How to Decorate Bisque With Glazes

Glazes vary widely in color and texture - some will crack or speckle when fired; others simulate mother-of-pearl.

Things You'll Need

• Assorted Hobby Paintbrushes
• Flat Hobby Paintbrushes
• Kilns
• Assorted Colored Glazes
• Paint Stirrers
• Soft Rags
• Deep Bowls Or Containers
• Tongs

Instructions

Exterior Glazes

1. Paint glazes using a wide, flat brush.

2. Ensure even coverage by coating the object with vertical strokes and then going over it again with horizontal strokes.

3. Stir the glaze often.

4. Be careful when you touch areas you've just painted; the glaze will stick to your hands and pull off of the bisque.

5. Note that you can also apply glazes by dipping an object directly into a deep container of glaze.

6. Use dipping tongs or hand-dip the piece, holding it with your fingers hooked inside the edges of the pour hole.

7. Dip up to, but not touching, your fingers.

8. Prevent the bisque from coming into contact with the bottom or sides of the container. The glaze coating will be uneven wherever it touches.

9. Allow the glaze to dry, which it will do quickly.

10. Set the piece on a soft rag when the glaze is dry, and paint the areas where you held the bisque.

11. Use a wide, flat brush dipped in the same glaze - or for a neat effect, use a different color or texture.

12. Fire glazed objects in a kiln.

Preliminaries

1. Use glazes for a very shiny, glasslike finish.

2. Check the bottle against the manufacturer's sample, because the prefired project won't look anything like the finished one.

3. Apply several coats, following the recommendations on the container.

4. Allow the glaze to dry between applications.

Interior Glazes

1. Glaze the inside of any bisque that will hold liquids, such as vases or mugs.

2. Pour the glaze inside. Use a funnel if you have to.

3. Fill the container halfway.

4. Swirl the contents and pour the glaze back out slowly, making sure to cover all of the inside surfaces.

Tips & Warnings

• Use nontoxic glazes for anything intended to come in contact with food, as many regular glazes have lead in them.