Handbuilding pottery basics: Glazing your pottery

1. Introduction: Hi, everyone, and welcome. Today, we're diving into one of the most exciting and transformative stages of making pottery glazing. It's where your pieces truly come alive with color, texture, and personality. We're going to journey through the whole process together. We'll start with the absolute basics like understanding when your pieces are ready for glaze and why bisque firing is so crucial. Then we'll tackle the fun challenge of choosing your glaze. With so many options out there, we'll break down what you need to consider from firing temperatures and how glazes work in different kiln atmospheres to the look that you're aiming for and whether your piece needs to be food safe. After that, we'll really get practical and look at how to apply those brush on glazes step by step. We'll cover everything from prepping your piece and stirring your glaze to getting those coats just right, and super importantly, making sure your piece is ready for the kiln without sticking. I'll share my tips on keeping track of coats and why taking notes will become your best friend in pottery. Finally, we'll touch on how you can start to experiment and really play with glazes, because that's where so much of the magic happens. It might seem like a lot to take in, but I'll guide you through it. So let's get ready to explore the wonderful world of glazing and give you amazing creations that perfect finishing touch. 2. When to glaze your pieces: The crucial stage for glazing pottery pieces is after they have been biscfired. This initial firing transforms the fragile raw clay or greenware into a more durable porous ceramic state known as biscuare. Bisk firing is carried out at a lower temperature than the subsequent glaze firing, and it serves several important purposes. Firstly, it makes your piece much stronger so you can actually handle it for glazing without it crumbling. Secondly, this bisc firing makes the clay porous. It's kind of like a sponge. This is perfect because when you apply the liquid glaze, the bist pot will soak up the water and the glaze will stick to the surface really nicely and evenly. If you tried to put glaze on raw clay, it could just get too wet and fall apart. That first firing also burns off any organic stuff in the clay and gets rid of chemically bound water. This stops gases from forming later and messing up your beautiful glaze with bubbles or other flaws during the final hotter glaze firing. Most of the shrinking of your clay is going to happen during this biscu fire, which helps prevent the glaze from cracking later on. So once your piece has been biscfired and has cooled down completely, that's when it's ready for glazing. Before you start, though, just give your bisqare a quick wipe with a damp sponge or a soft brush. You want to get rid of any dust or oils because those can stop the glaze from sticking properly. If you've used water to clean it, make sure it's totally dry before you put on any glaze. You also want to make sure you have clean, dry hands free of moisturizer or oil because if these transfer to your bisquere, they can cause spots that resist the glaze. The exception to needing your pieces to be biscfied is if you're using underglazs. I like to think of these more like paint and are often for detailed designs. You can even apply these when the clay is still green, either leather hard or bone dry before it's biscfied. I personally like to apply the underglaze when my piece has been biscfied so it's easy to wipe off any mistakes, and you don't need to think about how much water is going back into your clay. However, there are some techniques like graffito that need to be done at the leather heart stage. Generally, once biscfed, you'll then apply a clear glaze over the underglaze to make it glossy and seal it. 3. Choosing a glaze: Choosing a glaze for your pottery can seem overwhelming, but it's one of the most exciting parts of pottery. Let's simplify it so that you can pick the perfect glaze for your project and create a stunning finish. First things first, and this is a big one. What temperature or cone are you firing your clay to? Your glaze has to match the firing range of your clay. If you put a low fire glaze on a high fire clay, it could run right off your piece. Or if it's the other way around, it might not melt properly and look dull or rough. So check your clay details, check your glaze details, and make sure that they are compatible. That's rule number one. Your glaze will also look completely different, whether it's fired in a reduction or oxidization kiln. When purchasing a glaze, the jar will usually detail what conditions the picture on the front is fired under or check with your pottery supplier for advice. Before I've even started making a piece, I think about how I'm going to glaze it. Of course, I often change my mind along the way, but it's good to start with a plan that might influence how much texture or what finish you add to a piece. Next, think about what kind of look you're going for. There is a whole rainbow of color options out there. Do you want something bright and bold or subtle and earthy? Are you after something super shiny and glossy or maybe a smooth, modern matte finish? There's also satin, which is a little bit of in between. Some glazes even have cool textures, like a crawl or a volcanic look, but I'd suggest playing with these once you've mastered the basics. Opacity also plays a role. Do you want the color of your clay or underglaze to show through? Then you look for a transparent or a translucent glaze. If you want a solid color that covers the clay completely, you'll need an opaque glaze. Then you need to think about the function of what you've made. If it's something you're going to eat or drink from like a mug or a bowl, you must choose a glaze that is food safe. This is super important for health reasons, and manufacturers will usually state clearly if a glaze is dinnerware safe. If it's a sculptural or decorative piece, then you can experiment with more textual or decorative glazes that aren't necessarily food safe. There are so many different ways to apply glazers, but I recommend starting with brush on glazers. These are formulated to be painted on, which makes it super easy for a home pottery setup. But there are also glazers made for dipping or spraying, which might give different effects and could be better for covering larger areas quickly. If you have the setup, that is. Also consider your clay body. Some glazers just behave better on certain types of clay. For example, a glaze might look fantastic on a white stoneware, but completely different or even problematic on a dark clay. I also really recommend testing your glaze before applying it straight to your masterpiece. You'll notice that most glazes look wildly different in the jar compared to what they look like when they've been fired. They can also look different depending on your specific clay in your specific kiln, compared to the pictures that you see online or on the packaging. So make some small test tiles or use a little pot or trinket dish that you are not too attached to and see how it comes out. This step will save you so much potential heartache. If I rolled out a slab for a project and still have a fair bit left after cutting out my pieces, I find this is a good time to use the excess to make test tiles. I've got a few examples here of different test tiles for you to have a look at. I like to make these quite large test tiles that stand up on their own in the kiln to show the way the glaze can move in the kiln. I have some texture added to show how the glaze breaks over the texture as well. And then on the back, I like to test out how the glaze looks with a dark flux, a light flux, and a texturizer. I'll explain what these are a little bit later on. I've included a template and instructions on how to make my test tiles in the resources section, if you'd like to make your own the same way that I make mine. Finally, don't be afraid to ask for advice at your local pottery supply shop. They often have a wealth of knowledge and can point you in the right direction based on what you're trying to achieve. 4. Preparing to glaze: Once you pick your glaze, we're almost ready to start applying it. There are a few steps to take before you do apply your glaze and a few tips that will help you along the way. A super important step is to take notes. There is nothing worse than getting something amazing out of the kiln and then not being able to replicate it later because you didn't write down what you did. I like to use a digital notebook, but you can also just keep a paper one handy and write down what you do for each piece. Take notes of what glazers you used, how many coats, and where. My next tip is to take a note of what coat you're up to as you're glazing and on what part of the piece. For example, if I was glazing a vas, I would write inside and put a mark next to it each time I put a coat on, then the same process with outside. I can't tell you how many times I thought I'd remember how many coats and where I'd place them only to get distracted or walk away for a few minutes while it dried and then totally forget where I'm up to. Okay, let's talk about something super important when you're glazing, how your piece is going to sit in the kiln during that fiery transformation. When you're putting glaze on your pottery, you absolutely must think about where it's going to make contact with the kiln shelf. The bottom of your piece, the part that actually sits on the shelf, needs to be completely free of glaze. Why is this so critical? Well, imagine what the glaze is. It's essentially going to melt and turn into a type of glass in the heat of the kiln. If there's glaze on the bottom of your pot, it will melt and fuse your beautiful piece down directly to the kiln shelf. It's like super gluing it down. Trying to tear it off usually means that your piece will break and it will be ruined. Not only that, but you'll also damage the killing shelf. Importantly, it's not just about the exact spot where it touches. You want to leave a little bit extra unglazed space just above the bottom edge to. Think of it as a safety margin, maybe about a quarter of an inch or five to 6 millimeters up from the base. We need to do this because glazers can move. Some glazers are more runny than others, especially when they get really hot. If you've applied the glaze a bit too thickly or the glaze itself is quite fluid, it can drip or run down the sides of your pot during the firing. If you've only left the very, very bottom bare, any run could easily go over that little edge and still glue your piece to the shelf. That little unglazed buffer zone gives any adventurous glaze a place to stop before it causes major problems. So how do you make sure the bottom of your piece stays clean? This is a much simpler process with brush glazes, and you have a few options depending on what works best for you. I like to use a lead pencil to mark the space around the bottom of the piece that I want to avoid with glaze. This gives you a nice even line you can work to, and it burns out in the kiln, so you won't see it once your piece is fired. To do this, lay your pencil down on your work surface. A standard pencil creates a perfect height line. Hold it against your piece, and then turn your piece around or move the pencil until you have a line around the whole bottom of your piece. Once you have this guide in place, you can either just carefully brush on your glaze, avoiding the line at the bottom or use wax resist. Many potters paint or dip a layer of liquid wax resist on the bottom of their biscfed pots before they start glazing. The glaze won't stick to the wax area. So after you've dipped or brush your glaze on, you can just wipe any beads of glaze off the wax part easily. If you do get some glaze where you don't want it, let the glaze dry a bit and then take a damp sponge or cloth and very carefully wipe off the excess. 5. Glazing your piece: Now we are ready to get glazing. You'll need a few things as well as your brush on glaze that you've chosen. You'll need a paintbrush. Different sizes do come in handy for large or small areas. These are a few of my favorite brushes for glazing. Basically, anything that takes up quite a bit of the glaze at one time, so you don't need to keep dipping your brush back in. You'll need a container of clean water for rinsing brushes if you are switching colors. You'll also need a sponge or a wet cloth for wiping and cleaning up. A bending wheel like a lazy Susan is not essential, but it does really help with glazing. Once you've gathered everything you need, the first step is to stir your glaze really well. This is a really important step, as the colorants and glassy bits in the glazes are heavy and they settle at the bottom of the jar over time. If you don't mix it thoroughly, your glaze color and consistency will be way off. You can use a clean stir to mix it up or just give your jar a really good shake. Now you can start applying your glaze. You'll want to load up your brush by dipping your brush into the glaze, getting a good amount on it, but not so much that it's dripping everywhere before you even get to your piece. Then apply a smooth, even coat to your piece. Try to brush in one direction if you can, say horizontally around the pot. Don't worry if it looks a bit streaky or not fully covered at this stage. That's normal for the first coat. Then you want to let it dry. And this is key. You need to let that first coat dry before you apply it to the next. It'll go from looking wet and shiny to dull and mat. This usually doesn't take too long, maybe five to 15 minutes depending on the glaze, how thick you put it on, and the humidity. If you try to put the next coat on too soon, you'll just drag the first layer around and make a mess. Once the first coat is dry, apply your second coat. This time, it's a good idea to brush in a different direction to the first coat. So if you went horizontally before, go vertically this time. This helps you get really even coverage and minimizes brush strokes. Dry it again. Yep, let it completely dry just like before. And then usually you'll need a third coat. Most brush on glazers are formulated for three coats to get their true color and finish. So apply your third coat again, ideally in a different direction to the second one. EG back to horizontal. Always read the label on your specific glaze. Some might only need two coats. Some might suggest four for particular effects. The manufacturer knows their glaze best. Things to keep in mind while you're brushing, make sure you leave that spot bare at the bottom of your piece. For the inside of vessels, you can either carefully brush it, making sure to get even coverage, or you can pour a little glaze inside, swish it around to coat, pour the excess back into the jar, and then you can touch it up with a brush. Avoid drips and runs. Try not to let the glaze get too thick in any one spot as this can lead to drips or run during firing. Smooth, even coats are the goal. After you finish glazing, give your piece a once over. Look for any miss spots, areas that look too thin, or any glaze on the bottom that needs cleaning up. Then you want to let the glazed piece dry thoroughly. This could take several hours or even overnight. It needs to be bone dry before it goes into the kiln. Dry glaze can be a bit powdery or fragile, so handle your piece carefully to avoid chipping or smudging your lovely glaze job. And that's pretty much it. Take your time, enjoy the process, and have fun watching how your brushed on glazes transform in the kiln. 6. Creating different effects: Now that you've got the basics of using a brush on glaze, you could really start to play and experiment. Test sills come in real handy here as you can test out combinations without affecting your whole piece. Think about combining glazers. You can layer different colors on top of one another or color different sections with different glazes and let them bleed into each other. A search on Google or Pinterest is a great way to see what other potters have been doing and what combinations they have been experimenting with. Mako brush on glazers are my personal favorite to use, as I find them so consistent and reliable, they have a whole section on their website that shows you what different combinations look like and tells you how they achieved it. Another way that you can play with your brush on glazers is to add a flux. Flux interacts with other glazers to create movement and texture, bringing about hidden colors and visual texture. The order in which you apply flux above or beneath another glaze impacts the fired result. And variables that influence the movement include the fluidity of the companion glaze, application methods, thickness and orientation of application, number of coats, firing temperature, and the program. Another way I like to play with my brush on glazes is to use this Amoco texturizer. It creates such a change to your glazed surface, and textures vary depending on what type of base glaze you use. Gloss, mat or textured. It really broadens the glaze palette tremendously. I hope this helps you start to see the many ways you can achieve different results with your brush on glazes. Really, the key is experimentation, having fun. You never know what's going to come out of the kiln, and that's the fun and exciting part of pottery. 7. Conclusion: So there you have it a pretty comprehensive journey through the world of glazing, from that crucial bisque fire right through to getting creative with different effects. We've covered why Bisk firing is your best friend, how to navigate all those exciting glazed choices, thinking about temperature, the look you're after, and what you're making, and, of course, the nitty gritty of applying those brush on glazes step by step. Just remember those key takeaways. Always start with clean biscuare, match your glaze to your clay firing temperature, keep those bottoms clean, and give yourself that little margin for the kiln. That one is super important. And please get into the habit of testing your glazes and taking really good notes. Your future self will definitely thank you for this. It might seem like a lot to remember at first, but like anything in pottery, each step becomes more familiar and intuitive with practice. The most wonderful part about glazing is the room for experimentation and the sheer magic of seeing those transformations in the kiln. So my biggest encouragement is for you to have fun with it. Don't be afraid to try new combinations, layer things up, and really explore what's possible. That's where the unique beauty of your pottery will truly start to shine. Thanks for sticking with me through all of that and happy glazing. I hope you create some pieces that you absolutely love. Make sure to share your glazing in the project gallery so I can see what you've created or tag me on social media at Mgmakst me and leave me a review. If you're interested in pottery templates, check out my website, Meg Make stop me all my other Skillshare classes in order to learn more. And most importantly, happy potting.