I like to use a mop brush, as you can apply a generous amount easily. design or texture when you have ready clay to start with. The rate that it dries will depend on the thickness of the project and room temperature. The indentation is an outline of your design, which you can use as a guide when carving. For this project, we’ll follow in the footsteps of potters in making sgraffito bowls (minus kilns or firing glazes). Sky is the limit when you This is how I gauge it; if I pick up the pottery, does it feel firm and solid? This should be quick as the liquid in the underglaze will be absorbed very fast by the bisqueware. However, I’ve concluded that although the underglaze contains water, it also draws moisture out of the clay.


A freshly made form, ready to decorate, etch, and carve, is an invitation to play. of spring.

You can either freehand draw these images onto the piece or return to a traced image and create the indented guidelines to follow. If your design is complex, it can be helpful to transfer it onto your piece using tracing paper.

Like most techniques in pottery, there are several ways of approaching sgraffito.

Accessed 2 Oct. 2020. Learn about Mishima and Sgraffito decorating techniques. This is probably because I find it easier to vary the pressure when scratching into the hard, bisque surface. The most popular color? more interesting. If you’re new to sgraffito, you may wish to start with a relatively flat surface, such as a tile, plate, or platter. course, without decoration, your work is just a simple piece of hardened clay. In this 30 minute video tutorial, Christi will show you 3 different ways to use this ancient decorative technique with polymer clay. What’s sgraffito? Once the piece has slowly dried to the bone-dry stage, it’s time to bisque fire.

like turquoise into the mix and your pottery will be the center of attention. Create designs on leather-hard clay, bisque fire, and glaze with an AMACO LG Series low-fire transparent color glaze. So don’t decide on your

Etsy uses cookies and similar technologies to give you a better experience, enabling things like: Detailed information can be found in Etsy’s Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy and our Privacy Policy. I often will etch a complimentary image onto the bottom of my pieces, along with my signature (9). for you to give them a nice texture to jazz it up. However, it can be extremely satisfying and lovely to look at. But a sgraffito won’t look great on an already textured surface. Although this is the most exciting bit of sgraffito, it is also the simplest to describe.

Sgraffito usually involves carving up a bit of the underlying clay as well as the decorative underglaze or slip. Also follow her on Instagram @PatriciaGriffinCeramics.

purposes both inside and outside the home. Also cut out a small piece of clay, as a test sample. Then apply a layer of black underglaze over the surface. These are three of the sgraffito techniques I have learned about…. then using an incising tool, you need to scrape off the coat of underglaze in a lovely sheen and make it waterproof. Spray only when no clay bits are on the piece. clay. Because it has sand in it, it’s not nice to throw, as it tends to rasp the hands. And once you have applied sufficient layers, you can begin to start your sgraffito design. Set it aside to prepare your piece (see 2). However, when you apply the underglaze on top, you will lose a bit of the detail of the design.

Instead, the bowls are made with store-bought air dry clay that is similar in texture and behavior as ceramic earthenware clay and Tsukineko’s All-Purpose Ink.

What I mean is that the overall look of sgraffito slip looks a bit more velvety and organic to me. The most common clay sgraffito material is ceramic. I work on the surface when it is leather hard, at the stage when it’s dry enough to hold its form and have some resistance to the pull of a drawing or etching tool (1). If you buy something through a link I get a small commission from Amazon or other affilate programs.

Equally, if it’s too wet, the slip will take forever to dry enough to scratch. Imagine’s All-Purpose ink is ideal because it’s a lightweight, but highly pigmented ink and the clay is porous, which, allows the ink to seep through. It’s also a good idea to check that there are no sharp little raised areas on your sgraffito surface. Send me exclusive offers, unique gift ideas, and personalized tips for shopping and selling on Etsy.

and scraping.

any craft store, you will get a set of sculpturing tools. And so, I have tried to pick up where I left off all those years ago at school. Smooth out the edges with your fingers.

Keeping the black as-is, leaving your images as white line-drawings on a black background. Though the term. would take a proud place on your coffee table. You can use are creating by giving them some quirky patterns and shapes.

At the same time, there should be enough moisture in the piece to assure that the tool will not scratch the surface. This is a bit of a knack and you will learn to gauge it through trial and error. Etsy may send you communications; you may change your preferences in your account settings. As you remove bits of material from the sgraffito surface, you can lightly brush the bits into the water. Did you scroll all this way to get facts about clay sgraffito? Etsy sellers promote their items through our paid advertising platform. Another useful tool is the clay drill, which allows artists to create many hole sizes with just one tool, and features a textured aluminum handle for a sure grip when hands are wet. Probably gilding the lily, but sometimes it’s hard to know when to stop! All that you are scratching away is underglaze. If you trace directly onto the clay, it will be softer and easier to leave an outline on.
Use a soft brush, so that you don’t get brush strokes. I cover my sgraffito-decorated areas with a food-safe clear glaze. Even if the shape of the vase is the same, you can experiment ( Log Out /  Or if you apply more pressure as you carve, you will expose the underlying clay body. with your favorite quote or a simple design. 7 Experiment with patterns and designs that will unify your piece into a whole. Also, if the clay feels cold then it’s still wet. Basically, you can use anything you like that is sharp to score into your clay. Experiment with multiple patterns, and see where it takes you. If you incise lightly, you will carve through to a lower layer of underglaze exposing a different color. And make sure that

I work on the surface when it is leather hard, at the stage when it’s dry enough to hold its form and have some resistance to the pull of a drawing or etching tool (1).

One of my favorite techniques is sgraffito, etching through underglaze to the clay body beneath. You can even try creating lots of simple dots in a bright color.

This technique has been around since around the 15th century.

This gives you a chance to envisage your design before committing it to your pottery. It will take on the shape of the object. When I became interested in it my first question was how do you make sgraffito pottery?

If you press firmly around the design with a pencil, you leave an indentation in the clay. Once all of your images are in place, you will have what appears as a white line drawing on a black surface. Underglaze is designed to be suitable for application to greenware and bisqueware. Generally, you are advised to apply 2-3 layers of underglaze to pottery. The clay is usually very smooth when it’s rolled out. You’re likely to get little bits of clay on the table and the newsprint makes it super easy to clean up in between sessions.

about will go right out of the window, along with your clay. Invite them to paint too and things will become Either way, it’s something to be aware of if you are doing sgraffito with underglaze. out of the kiln, the colors would look different and more vibrant. The most common red clay sgraffito material is ceramic. You need to scratch it before the slip dries out too much. You don’t need to plan out the entire piece. simple or hell, go crazy with their curled handles. Have a soft brush, such as a make-up brush, and a shallow container of water nearby (4). So, if you’ve been wondering how do you make sgraffito pottery, the answer is that it is a simple technique. One great tip is that the more of the clay that shows through, the more your design will pop. Then if I leave it over-night, boom, the next day, it’s really quite hard. And shape, experiment with different shapes like animal-shaped spoon rest to make Once the borders are in place and the etching is finished in those areas, put your attention into the black spaces between the images.

I like my surface to be protected without muddying the design, which can happen if the clear glaze is applied too thickly. Like most pottery processes, it’s important to work with the piece at the appropriate time. But if it’s too dry, your underglaze can flake and crack. So, a common question is whether you can do sgraffito on bisque clay. 9 Use a variety of tools to create contrasting patterns that define and highlight specific areas.

Tip: If it’s difficult to see the line, try adding a very light spray of water and hold it close to a light source. Apply your underglaze to your bisqueware. I tried both and found both works well. Place the clay bowl into a real bowl or other object and allow it dry. our to make the bowls, 2 days total for bowls to air dry, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Learn How To Create A Sgraffito Style Clay Bowls, View imaginecrafts.tsukineko’s profile on Facebook, View imaginecrafts_’s profile on Instagram, View imaginecrafts’s profile on Pinterest, View UCyJWsilPhePUkz5C5C9FSxg’s profile on YouTube, Watercolor a Rose in 3 Minutes with Rose Gold Shimmer Stix, How to Create Color Swatches for Handmade Christmas Cards, Beginner Guide: Kaleidacolor Ink Variety of Colors for Any Time of the Year, Create Jewel Tones for Fall Color Blend for a Mazel Tov Wedding Greeting Card, Clay carving tools or rubber stamp carving tools.

The technique involves scratching through a layer of still-wet paint to reveal what’s underneath, whether this is a dried layer of paint or the white canvas/paper. 10 After bisque firing your carved platter, brush on an even coat of clear glaze.

The drier the room or if placed in the sun, the faster it dries. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. I fire a slow bisque to cone 04.

In preparation for glazing, wipe your piece with a damp sponge to remove any sgraffito bits that may still be on the surface. Thus, Sgraffito is a decoration technique in This helps me keep the website running. Or, you can use your own photographs or drawings as a resource. Get a stiff but soft-bristled brush to dust the 3 Remove the tracing paper, then follow the indented line with an etching tool. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Pause at regular intervals to remove the etched material from the surface. There are 608 clay sgraffito for sale on Etsy, and they cost $47.56 on average. Once you are sure of the design, your

clay surface and remove crumbs to get clear lines. explore the world of Sgraffito, a technique that will tell you how to turn your However, it’s the conclusion I’ve drawn. How much clay you take away is a matter of preference. your desired texture to reveal the clay underneath.

Start by considering the addition of elements in back of and around your primary image source.