Question:
What is an engobe?
Description
Engobes can be defined as liquid clay slips of varying compositions which are applied to the surface of a clay object, e.g. a pot. The purpose of the engobe can be as different as the varied forms it comes in: to give color to a piece; to improve the surface texture; to provide a ground to do further decoration on; to add textures.
Engobes can be applied to wet clay surfaces, leather-hard ware, greenware and even bisqued wares. In each case the engobe's shrinkage rate should match that of the clay underneath, otherwise cracking (when the engobe shrinks more than the clay underneath) or shivering (when the clay underneath shrinks more than the engobe on top) can occur. While there are some basic engobe recipes around, The Potter's Complete Book of Clay and Glazes by James Chappel has a range of engobe recipes for diferent grades of moisture content and firing ranges from cone 10 up to cone 11
Colourants/oxides for engobes
Engobes
Various oxides, carbonates and commercial stains can be used to color base engobe recipes. If you want to use commercial stains, refer to your manufacturer or sales outlet for more information on what percentages to use, or experiment yourself with your own line blend.
Application of engobes
Application techniques for engobes also greatly vary. They range from dipping to brushing and spraying and even slip-trailing, However, in contrast to applying glazes to bisque ware, it pays to be careful when applying engobes to greenware, as the clay can soften and deform, e.g. if a pot is dipped too long. During application, wax or latex can be applied as a resist. Once the engobe has hardened, designs can be scratched in, revealing the clay body underneath.
Simple engobe recipe
Here is a simple blue engobe you can try out (but be sure to do some small tests first, before using it on any 'important' stuff!): Ball Clay 40 Red Iron Oxide 20 Manganese Dioxide 20 Cobalt Oxide 20
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| Jolyn Wells-Moran |
