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Tag: illustrated ceramics

Techniques for Illustrating Ceramics: 3. Sgraffito

Posted on by sian

Sgraffito is a technique by which a design is carved through a layer, revealing the layer beneath. The name derives from the Italian word ‘graffiare’ which means ‘to scratch’. I find it is a time consuming technique but can herald some impressive results.

 

Preperation

 

As the definition suggests, you need to ensure that you have contrasting layers of colour on your piece before applying this technique. I colour greenware clay with coloured slip which I carve when it is leatherhard. The nature of ceramics is that it is inherently unpredictable, so committing the time required to sgraffito a detailed piece can be risky. This is why I have stuck to colouring with methods that are typically more reliable. Coloured slip allows me to be confident that my piece has the best chance of survival when needing to be coloured at the greenware stage.

 

Tools

 

You can use a range of tools in sgraffito. There are even tools on the market specifically for sgraffito use. Oddly though, I don’t like using them. I do have a specialist sgraffito tool. It has a range of sharp edges suited to creating different widths and styles. However, it’s missing that ‘pencil style’ that I always look for in tools.

 

As an illustrator and life long drawerer I have a tendency to prefer tools that you operate like a pencil. This is because I know I will create my best designs as this is how my hands are used to working. It is for this reason that my sgraffito tools of choice are dental tools. They are sharp, precise and can create a range of textures. Best of all they have that pencil resemblence that works best for me.

 

Technique

 

An important thing to master in sgraffito is the pressure you use.  If you master this steadiness of hand you can apply the technique on top of several layers of colour and by altering your pressure reveal different colours throughout the piece.

 

Top Tip

 

The benefit I find of sgraffito is that through carving you can create a controlled and precise design. However, it is important to remember that glaze application dulls detail, so don’t spend time on details that will be lost when the piece is final fired.

 

Techniques for Illustrating Ceramics: 2. Coloured Slips

Posted on by sian

Coloured slips can create consistent colours on your ceramics. Slip is clay with a high moisture content and as a result is paste like or liquid. Coloured slips add colour to ceramics through the addition of pigments or oxides to slip.

Application

You can apply coloured slip in several ways. Namely, paint it directly on, pour it on or dip the piece in the slip. You will probably need to add several layers of slip to your piece to create a consistent colour. You can able to tell if this is the case if you can see the original colour of the clay through the slip. If you need to add another layer of coloured slip you can do this when the clay is still wet but has lost it’s glossy shine.

Painting

Preserving minute details can be difficult if you need to apply several layers of slip. Therefore I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this method of colouring if you intend to paint intricate details in your work. Unless, of course, that you are trying to achieve a faintly painted line.

Dipping and Pouring

I have found that dipping the piece or pouring slip onto the piece often means that you don’t have to add as many layers. One dip is often enough for a piece to be completely coloured to a desirable thickness. However, the drawback of this is again the difficulty to control the slip. Consequently it’s really only useful for block colouring entire pieces or sections of a piece.

As slip consists of clay it is only able to be used at the greenware stage of the piece. I have found that it is a good way to create a bright and strong base colour to use underglazes on top of.

Top tip

Remember always to test any colours you use before adding them to your final piece. When using a mixture of glazes, underglazes and slips especially it is difficult to predict what the final result will look like. Ceramic colours, whatever they are made from, will look very different before they are fired. My top tip is not to risk your piece and to create small shards or tiles on clay to text your concoctions on first.

If you have nay specific questions on the use of coloured slips, get in touch!