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Glazes: Materials, Recipes and Techniques: A Ceramics Monthly Handbook
Glazes: Materials, Recipes and Techniques: A Ceramics Monthly Handbook
Glazes: Materials,
Recipes and Techniques
A Collection of Articles from Ceramics Monthly
Edited by Anderson Turner
Glazes: Materials, Recipes
and Techniques
Glazes: Materials, Recipes
and Techniques
A C o l l e c t i o n o f A r t i c l e s f r o m Ceramics Monthly
Published by
Introduction
by Anderson Turner..................................................................................................1
1 Materials
Color and the Ceramic Surface:
Alchemy or Science?, by Robin Hopper.......................................................3
Ordering Raw Materials, by Jeff Zamek.....................................................17
Additives for Glazes, by Jeff Zamek............................................................19
Glaze Material Substitutions, by Jeff Zamek..............................................23
Gerstley Borate and Colemanite, by Jeff Zamek........................................27
Substitutions for Gerstley Borate, by Jeff Zamek......................................30
Is Barium Carbonate Safe?, by Jeff Zamek.................................................33
Using Rare Earth Colorants, by David Pier...............................................36
Using Soluble Colorants at Stoneware
Temperatures, by Kurt Wild.......................................................................39
Formulating Glazes, by Richard A. Eppler.................................................41
2
Recipes
Versatile Cone 06-6 Clays and Engobes, by Gerald Rowan.......................46
Cone 06-6 Vitreous Engobes, by Gerald Rowan........................................48
Variation with One Base Glaze, by Melvin D. Rowe..................................50
Electric Kiln Copper Reds, by Robert S. Pearson
and Beatrice I. Pearson...........................................................................52
More Electric Kiln Copper Reds, by Robert S. Pearson
and Beatrice I. Pearson...........................................................................55
Cone 5 Blue Glazes, by Dwain Naragon.....................................................56
Cone 5 White Glazes, by Dwain Naragon..................................................57
Cone 5 Oxidation Glazes, by Anthony Bellesorte.......................................58
Hobart Cowles White Glazes, by Lili Krakowski.......................................59
Hobart Cowles Tan and Brown Glazes, by Lili Krakowski.........................60
Hobart Cowles Blue and Green Glazes, by Lili Krakowski........................61
Black Friday, by Jeff Zamek........................................................................62
Cone 6 Oxidation Slips and Glazes, by Gerald Rowan..............................64
iv
A Palette of Cone 6 Oxidation Glazes, by Jeff Dietrich.............................66
Cone 08-6 Self-Glazing Clays, by Gerald Rowan.......................................67
Cone 5-6 Reduction Glazes, by Paul Woolery............................................68
Cone 6 Reduction: Great Glazes and
Smart Savings, by Rick Malmgren........................................................70
Cone 3-6 Data Bank Glazes, by Harold J. McWhinnie..............................74
Cone 4-6 Oxidation Glazes, by Harold J. McWhinnie..............................75
A Cone 6-10 Glaze Palette, by Harold J. McWhinnie................................76
Cone 3-8 Rutile Glazes, by Harold J. McWhinnie.....................................78
Lichenlike Surfaces, by Lana Wilson..........................................................79
The Fugitive Blue Chun, by Emman Okunna............................................80
Awka Oil-Spot Glaze, by Emman Okunna.................................................82
Converting to Oxidation Glazes, by Melvin D. Rowe...............................84
3
Techniques
Converting to Oxidation Glazes, by Melvin D. Rowe...............................84
Glaze Dipping: Tubs and Tongs, by Bennett Welsh...................................90
Bob Reed: Landscape and Motion, by Von D. Allen.................................92
China Paint: The Ultimate Low Fire, by Paul Lewing................................96
Old Glazes, New Words, by John Chalke.................................................100
Layered Cone 6 and Cone 06 Glazes, by Lana Wilson.............................101
When Bad Glazes Happen to Good Potters:
An Unsolved Mystery, by Cynthia Spencer...............................................105
Jim Koudelka’s Layered Contraptions, by Daniel Duford.......................108
Five Steps to Stop Glaze Shivering, by Jeff Zamek...................................113
A Garden Niche, by Trevor E. Youngberg.................................................114
Wood-Ash Glazing at Cone 6, by Harry Spring.......................................116
Kathleen Guss and Stephen Robison, by Clive Clintonson.....................118
George McCauley, by Peter Held.............................................................122
Wayne Bates, by Sandy Miller Sasso.........................................................126
Eight Steps to Stop Crazing, by Jeff Zamek.............................................132
Glaze Crawling: Causes and Corrections, by Jeff Zamek.........................134
A Wood-Fired Look from an Electric Kiln, by Richard Busch.................136
v
A Palette of Cone 6 Oxidation Glazes, by Jeff Dietrich.............................66
Cone 08-6 Self-Glazing Clays, by Gerald Rowan.......................................67
Cone 5-6 Reduction Glazes, by Paul Woolery............................................68
Cone 6 Reduction: Great Glazes and
Smart Savings, by Rick Malmgren........................................................70
Cone 3-6 Data Bank Glazes, by Harold J. McWhinnie..............................74
Cone 4-6 Oxidation Glazes, by Harold J. McWhinnie..............................75
A Cone 6-10 Glaze Palette, by Harold J. McWhinnie................................76
Cone 3-8 Rutile Glazes, by Harold J. McWhinnie.....................................78
Lichenlike Surfaces, by Lana Wilson..........................................................79
The Fugitive Blue Chun, by Emman Okunna............................................80
Awka Oil-Spot Glaze, by Emman Okunna.................................................82
Converting to Oxidation Glazes, by Melvin D. Rowe...............................84
3
Techniques
Converting to Oxidation Glazes, by Melvin D. Rowe...............................84
Glaze Dipping: Tubs and Tongs, by Bennett Welsh...................................90
Bob Reed: Landscape and Motion, by Von D. Allen.................................92
China Paint: The Ultimate Low Fire, by Paul Lewing................................96
Old Glazes, New Words, by John Chalke.................................................100
Layered Cone 6 and Cone 06 Glazes, by Lana Wilson.............................101
When Bad Glazes Happen to Good Potters:
An Unsolved Mystery, by Cynthia Spencer...............................................105
Jim Koudelka’s Layered Contraptions, by Daniel Duford.......................108
Five Steps to Stop Glaze Shivering, by Jeff Zamek...................................113
A Garden Niche, by Trevor E. Youngberg.................................................114
Wood-Ash Glazing at Cone 6, by Harry Spring.......................................116
Kathleen Guss and Stephen Robison, by Clive Clintonson.....................118
George McCauley, by Peter Held.............................................................122
Wayne Bates, by Sandy Miller Sasso.........................................................126
Eight Steps to Stop Crazing, by Jeff Zamek.............................................132
Glaze Crawling: Causes and Corrections, by Jeff Zamek.........................134
A Wood-Fired Look from an Electric Kiln, by Richard Busch.................136
vi
Introduction
The ceramic artist is capable of doing many things when driven by the desire to clear‑
ly communicate an idea or produce a work of art using clay. Many pieces, though,
skillfully crafted in the forming stage, can be ruined with an inappropriate glaze. And
while there are many mysteries involved in this final act of creation, many have been
solved over the years through diligent research and painstaking trial and error.
Since its inception, Ceramics Monthly has provided a forum for artists to share their
findings on all aspects of the medium, not the least of which are the glaze recipes and
information on how to formulate new ones. It is ironic that information such as this,
once guarded so closely that revealing any of these secrets could bring about severe
punishment, is now freely given knowing that everyone benefits from the sharing. By
looking over the past issues of CM, the wealth of solid technological information on
glaze chemistry, formulation and recipes is astounding.
We are fortunate that the authors represented in this book have shared their work,
so now we can take the next step and push beyond. The information contained here
is a starting point, and you’ll find a world of mysteries unfold as you alter percent‑
ages, swap out ingredients, overlap glazes,
use different application techniques, or
come up with something entirely new.
And through this process‑that of working
from the premise of “what happens when
I do this?”‑we are better able to achieve
our main goal‑to express ourselves clearly
with clay.—Anderson Turner
Glazes 2
Color and the Ceramic Surface:
Alchemy or Science?
Part 1: The Empirical Strikes Back
By Robin Hopper
Glazes 4
from experience and observation: it is materials and their interaction? The line blend. This is simply the blending
the direct learning or knowledge of simplest way is to test fire on small together of one material with another
something without conscious reason‑ bisqued tiles every material that you in a controlled ratio (usually by weight);
ing. In its place we’ve largely gained a use. Mix the material with a little e.g., 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50,
dependence either on published recipes water and brush it onto the tile. 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, 10:90. Thin color
or on questionable scientific principles, To get some idea of how color may stripes can again be informative. Quite
which neither tell us the whole story be affected, paint a thin stripe of beautiful glazes may be made with just
nor give us real comprehension to base colorant or stain, mixed with water, two materials.
our work on. on the surface of the raw material. The third stage of development
Why do I say questionable scientific Iron, copper, cobalt and manganese involves the intermixture of three or
principles? Because the analyses of are commonly used; but if you more materials in various ratios in a
ceramic minerals supplied by min‑ prefer brightly colored stains, try triaxial blend. The fourth would be
ing companies are averages of the them too. Depending on what the mixtures of four or more materials in a
compounds that form the basic raw chosen firing temperature is, you’ll quadraxial blend. These methods, with
materials supplied by their mines, find that some of the raw materials their mathematics and working charts,
and those certainly change from one melt, others sinter but don’t melt, are discussed at length in my book The
part of a mine to another. Such is the and still others remain completely Ceramic Spectrum. There are many
nature of Nature. Not every bag will unmelted. As a generality, one can different approaches to empirical glaze
be identical, and the same raw mate‑ say that those that melt most have development and understanding, and
rial purchased over an extensive period the highest fluxing power. Those the more one constructively plays with
of time is likely to alter considerably. that are unmelted, usually silica and it, the more familiar the reactions of the
So our science is based on a change‑ the purer clays, need to be fluxed to materials become. Within a very short
able generality and not on established make usable mixtures. time one can really begin to understand
fact. The second stage of testing is usu‑ the behavior of the materials and be
How does one go about learning ally to mix together those materials producing one’s own personal palette
to understand the nature of ceramic that melt with those that don’t in a of glaze surface and color.
Glazes 6
materials,one can also use one base variable flux. In box 9, for instance, from copper, dove-grays to mushroom
glaze with a variable flux component. you should have 80% glaze base, 8% from manganese, and soft greens to
The following is a combination of flux A, 4% flux B, and 8% flux C. In brown from small amounts of nickel.
triaxial and flux variations, which has box 13, the mix would be 80% glaze Glazes high in calcium may be quite
produced some very interesting glazes base, 4$ flux A, 8% flux B, and 8% similar to ash glazes in the way that
at Cone 6, and at Cones 8-10. flux C. they run in rivulets and form islands
With this approach, it is good to The third glaze approach involves of glass surrounded by drier surfaces.
keep the mathematics simple-80% flux saturation. Many spectacular Those containing combinations of
base mix; 20% fluxes. The following effects and brilliant colors may be zinc and barium are likely to form
shows what the base mix should be achieved in glazes which use abnor‑ crystals. These glazes can produce rich
comprised of: mally high amounts of fluxes. Such colors from almost any colorants. The
The fluxes are best selected by con‑ glazes may not be particularly suit‑ colors will change to some extent de‑
sidering their color-affecting proper‑ able for dinnerware, but can be quite pendent on atmosphere, but less than
ties. Some selections that have yielded wonderful when used for decorative with a more normal balanced glaze.
interesting results are given below as effect. Most of these glazes are for As with all glazes, they need testing
examples; but the principle allows Cone 8-10, but many can be used at in your own studio to develop their
great flexibility, and I feel that the Cone 6 or adapted to Cone 6 by the potential.
more individual decisions one makes, addition of 5%-10% colemanite or
the more satisfying are the results: Gerstley borate. Most include between Flux Saturation Glaze 1
two and four ingredients. Because (Cone 8-10)
Cone 6 Flux Variations Triaxial Dolomite....................................25 %. %
1)A=Lithium B=Wollastonite C=Wood Ash they contain such heavy saturations
2)A=Bone Ash B=Albany Clay C=Gerstley Borate of fluxes, the effect on colorants can Feldspar......................................50
3)A=Any Frit B=Barnard Clay C=Barium be wild. Those containing barium Kaolin........................................25
4)A=Zinc B=Lithium C=Gerstley Borate and lithium can produce turquoise 100 %
5)A=Barium B=Dolomite C=Gerstley Borate
to purple from copper, yellows and Flux Saturation Glaze 2
Cone 8-10 Flux Variations Triaxial
(Cone 8-10)
1)A=Zinc B=Barium C=Gerstley Borate
2)A=Lithium B=Dolomite C=Barium Wood Ash..................................50 %. %
3)A=Wood Ash B=Talc C=Gerstley Borate Kaolin........................................50
4)A=Barium B=Spodumene C=Barnard Clay 100 %
5)A=Petalite B=Barium C=Albany Slip or
Local Red Clay Flux Saturation Glaze 3
(Cone 8–10)
Initially it may sound confusing, but Whiting.....................................35 %. %
it is really very easy. From each set of Albany Slip Clay........................50
tests there will be 21 glaze variations. Ball Clay....................................15
The 21 boxes shown on the traxial 100 %
chart below each represent a glaze
which has a constant 80% base mix, Flux Saturation Glaze 4
and a changing amount of the fluxes. (Cone 8-10)
The three fluxes to be used in each Amblygonite..............................80 %. %
triaxial are listed as A, B and C. You Feldspar......................................10
can also add more fluxes (particularly Kaolin........................................10
if you want smaller amounts of ex‑ 100 %
tremely active ones, such as cryolite,
Flux Saturation Glaze 5
fluorspar and bone ash) by simply
(Cone 8-10)
dividing the amounts in each angle
Barium Carbonate......................50 %. %
and adjusting the mathematics, so that
Nepheline Syenite......................50
points A, B and C could each be made
100 %
up of equal or differing ratios of two yellow-browns from iron, acid yellows
fluxes. Remember, the major decisions to yellow-green from small amounts of Flux Saturation Glaze 6
are all yours, and as long as you get the chromium, and plum-reds to purples (Cone 8-10)
mathematics right it should all work from nickel. Glazes with high dolo‑ Dolomite (or Talc)......................35 %. %
out quite nicely. The possibilities are mite, talc or magnesium carbonate Feldspar......................................35
limitless. Each box numbered 1-21 content can produce mauve to purple Kaolin........................................30
represents 80% glaze base and 20% from cobalt, salmon-pinks to grays 100 %
Glazes 8
satisfy? It doesn’t take long to begin palladium and gold. probably easier to recognize the colors
to formulate intuitive understanding, For the hot side of the spectrum-red, that one is searching for, and to be able
and every series of tests one fires and orange, and yellow-there are many to work on glaze development for a
analyzes helps build the foundation for commercial body and glaze stains, in given hue. Colors are listed with the
complete understanding. Glazemaking addition to the usual mineral colo‑ minerals needed to obtain them, ap‑
is a creative act in itself, and an integral rants. Because commercial products proximate temperatures, atmosphere,
part of the overall creative statement. are variable from one company and saturation percentage needed, and
The potter’s palette can be just as one country to another, I prefer to comments on enhancing/inhibiting
broad as the painter’s. When one explore the potential of basic mineral factors. Because of the widely variable
combines vast surface enrichment tech‑ colorants. However, ceramists looking nature of ceramic color, there are many
niques and the variables of kilns and for difficult-to-achieve colors might generalities here. Where the word
firing, ceramics is easily as expressive as want to consider prepared stains, “vary” occurs in the column under
the gamut of painting and printmaking particularly in the yellow, violet and Cone, it signifies that the intended
methods. Different techniques can be purple ranges. These colors are often results could be expected most of the
closely equated to working in any of the quite a problem with standard min‑ time at various points up to Cone 10
two-dimensional media, such as pencil, erals, be they in the form of oxides, on the Orton scale.
pen and ink, pastel, watercolor, oils, carbonates, nitrates, sulfates, chlorides Without doubt, this “hot-to-trot”
encaustics or acrylics. We also have an or even the basic metal itself. section of the ceramic color range
advantage in that the fired clay object Minerals that will give reds, oranges is the most elusive and difficult to
is permanent, unless disposed of with a and yellows are copper, iron, nickel, control. Some colorants, like copper
blunt instrument! Our works may live chromium, uranium, cadmium- and cadmium-selenium stains, are,
for thousands of years. selenium, rutile, antimony, vanadium, for various reasons, likely to volatilize
Because a number of colors can and praseodymium. Variations in glaze and disappear in firing. Others, like
only be achieved at low temperatures, makeup, temperature and atmosphere chromium, may make abrupt color
clayworkers have, during the last thou‑ profoundly affect this particular color changes as kiln temperature rises. That
sand years or so, developed a series of range, probably more than any other. is why most times when these colors
layering techniques in order to have The only materials which will produce are required, they are achieved with
the fired strength of stoneware or red at high temperature are copper, overglaze enamels or china paints. At
porcelain and the full palette range of iron and nickel. The reds they produce the low-firing range (Cone 022-018)
the painter. To accomplish this, low- are more muted usually in the oxblood, of enamels, both lead-and alkaline-
temperature glazes or overglazes are crimson and plum variations. Reds in fluxed mixtures can provide much
made to adhere to a higher-fired glazed the scarlet to vermilion range can only more stability than can be had at
surface, and can be superimposed over be achieved at low temperatures. higher temperatures. Small amounts
already existing decoration. To gain the On the opposite page, a chart shows of iron in lead-fluxed enamels will give
full measure of color, one has to fire 17 colors and 49 variations which the imperial yellows of Ming dynasty
progressively down the temperature should help pinpoint mineral choices China. Large amounts of iron can give
range so as not to burn out heat-sen‑ for desired colors. This is the sort of Indian red colors. Gold in the same
sitive colors that can’t be achieved any listing that one finds for watercolors, sort of bases will give a range of pinks
other way. Usually the lowest and last oils or acrylics, and is often readily through to maroon. These are gener‑
firing is for precious metals: platinum, available at art stores. In this way, it is ally known as famille rose.