Question:
How do I make stamps?
Carving sprigs and stamps/testing design
While carving, periodically take some clay and test your design by pushing the clay into the surface. Your clay will pick up the loose plaster particles and also allow you to see what the pattern you have carved looks like. Use the same clay a few times, then discard. You do not want to fire this clay, or mix it into your other clay, as plaster mixed in clay is likely to cause an explosion in the kiln.
Making Stamps/Positive
To make a stamp with a raised profile, it is easiest to first carve your design into clay or plaster. Then form a moat around this with clay and pour plaster over it, making the negative. The advantage is that what you are carving is the same as what will eventually be on your piece (not the negative of it.)
Signature stamps
You can make a small press mold into a stamp for signing your work, or to impress into your piece and make designs. This works best if you want a raised design on your piece (since it is easier to carve into plaster than it is to carve away and leave a raised profile behind.) If you want a recessed design, read the next section. Stamps and sprigs are especially nice when used around a border, or across multiple pieces to achieve a repetitive design element.
Making a stamp/sprig
Part 1: Making the stamp.
Step one: The stamps can be made from plaster or by bisquing a clay master. I
prefer working
with plaster, as the fine grain accommodates delicate carving, so the following
instructions are for
plaster. Make the forms for filling with plaster from small thrown pots or juice
cans. Forms can
be round, oval, or rectangular. One larger cylindrical form should also be
prepared, which is
slightly smaller in diameter than the inside of the mugs you will be decorating. A
sturdy piece of
wood (1"x2"), twelve to fifteen inches long with a hole drilled in one end, will be
inserted in this
larger form. This will be used like a shoe on a shoelast, to hold the pot in place
while pressing on
the decoration.
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| Patricia Walters-Fischer |
