James Freeman on thu 28 apr 11
On Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 8:20 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
But I have heard some people say
to rub india ink on raku pieces with crackle in them to emphasize the
crackles. Doesn't this just rub off? Why do people do this? Isn't it
unprofessional?
DJ...
The smoke that naturally colors the crackle is nothing but soot, which is
carbon. India ink is nothing but lampblack, which is soot, which is carbon=
,
but with a touch of binder in it. Either way, it's just carbon trapped in
the cracks, so what's the difference? I have also employed aniline dyes to
highlight crackleur, as it's hard to get, say, purple or blue smoke
(nonfunctional wares only). Wood stains work too. The coloration in
antique crackleur pieces is often tea or food or just dirt, and not smoke a=
t
all.
No rules! Fight the power!
...James
James Freeman
"...outsider artists, caught in the bog of their own consciousness, too
preciously idiosyncratic to be taken seriously."
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should
not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
DJ Brewer on thu 28 apr 11
I have never done this because I guess I am a "purist" and figure if the
smoke didn't go in there, tough luck. But I have heard some people say
to rub india ink on raku pieces with crackle in them to emphasize the
crackles. Doesn't this just rub off? Why do people do this? Isn't it
unprofessional? (I am not a professional so I don't know. But it just
doesn't seem right to me.)
Just wondering.
DJ
Snail Scott on fri 29 apr 11
On Apr 28, 2011, at 7:20 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
> ... I have heard some people say
> to rub india ink on raku pieces with crackle in them to emphasize the
> crackles. Doesn't this just rub off? Why do people do this? Isn't it
> unprofessional?
It dos not rub off; it goes into in the tiny cracks and
stains the clay, too, similar to what the smoke does.
The pigment in India ink is fine carbon particles,
like the smoke. Not quite as fine, I think, but you
could reasonably call ink 'liquid smoke'. Some inks
have gum binders, some have lacquer, some are
even acrylic. I prefer the gum type (non-waterproof)
as I think it flows better and is easier to use, but they
all work.
People often do this because they work in a venue
that doesn't accommodate post-firing reduction, or
have respiratory issues with even small amounts of
smoke, or because they find it convenient and
versatile.
What's 'professional'? Misrepresentation is surely
unprofessional, and if someone called it raku and
it wasn't, that's wrong. Raku doesn't necessarily imply
post-firing reduction, though, so if it was pulled hot
and crash-cooled to achieve the crackle (as opposed to
having a crazing glaze), that is raku by most standards.
Rubbing ink into the surface afterward (or other post-
firing modifications) is not against any ethical code I
know of. If a buyer thought they were getting the result
of a particular process, and they weren't, that's an issue,
but most people buy because they like the look, not
the process. They aren't, for the most part, buying 'raku',
they are buying pretty, and if it's not being marketed as
raku it's entirely a non-issue. Process is for us, not them.
It would also be an issue if there were an implied
functionality that isn't really there. Paint masquerading
as glaze on foodware would be a bad thing, for instance,
or a vase form that won't hold water. Raku is not generally
presented as functional in this sense, and even if it were,
ink is nontoxic, and it doesn't readily get removed from the
cracks anyway...no fundamental difference from smoke-
reduced raku.
If no one is lying about anything, I don't see a problem.
-Snail
Neon-Cat on fri 29 apr 11
Hi DJ!
If you want to try enhancing crackle you can also use graphite. You
just rub it on dry with cloth or hands and it stays through washings.
Very easy and not messy or hand-staining. There's a terra sig Cardinal
vase and a tin-white terra sig piece on my Flickr site
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/neon-cat/ see photo stream, pages 1 &2)
where I used graphite enhancement (#2 flake). .
The Graphite Store (http://www.graphitestore.com/index.asp) sells a
fine version, the #2 Flake, and Skylighter
(http://www.skylighter.com/mall/chemicals.asp) sells a 325 mesh
graphite. I've ordered things from both companies and everything
arrived quickly.
I thought about the purist issue you mentioned, but enhanced crackle
has been around so long and is mentioned in so many pottery books, I
got past any qualms or reservations I had. It was fun and, I think,
improved some things of mine.
Marian
Neon-Cat Ceramics
PotterybyJohn on sat 30 apr 11
DJ,
Should you decide to use the India ink, test a concealed area to see how it
applies to your pot. I find that at times it will not only go into the
cracks, but will also run under the glaze layer and color the clay
underneath; not in a good way. The first time this happened, I cut the ink
with water and that fixed the problem for the rest of the pot. Now I alway=
s
test each pot and ink before committing a large surface.
John Lowes
Sandy Springs, GA
http://wynhillpottery.weebly.com/
PS: I am not a professional, but I get professional results with this
method...lol.
Steve Mills on sat 30 apr 11
I used to use Mahogany spirit based wood stain. Others I know used enamels,=
e=3D
ither way the results were nice, and I don't have a problem
doing it.=3D20
Perhaps we should call it "mixed media!"
:-)
Steve M
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my Ipod touch
On 29 Apr 2011, at 01:20, DJ Brewer wrote:
> I have never done this because I guess I am a "purist" and figure if the
> smoke didn't go in there, tough luck. But I have heard some people say
> to rub india ink on raku pieces with crackle in them to emphasize the
> crackles. Doesn't this just rub off? Why do people do this? Isn't it
> unprofessional? (I am not a professional so I don't know. But it just
> doesn't seem right to me.)
>=3D20
> Just wondering.
> DJ
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