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While flipping through some back issues of Ceramics Monthly, I stumbled upon this great little gem that I knew I had to share with the CAN subscribers! Autumn Higgins repurposed an old ice cube tray to make the ice cube underglaze tray! This ingenious found item will definitely make an appearance in my studio the next time I need to mix up some underglazes. The best part of the ice cube underglaze tray (aside from the fact I have several around my house!) is that most brushes fit easily into the compartments and it keeps the colors separate while painting. –Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor.
I use homemade ceramic watercolors to decorate my work. An old ice cube tray works great to keep the colors separate and to provide enough of each color so that I don’t run out while painting a piece. I usually have a small tub of the watercolor base on hand. When I either need a new color in my tray or run out of a color, I add a bit of watercolor base and Mason stain to the tray and mix them right there—no need to dirty more dishes. I use each reservoir for a different color so I have a good color palette to work with. If you don’t have the materials and stains to mix your own watercolors, commercial underglazes work great. Simply pour your favorite underglaze colors into the ice-cube tray, let them dry out, then use them as you would watercolor paints. Testing is always recommended, especially when firing underglaze colors to higher temperatures.
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I too ask what is a watercolor base? If it is the gerstley borate and water, what is the ratio of the two?
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I have the same question: what is the watercolor base?
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I’m guessing the watercolor base is gerstly borate and water to make the mason stains less refractory. Please enlighten me if you have different solution. And I didn’t know that commercial underglazes were useful in a rewetted, less thick state.
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Autumn Higgins references this in another article where she talks about her work.
https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/daily/ceramic-supplies/ceramic-glazes-and-underglazes/drawn-to-surface-how-to-make-and-use-underglaze-pencils-crayons-pens-and-trailers/
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What is the water color base?
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the pill tray is a super idea! My underglazes were hard to cover in the ice cube tray.
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Its great repurposing ice cube trays but an even better solution for small ammounts of underglaze are the individual pill trays that can be bought for a couple of dollars from the $2 store as they have flip down lids so that the underglazes can be stored for a while without drying out.The lids are not super well fitting though so the undergalzes do dry out eventually