Painting on Fired Ceramics
- Paints and glazes made specifically for glass or ceramics are your best option for creating an attractive piece of work. The paint is thin and goes on easily. It can withstand gentle washing without coming off the piece later. If it is your first time working with ceramics, avoid the color red because it tends to be more temperamental than other colors. If you don't fire red properly, it will bleed off the work and become faint.
- Starting with an outline on your work will make the painting process much easier. This is especially important if you are working on a medium you aren't familiar with such as ceramic artwork. Dip your paintbrush into your ceramic glaze. Brush it against the sides of the glaze container to remove the bulk of the paint. Paint a thin line for the outline on the tile. Remove any mistakes with a wiping tool immediately to keep them from setting into the ceramic.
- Once the outline dries, fill in the design. Move your brush in a single horizontal or vertical direction as you do so. Dab at any large deposits or bubbles of glaze with a clean paintbrush. Leaving the large deposits will create dark spots. Allow the first layer of glaze to dry and apply another layer to make it more vibrant. Allow the entire piece to dry before you continue.
- Without close observation, your project can take a turn for the worst quickly. Loose hairs from the paintbrushes will cause blemishes on the finished project. Pull them off immediately with a pair of tweezers and add another coat of paint to smooth the area. Remove any dripping lines of paint or spatters with a wiping tool to create clean edges on the design. Put the piece back in your kiln to fire it again, securing the layer of paint in place.
