… are pretty much horrid. Experiments with black slip and Red Iron Oxide (RIO) give very similar results whether on white clay body or red clay body. I think I’ve found at least a few interesting combinations. I’m done with commercial glaze mixing for the time being. Just trying to figure out a palate of colors that works with the clay body that I’m using which will either be white for lighter color glazes (like the celadons) or red / brown for the darker color glazes. Turning a lighter color clay darker with RIO or black slip just doesn’t make much sense at this stage unless I’m going for something very unusual. I’m not at that stage just yet. Right now I’m just figuring out what colors I like and what does what.
Basically what I learned out of this test batch is that RIO and black slip on a dark body give almost the same result with most glazes I’m using. Rio and black slip as a base for the “brighter” glazes looks horrid. Except for white, RIO and white go together quite well on a white clay body.
Next on the agenda is to pick the interesting ones out of the hundred and something test tiles that I’ve made so far and pick 2-3 for the light body clay that I work with and 2-3 for the dark body clay as well as standards. From there I’ll start mixing my own and working that into the rotation, hopefully replacing the commercial glazes with my own. Man, commercial glazes are expensive!
FireCrown Pottery 