First Ceramic Project: Progression

 

The next step in my first ceramic project was to create a glaze with a cracking effect. Using the recipe with the ingredients and their weights, I created a mixture ready to be mixed with water. I rounded each product weight to the whole to make work easier. For example, if the weight of the product was 37.8g, I marked it on the card as 38g. The final weight should be 100g, which I mixed with 100ml of water. I mixed the finished mixture thoroughly using a small spoon. Then I dipped the prepared samples (bisque) in the mixture. As for comparison, I created two separate glazes that were supposed to give a different cracking effect, I signed them from the bottom with a crayon (the pen disappears during firing) so as not to confuse them.

Then the samples were fired again in a kiln at a temperature of 1260℃. As you can see in the attached photos, the effect was barely visible. I had to look very closely to see anything.

The next day I asked a technical employee for help. As a result, the next samples were dipped in the glaze, but this time, after putting the samples into the glaze, we counted down to five seconds. Then we waited for the glaze to absorb, dry and immersed it again, this time counting to three. As you can see, the effect is much more visible. I decided to use both versions for my project. I used the first one from the left for the bottom part of the design, and the second one for the top. I chose that version because the upper part currently has a visible texture (due to the use of stamps) and the lower part has a smooth texture. I decided that the version with more visible cracks would look better on a smooth surface.

 This part taught me what the process of preparing glaze looks like. It is not, as I thought, a ready-made mixture. This process requires accurate measurement of ingredients.