Glaze Selection

As we become better at making beautiful forms we don't necessarily become better at achieving great glaze results. It seems so unfair! If you are serious about achieving great results your first step is to begin your own glaze journal today. It's important to do many different things right before you can be successful at glazing. First, consider what textures and colors you want the glaze to contribute to your finished form. Many art centers and community labs have test tiles you can observe before you commit to glazing with them. (If you are at a home studio, you will want to create your own test tile pattern with some of your favorite glazes.) We recommend you test one coat or two to see if it runs or changes colors when applied thicker. Also, test glazes on different clay bodies. If your facility has tiles, they probably indicate which glazes are stable and which glazes run. Glazes that run are not suitable for the outside of a piece. A glaze that runs can run off the pot and onto the kiln shelf making a huge mess. The same glaze can look very different on various clay bodies. Also, it may look different when applied thin vs. thick. An example is a copper red glaze called Oxblood, it´s white when applied thin, red when applied thick - quite a difference. The next step is choosing a suitable glaze for your clay body.