Further surface painting trials results

Based on my first surface painting trial done on a large slab I now how the finished glazed little test tile. There were also fired in oxidation to about 1270ºc.

Unfortunately, I wasn't very careful when rolling out and cutting the tiles so they have warped during the firing. However, as my main aim was to test different surface decoration patterns this isn't too important. The colour combinations are not necessary my favourite choice as I used the premixed slips we had in the studio. I will mix my own slips in future.

Of all the tiles this seems the most successful to me. The pattern I used it loosely based on a pattern I have come across researching Pueblo pottery. I have used layers and pattern detail made of sky blue, black, yellow, white and pink slips and red and black underglazes. It has a layer of clear glaze, which has been fired to 1270ºc in oxidation. I don't like the colour or the clay body coming through where I've sanded the slips back too much. Either I have to be more careful when sanding or change the clay to one with a different body colour.

I think this is also quite successful. It uses the same colour palate as the tile above. However, whereas the above tile has black outlines here the outlines are red. To get that effect one step was to paint the entire tile with a thick layer of red underglaze. It worked but it uses a lot of the much more expensive underglaze, which also doesn't have as much body as a slip. If I would replicate this pattern I would mix my own red slip.

This pattern is much less controlled than the others but I like it's painterliness. It was created by first slip trading the yellow and blue dots with black ovals encircling them. Then I covered with a white slip and next with a black slip. Letting the slips dry between each stage of application so they don't mix.