How to Overglaze Pottery

There are many techniques and materials used to glaze ceramic pottery. You can employ an overglaze after another glaze has been applied and has dried. Typically, overglaze creates a specific finish, protects the piece, or makes the pottery safe for household use. Here's how to apply a basic overglaze to a piece of ceramic pottery.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Stir the overglaze until it reaches the proper viscosity before you dip a piece. Read the manufactures instructions to determine the proper viscosity for your overglaze. Also, make sure that the piece is completely dry before you begin.

2. Submerge most ceramic pieces one half at a time, allowing the first half to dry completely, which can take up to 24 hours. Then dip the other half without creating an overlapping seam.

3. Shake off excess overglaze carefully before you place the pottery on a drying rack to avoid uneven overglazing.

4. Dip large pieces in sections. Find a natural line in the ceramic piece you are dipping, such as a handle.

5. Use a disposable cup filled with glaze over the overglazing tub to pour into hard to glaze spaces, like the inside of a narrow vase. Roll the piece to distribute the overglaze, and quickly dump the excess back into the tub, and shake the piece well before you put it down.

6. Scrape excess glaze from completely dried overglazed pieces with a scraping tool, sandpaper, or sponge, to prevent clouding, uneven glazing, or to correct any overlapping seams.

Resources

• Pottery magazine.