimal difficulties.

The first step that must be take prior to glazing a piece is to make sure hands are free of all lotion and oil. These substances can cause the glaze to cover the vessel unevenly. It is also important to clean of any dust and grime that might have found its way to the piece during any prior work being done. The next step is to make sure the there are no rough spots on the piece. If rough spots are found they should be sanded and then wiped clean with a damp cloth. It is also important to ensure the glaze is well mixed.

Now that the proper preparations have been made it is time to begin the actual glazing process. There are several ways in which to apply glaze. The type of pottery that is being glazed will determine which technique needs to be used. The first step in glazing is the inside of the vessel. The easiest way to apply glaze to the inside of a piece is to pour the glaze inside and then lay it on its side. While the piece is on its side it should then be gently rolled on its side so the glaze reaches all sides. Once the inside of the vessel is completely covered the excess glaze should be poured out and set aside. It is now time for the more difficult part of glazing the outside. If it is a simple piece one option for glazing is to simply dip the pottery into a shallow bowl. This may be done one side at a time or the entire vessel at once.

Another option is using a paintbrush. This is an effective way to coat pottery that have numerous details and nooks and crannies. With this technique it is essential to use gravity as an advantage. It is quite simple to hold a piece of pottery at an angle in which the glazing drips or runs in the direction that the artist prefers. This keeps the glaze from running in to unwanted areas of the piece. The final option when coating pottery is a sponge. A sponge tends to coat more quickly that a paintbrush but cannot always reach all areas so these two techniques can be used together. Excess glaze should be removed with a paintbrush to ensure an even coating.

While this is not an all inclusive list, these tips will make a tedious process a little more fun. Pottery making is a fun, soothing process for many artists and glazing can help enhance that feeling if done properly. It is important to always remember to use the most comfortable technique for the artist, not the one someone recommends.

Here is a YouTube video that also give some good tips.