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body stains: seeking advice

updated sun 16 may 10

 

May Luk on fri 14 may 10


Hi Eti;

All I do is slip - liquid clay body (B-mix) + stain. I start my
testing with 1000 gm of slip. I usually start with 3 % stain and
incrementally I add 1% stain and then dip a tile until I hit 10%. I
try to avoid more than 10% as it gets expensive. US stains are very
strong in my opinion. If you want a strong color, pick a dark stain,
naturally.

I am very particular to my colors. That is why I only test
incrementally (line blends) to find the color that I want. I also mix
my colors the same way in gouche / acrylics or with Adobe Illustrator
or Photoshop on the computer.

Here's an example how I pick out two colors for a collaborative project.
http://www.takemehomeware.com/current-journal-entry/2008/8/25/cakehouse-dev=
elopment-july-08-and-ongoing.html

If you work with porcelain, you don't need that much as porcelain is
very 'clean"

I fire to cone 8/9 and the colors are pretty true - blue, greens and
encapsulated reds. Watch out for the chrome-tin pinks like pink,
purples and maroons. Those are a different story. But you will find
what you want with a bit of time and money for testing.

Mixing oxides and stains can archive interesting and rich results. I
read this in Ceramic Review

Regards

May


On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 12:07 PM, Etl Chicago wrote:
> I am getting ready to start doing some more test on staining slip (stonew=
are
> and porcelain). I know that it may vary from different colors, but I am
> looking to achieve some rich deep colors(blues and reds for starters). Th=
ey
> can also be bright primary's as well. I am wanting to achieve these color=
s
> at a cone 6 if possible for durability purposes but I am willing to go to=
a
> lower cone if necessary. I am open for suggestions.
>
> I have done some test in the past with mason stains and was unsuccessful.=
I
> was firing to a cone6 and mixing it with a porcelain slip. My results wer=
e
> shades of greyish colors, as if the color was burning out. I was also usi=
ng
> a 6.25% of stain. My test were both bare and clear glaze and both were mo=
re
> or less the same result.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for any help.
>



--
http://twitter.com/MayLuk

Elizabeth Priddy on fri 14 may 10


I try to keep the number of materials as lean as possible in my studio, usi=
ng many materials for things they were not intended for but that work well.

If you have a white clay body, you can blend about one pound with one pound=
of distilled water, making a milkshake consistency slurry. Add Reward Velv=
et Underglazes by the tablespoon until you have a color you like. Then pou=
r it out onto plaster and dry until a workable consistency, loose for slip =
trailing and dense for making objects or building murrini.

Covered with a zinc free clear, the colors will be slightly darker after fi=
ring.

I find this economical, even with the expensive colors, like red, because t=
hey stay true visually throughout making and firing, generating less wasted=
effort from having to guesstimate the finished color.

Amaco makes them and they come in pints. Using the colors in Kit #4 will g=
ive you the most pigment per unit as they are more intense versions of the =
underglazes, which I also use for painting.

They also blend true, blue and yellow make green instead of the unpredictab=
le results on blending colors wrought from mason stains.

I also use the velvet series to color clear glaze for small batches of spec=
ific colors, one cup of clear and one tablespoon of colorant, producing a b=
right transparent glaze.

The main trick is to leave out any opacifying ingredients like zinc, tin, d=
olomite, etc. when you are using the colors this way. Otherwise, they go m=
ilky (which is nice if you are looking for sherbet colors).

I cannot recommend trying to wedge it into the clay. Dying the slurry is t=
he least wasteful when you use a spatula to get it all out. You can dry ou=
t most of the slurry and keep some loose for slip trailing and get a very n=
ice effect by adding a little more of the colorants to the slip reserve, ke=
eping the same color family but more saturated.

If you throw with this clay, like blending three for a marbled effect, clea=
n your splash pan thoroughly before trimming and keep the shavings to add t=
o the blender the next time you are making that color.
- ePriddy

Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA

http://www.elizabethpriddy.com

Etl Chicago on fri 14 may 10


I am getting ready to start doing some more test on staining slip (stonew=
=3D
are
and porcelain). I know that it may vary from different colors, but I am
looking to achieve some rich deep colors(blues and reds for starters). Th=
=3D
ey
can also be bright primary's as well. I am wanting to achieve these color=
=3D
s
at a cone 6 if possible for durability purposes but I am willing to go to=
=3D
a
lower cone if necessary. I am open for suggestions.

I have done some test in the past with mason stains and was unsuccessful.=
=3D
I
was firing to a cone6 and mixing it with a porcelain slip. My results wer=
=3D
e
shades of greyish colors, as if the color was burning out. I was also usi=
=3D
ng
a 6.25% of stain. My test were both bare and clear glaze and both were mo=
=3D
re
or less the same result.=3D20=3D20

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for any help.

Frank Gaydos on fri 14 may 10


There is a wonderful book called Finding One's way With Clay, by Paul Beren=
=3D
sohn, =3DC2=3DA0 where he uses body stains a lot.=3D20





Subject: body stains: seeking advice=3D20

I am getting ready to start doing some more test on staining slip (stonewar=
=3D
e=3D20
and porcelain). I know that it may vary from different colors, but I am=3D2=
0
looking to achieve some rich deep colors(blues and reds for starters). They=
=3D
=3D20
can also be bright primary's as well. I am wanting to achieve these colors=
=3D
=3D20
at a cone 6 if possible for durability purposes but I am willing to go to a=
=3D
=3D20
lower cone if necessary. I am open for suggestions.=3D20

I have done some test in the past with mason stains and was unsuccessful. I=
=3D
=3D20
was firing to a cone6 and mixing it with a porcelain slip. My results were=
=3D
=3D20
shades of greyish colors, as if the color was burning out. I was also using=
=3D
=3D20
a 6.25% of stain. My test were both bare and clear glaze and both were more=
=3D
=3D20
or less the same result. =3DC2=3DA0=3D20

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for any help.=3D20

David Hendley on fri 14 may 10


Of course you need to test everything, but, generally, for
many stain colors, it takes a higher percentage of stain
to produce rich deep colors in slips or engobes.
Some colors require up to 25% stain for saturated color!

Also, some colors do, indeed, burn out at stoneware
temperatures. For reds, oranges, and yellows, you need
to use encapsulated cadmium stains, and they are expensive.
Blue should not be a problem. A cobalt blue stain at less
than 5% stain should produce a deep blue.

Also, generally, many clear glazes applied over colored
slips weaken the intensity of the color.

Good luck,
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com


----- Original Message -----

I am getting ready to start doing some more test on staining slip (stonewar=
e
and porcelain). I know that it may vary from different colors, but I am
looking to achieve some rich deep colors(blues and reds for starters). They
can also be bright primary's as well. I am wanting to achieve these colors
at a cone 6 if possible for durability purposes but I am willing to go to a
lower cone if necessary. I am open for suggestions.

I have done some test in the past with mason stains and was unsuccessful. I
was firing to a cone6 and mixing it with a porcelain slip. My results were
shades of greyish colors, as if the color was burning out. I was also using
a 6.25% of stain. My test were both bare and clear glaze and both were more
or less the same result.

Lynn Goodman Porcelain Pottery on fri 14 may 10


I think you are simply not using enough stain. I start with 10% and go
up from there. You may need as much as 30% of some stains. Also, your
slip may not have the right make-up for the colors you want; you may
need to add some whiting or other fluxes to brighten up some of the
colors. You can do line blends to find the right percentages of the
different stains and other materials.

Lynn


On May 14, 2010, at 12:07 PM, Etl Chicago wrote:
> I have done some test in the past with mason stains and was
> unsuccessful. I
> was firing to a cone6 and mixing it with a porcelain slip. My
> results were
> shades of greyish colors, as if the color was burning out. I was
> also using
> a 6.25% of stain. My test were both bare and clear glaze and both
> were more
> or less the same result.
>




Lynn Goodman
Fine Porcelain Pottery
Cell 347-526-9805
www.lynngoodmanporcelain.com

Eric Hansen on fri 14 may 10


Etl: There are bulk oxides used to stain concrete. I don't know if they wor=
k
or not. I discovered this trying to track a source of iron green oxide,
which is available. That is as far as I got, tho. Maybe you are the right
person to research this.
h a n s e n

On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 12:07 PM, Etl Chicago wrote:

> I am getting ready to start doing some more test on staining slip
> (stoneware
> and porcelain). I know that it may vary from different colors, but I am
> looking to achieve some rich deep colors(blues and reds for starters). Th=
ey
> can also be bright primary's as well. I am wanting to achieve these color=
s
> at a cone 6 if possible for durability purposes but I am willing to go to=
a
> lower cone if necessary. I am open for suggestions.
>
> I have done some test in the past with mason stains and was unsuccessful.=
I
> was firing to a cone6 and mixing it with a porcelain slip. My results wer=
e
> shades of greyish colors, as if the color was burning out. I was also usi=
ng
> a 6.25% of stain. My test were both bare and clear glaze and both were mo=
re
> or less the same result.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for any help.
>

Sumi von Dassow on fri 14 may 10


At much risk of telling you something you've already figured out, check
the codes
on the stains you are using to be sure your clear glaze has the right
ingredients. Many
of the stains require a certain percentage of calcium and no zinc. I've
tried mason
stains in clay bodies and my experience is the reds don't work well.
Some of the yellows,
oranges, all of the blues and greens, and earth tones are fine.

Sumi
>
> I have done some test in the past with mason stains and was
> unsuccessful. I
> was firing to a cone6 and mixing it with a porcelain slip. My results
> were
> shades of greyish colors, as if the color was burning out. I was also
> using
> a 6.25% of stain. My test were both bare and clear glaze and both were
> more
> or less the same result.
>
>
--
Sumi von Dassow
www.herwheel.com
sumi@herwheel.com

ivor & olive lewis on sat 15 may 10


Dear Etl Chicago,

Three decades or so ago one of the Australian Ceramic Supply Houses made
kits of Blythe Stains; Body Stains, Underglaze Stains, Glaze Stains and
Overglaze Stains. I recall they were packed as 25 gram sachets and
accompanied by all the colour charts and technical information. They were
relatively inexpensive and I found them to be a good staring point for the
study of colour in ceramics.



Perhaps your supplier knows of something similar.



Best regards,

Ivor Lewis,
Redhill,
South Australia

Chris Campbell on sat 15 may 10


If you visit my website you will see images
on the first page that clearly show that you
need to use the whitest firing clay possible
if you want to get brilliant clear colors.

Look inside my website at the 'murrini' pages
and you will see lessons on how to mix and
use Mason Stains.

You also need to check the code numbers on
the Mason stain charts to make sure the one
you want can be used with clay bodies.
Clay bodies contain materials that can adversely
affect color results.

Feel free to e-mail me off list if you have
other questions or would like the names of
some of the Mason Stains I use.

Chris Campbell - in North Carolina


Chris Campbell Pottery LLC
Designs in Colored Porcelain
www.ccpottery.com


POTTERS COUNCIL CONFERENCE
'Handbuilding'
May 28 - 30, 2010
Atlanta Georgia
Hosted by: Spruill Center for the Arts
Presenters:
Chris Campbell, Marko Fields, Patz Fowle,
Mitch Lyons, Sandi Pierantozzi & Kathy Triplett
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/education/


SUMMER WORKSHOP
August 15-21, 2010
Touchstone Center for Crafts
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1.800.721.0177
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