Glazing Tips
Whether you are an amateur or professional artist, avoiding common mistakes is the ideal way to produce the best end product. These common mistakes can be avoided by following 10 simple tips.
- Before glazing, clean your piece completely, ridding it of all dust and dirt.
- After cleaning your piece, take a sponge and lightly coat it with water. This helps to smooth the surface and prepare for glazing.
- Always allow the light coat of water to dry before starting your glaze.
- Stir your glaze thoroughly or it can be rendered ineffective.
- Spraying, dipping or trailing will provide the most even coat across your piece.
- If brushing your glaze, ALWAYS begin with a clean brush.
- When considering how many coats to use, 2-3 is ideal.
- Avoid mixing glaze colors unless they are designed by their manufacturer for the purpose of mixing.
- To have the most effective glaze: fire your piece, then glaze it, and then fire it again.
- To prevent your piece from sticking to the kiln during the second firing, leave a portion of the piece unglazed or use kiln spurs.
- When glazing the lid of a pot or other small objects, avoid over coating. More than 3 coats to a small object can increase the likeliness of cracking or breaking.