Painting Your Bisque

Bique fired clay that I've painted in underglazes and glazes.

Below is an excert from About.com and has much more information on it than I can possibly tell you about decorating and painting your clay so I've given you the "tease" and the link. Enjoy.

"After firing, greenware is called bisque. The bisque is finished with underglaze for bisque, glazes or non-fired paints. Here we will only concentrate on the fired glazes and underglazes.

Before you begin painting always be sure to wipe your ceramic piece down with a damp sponge. This will ensure that there is no dust on your piece which could cause the glaze to pull away and leave a bare spot. It will also help prepare the bisque to accept the glaze. A dry piece of bisque could instantly absorb all the moisture in the glaze, causing your brush to grab. Glaze and underglaze should flow smoothly from the brush.

Underglaze for bisque is generally used for detail painting, though it can be used to cover the entire piece if you so desire. This is where you would use Duncan's Concepts for Bisque. Use an appropriate sized brush, not too small. For long flowing lines, use a liner, loading it carefully so the paint flows freely from the bristles.

After painting your detail on the piece you should use a sponge or lightly brush on the first coat of clear glaze. Allow this first coat to dry, then paint on two more coats, being careful not to smear your detail paint. Or you can dip the piece in a clear dipping glaze."

Here is my tiny kiln full of gleaming treasures.