Painting Pottery with a Sponge

Video Transcript

"So next I'd like to show you some different tips when using a sponge. So this is actually when we're sponging to create texture on your piece. So what you want to start out with is the proper tools. So I like these ordinary household sponges, and they have really, really great nooks in them and it will really create a neat look on your piece. So, some things to remember when you are sponging, I always say to start light and then you can build from that. So all I'm going to do is dip my sponge into my paint, and then I always want to blot either on the top of the palate, the paint palate, or just on some paper towel. And blot off a good portion of your paint, and then all you're going to do to actually do a proper sponging technique is you're actually going to want to bounce the sponge onto your piece. So I'm going to start really, really light, and you can see the really great texture that you can get from it, and I'll actually show you how to blend a little bit with it too. So I'm going to start and go really, really light so I'm going to really fade it out. Notice I haven't re-dipped my sponge, I'm using the exact same amount of paint that I first had, and all I'm doing is by going over and over parts of your piece that you've already sponged, you're going to slowly create an opaque coverage. So you sort of adjust it, and you can sort of see how well you want, how concentrated you want your marks to be. So I'm going to sort of keep it at that, and now I'm going to show you different ways that you can blend with sponging. So I'm actually not going to change my sponge, I'm going to use the exact same side that I used for my turquoise, and I'm going to use green this time. So again, I'm going to dip it into my paint, blot it off still, and then I'm going to start the other side and I'm going to do a green. And you can sort of see there are little tiny specks of my turquoise in with my green, which I want because I want those two colors to eventually blend together. And I'm just going to sort of pull it in, and dab lightly, where the two colors meet. And I'm just going to slowly bring the green into where the turquoise is and then I can always go back and grab more green, blot again, and then start and get more concentrated into the sides. And it's sort of a neat way to sort of blend two colors together while creating really neat texture on your piece. And that's how we sponge!"