The terms “oxide” and “ceramic stains” are often used interchangeably. But are they the same thing? And if not, what is the difference between oxides and stains in pottery? Raw or plain oxides are metal elements that are combined with oxygen. They are ground to a powder and one of their uses in pottery is…
There is quite a bit of information online about how to make raku pottery. However, I recently built my first raku kiln. And in the process of planning my first raku firing, I realized that there were practical things I didn’t know. For example, I’d never used a propane torch before. So, I found myself…
Biscuit and glaze firing both take a long time. Each firing takes around 8-10 hours and on top of that the cool down will take the same amount of time again. So, do you need to be there for the whole time that the kiln is firing, or can you leave a kiln unattended? Some…
Learning to use glaze is an exciting and creative time. Glaze can create an unending number of effects and finishes. However, you may have come across alarming information that glaze can be toxic. You may be handling glaze in its powdered form or a liquid state. Either way, it’s important to ask the question, is…
Pottery clay starts to dry out as soon as it comes out of its plastic bag. As it dries, clay particles form clay dust. It is unavoidable that if you use clay you will be exposed to some amount of clay dust. As potters have become increasingly aware of environmental hazards, they have wanted to…
My hands are in and out of clay all day, and if I don’t make an effort to look after them, they can become very dry. In this article, we’ll look at some of the things you can do to avoid getting dry hands from pottery clay. Disclaimer – Before we go on, I wanted…
These days, underglaze is usually applied first and then a clear or semi-transparent glaze is applied on top. But what happens if you do the reverse? Can you put underglaze on top of glaze? Yes, you can put underglaze on top of glaze. However, it depends on what underglaze you use, and the combination of…
Airbrushing underglaze is a great way to add sharp lines, shadows, shades, and color gradients to your pottery. On the surface, airbrushing seems like a simple process. You load the airbrush with underglaze and you spray, right? Well, not exactly. There are a few things that it’s helpful to know from the off. These will…
Burnishing pottery involves rubbing it before it’s been fired so that the surface is smooth and shiny. There are lots of ways to burnish, and one of the easiest ways is burnishing pottery with a plastic bag. This might sound strange, but it does work. What is Burnishing Pottery? Burnishing clay is a way of…
