Hare’s Fur and Oil Spot Glazes
Oil spot and hare’s fur glazes are beautiful and fascinating. In a nutshell, they are high-iron glazes that are applied … Read More
Glaze Chemistry
Remember, in high school chemistry class when you found yourself thinking, “when will I ever use this stuff in my life?” (unless, of course, you always dreamed of becoming a chemist). Well, once you have become hooked on pottery and ceramics, you will probably find yourself delving into ceramic glaze chemistry hoping to create the perfect glaze surface. Your high school chemistry teacher was right! This stuff is important!
Learning how different materials contribute to glazes and clay bodies is very important in expanding your abilities as a ceramic artist. Whether you would like to develop a classic Shino glaze recipe for a teabowl, or you want to create a lichen glaze on a ceramic sculpture, understanding how ceramic materials work together for various results is one of the most important aspects of ceramics. So here we’ve gathered a bunch of articles and information on glaze chemistry to help you understand this incredibly complex and fascinating subject.
So, what is ceramic glaze anyway? In Clay: A Studio Handbook, Vince Pitelka defines a ceramic glaze as a coating of powdered ceramic materials, usually prepared and applied in water suspension, which melts smooth and bonds to clay surface in glaze firing. But understanding how and why those materials melt and bond to your piece is crucial to being able to express yourself as a ceramic artist. If you’ve been wondering how to make ceramic glazes, we have everything from glaze mixing 101 to in-depth articles on how to successfully fire crystalline glazes.
Looking for a red glaze recipe? Did you know that red is one of the hardest colors to create in ceramics? But no worries! Dave Finklenburg’s article on red pottery glazes will take the guesswork out of it and help you find the perfect red for you!
And those types of articles are what you’ll find in abundance on Ceramic Arts Daily. So dive in and master glaze chemistry!
33 Tried & True Glaze Recipes
Pick up 33 of our favorite pottery glazes when you download this freebie, 33 Tried & True Glaze Recipes.
Download Today!
Glaze Chemistry 101: A Quick Course on Mixing Ceramic Glazes
Remember, in high school chemistry class when you found yourself thinking, “when will I EVER use this stuff in my … Read More
The New World of Crystalline Glazes: Developing Beautiful Crystals in Reduction
It used to be thought that crystalline glazes were only possible in an oxidation atmosphere. But as many more potters … Read More
How to Do a Triaxial Blend to Test Pottery Glazes
A triaxial blend is an excellent tool for learning about glazes and materials but if you’re new to glaze testing, … Read More
How to Correct Five Common Ceramic Glaze Defects
It is especially true in the ceramics world that one person’s fault is another person’s fancy–especially when it comes to … Read More
A Simplified Ceramic Chemistry Lesson
If you’re like me, the mention of the word chemistry can send you into a panic–admittedly not my favorite subject. … Read More
What Makes a Matte Glaze Matte?
I looooooooooooove a matte glaze, especially those really buttery matte glazes that beg to be caressed. But I have to … Read More
Recipes for Cool Ceramic Glaze Colors
If you’ve seen anything I have made in the last several years, you know that I’m a little bit obsessed … Read More
Testing Ceramic Glazes and Colorants to Expand Your Palette in Mid-Range Firing
Though it would be nice to just mix up a glaze based on a photo and get exactly those results, … Read More
A Super Simple Analogy to Help You Understand Glaze Structure
Ceramic glazes consist of three main components: glass formers, fluxes, and refractories. If you can remember those, and familiarize yourself … Read More
33 Tried & True Glaze Recipes
Pick up 33 of our favorite pottery glazes when you download this freebie, 33 Tried & True Glaze Recipes.
Download Today!