How to Glaze Bisqued Fired Pottery

1. Use clean sponge or damp cloth to remove all dust making sure your bisque fired work is clean and free of dust. Dry your piece completely before glazing. I usually give it 3 hours making sure everything is completely dry prior to applying glaze.

2. Mix your glazes well using a whisk until you came up with a smooth consistency.

3. You can either dip your bisque-fired ceramics into the glaze, pour the glaze on, or brush the glaze on. I usually dip it.

*Underglazes can be used as well to seal and waterproof your bisque fired ceramics. Underglazes contain a small amount of gum, which makes it easier to control when painting them onto your ceramics. Apply two to three coats. Wipe off any glaze from the base of your piece before setting it aside to dry.

4. Fire the glaze according to instructions. Glazes are classified as either low-fire or mid-fire, and firing them at the wrong setting may cause your piece to break.

Low-fire glazes are fired at 1010 degrees Celsius.

Low-fire glazes are great for when you have a very specific, controlled design in mind. The resulting colors can be bright and predictable and do not melt together much.

Mid-fire glazes are fired at 1200 degrees Celsius. The colors tend to have more variation and melt together to create more romantic visual effects.

High-fire glazes are fired at 1260 degrees Celsius, creating a strong and vitreous ceramic. The color range tends to be more limited.