TIP 8: Decorating Your Pottery
After shaping your pottery, whether through wheel throwing, hand-building, or slip casting, the next step is decorating it.
Pottery typically undergoes two firings in a kiln. The initial firing, known as the bisque fire, transforms raw clay into ceramic material. The second firing, the glaze fire, involves melting a glazed finish onto the surface.
Before the bisque fire, your pottery is referred to as greenware.
Decoration begins once your pottery is formed. Some decorations are applied to greenware before the bisque fire, while others are added after the bisque but before the glaze.
The method of decoration depends on the desired effect. There are various ways to decorate pottery, offering room for experimentation and creativity. Some common techniques include:
Underglaze application: Versatile and adaptable, underglazes can be painted, sprayed, stenciled, sponged, or silk screen printed onto pottery.
Carving: Techniques like Sgraffito and Mishima involve carving or incising designs into the pottery's surface.
Slip decoration: Slip can be used for trailing or applying patterns onto pottery.
Glazing: Applying glaze to pottery provides color, texture, and protection.
Burnishing: This technique involves polishing the surface of pottery to create a smooth and shiny finish.