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
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!
Pick up 33 of our favorite pottery glazes when you download this freebie, 33 Tried & True Glaze Recipes.
Remember in high school chemistry class when you found yourself thinking, “when will I EVER use this stuff in my … Read More
Who can resist a beautiful bright red glaze? But red is also one of the most difficult colors to achieve … Read More
Although glaze crawling – when glaze recedes away from an area in the firing, leaving bare clay – is often … Read More
Lately I have been experimenting with different firing schedules to see how my glazes are affected. One exciting discovery was … Read More
Let’s face it. We’ve all had glaze disasters in the kiln. From the mild disappointment of a glaze not turning … Read More
If you’ve seen anything I have made in the last several years, you know that I’m a little bit obsessed … Read More
It’s really pretty hard to find a bad thing to say about commercial stains. They produce brilliant colors in glazes, … Read More
With the warming summer temperatures, I thought I would share some red and orange glaze recipes to brighten up your … Read More
Whether you work with cone 5 glazes or do high fire reduction, there are so many variables involved in ceramic glazes. These … Read More
A triaxial blend is an excellent tool for learning about glazes and materials but if you’re new to glaze testing, … Read More
Pick up 33 of our favorite pottery glazes when you download this freebie, 33 Tried & True Glaze Recipes.