Old credit cards work like magic to scrape hardened paint off bench tops without a scratch
Hand lotions cause your pieces to repel glazes. Use lotion after your project is safely tucked away.
When using separate brushes to stencil acrylic colours rub the brushes you are not using on a wipe. This simple trick releases the colour and keeps the colours moist and ready to use.
Always wipe your pieces over with a damp sponge before you work on them to ensure they are dust-free. This should be done whether you are working on bisque or greenware
Question: I recently had a
decal fired on to a vase but was disappointed when the decal was rough and "scaley"
after it was fired and the decal and the vase are now ruined. Can the decal
be fired off is my vase gone forever?
Answer: It is strange but true that most hobbyists tend to think most
of their disasters occur as a result of "something gone wrong in the kiln!"
Generally the disasters which are observed after firing are due to errors of
application rather than errors made in the firing. In your case I believe the
fault was most likely caused by water or air not having been removed from under
the decal or by the decal not having been thoroughly dry before the firing.
Your piece may not be ruined beyond repair because decals can be super-imposed on each other and depending on the extent of damage already done, it is possible to place a decal of the same size and design over the existing decal and then have it refired. Please seek advice from your teacher or competent studio owner.
Have you ever transferred a pattern only to discover you left out an important line?
You can eliminate this problem by placing your pattern on the surface, placing graphite under the pattern and then placing a piece of waxed paper over the pattern. As you trace the pattern, your stylus will leave an imprint in the waxed paper so you will always know exactly which lines you have traced. You could also use tracing paper and a pencil - this would then outline the pattern on to the tracing paper as well as on to your piece.
Does the feather you use to place veins in a marble faux finish go limp and impossible to control?
Spray the feather with spray sealer. Allow to dry thoroughly before you paint. This will not only give you more control and make the veins easier to place, but also makes the clean up job easier as well.
You can protect an airbrushed piece by spraying a light coating of sealer before firing. You can handle the piece for placement in the kiln with no worries as the sealer will protect the airbrushing.
If you have a problem with pinholes appearing in your glaze try sponging it on rather than using a brush.
Attractive edges on plates or special designs on vases are possibly by sponging colour through plastic doilies.
When pouring small molds you may sometimes experience difficulty in getting slip to drain from the small holes. Try using an atomiser with a piece of flexible tubing attached. Insert tube in to the pour hole turn mold over and pump air in to the mold. The slip will then run our freely.
A very simple way to drain small molds is to insert a straw and blow in it gently as you drain the mold. The straw acts as a vent allowing the air in to displace the slip.
Before you antique a piece did you know you can apply a good coverage og either brush on or spray on sealer. This will prevent your translucent from being absorbed and also will help you remove it from unwanted areas more easily.
You can create a marble effect using translucent stains. Simply pour a bit of several contrasting colours in to a container of water large enough to emerse your bisq piece. Stir the water with the stain on top of it very slightly and immediately dip your bisque piece into it. The colour will adhere to the bisque leaving a marble appearance. Be sure to hold the piece in a non-vital area and you must dip quickly. You can spray fix it with sealer after it is dry.
When you open a jar of colour or glaze be sure to clean the inside of the lid. If necessary soak the lid to remove any excess colour. Once a dirty lid is replaced on a jar and the colour dries it is a real chore to remove again. It makes it very hard to open the jar next time you need it and sometimes it has been necessary to throw colour away only because you could not open the jar. So always clean inside the lid and wipe around the rim of the jar before replacing the lid.
If you experience difficulty in seeing what areas of your bisque you have or have not covered with opaque white stain you can dampen your piece lightly with a sponge and those areas that you have missed will show up and through usually a little on the yellowish side.