michael on sat 8 oct 05
I want to paint (using a brush and/or spray gun) accent colours on bisqued pots.
I read that englobes don't travel well and commercial stains are somewhat more reliable. So I
bought stains (#6657 black & #6108 walnut brown). When making a batch, should I mix stains
with: frit, water, wollastonite???
Firing oxidation to C6 using "Mastering Cone 6" recipes.
many thanks,
Newbie #451 groping in the dark
Snail Scott on sun 9 oct 05
At 06:23 PM 10/8/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>I read that englobes don't travel well and commercial stains are somewhat
more reliable. So I
>bought stains (#6657 black & #6108 walnut brown). When making a batch,
should I mix stains
>with: frit, water, wollastonite?
When you mix the stains with those other things,
then you've made an engobe. The thing that makes
engobes 'not travel well' is the variability in
ingredients, plus the variability in clays plus
the variability in firing methods. This won't
change just because the color is sourced from a
stain rather than an oxide. It only changes the
variability caused by that one ingredient.
The term 'engobe' encompasses almost all ceramic
mixtures that aren't clay or glaze, and could even
apply to glazes fired to the 'wrong' temperature
range. An engobe can contain stains (or not,) but
your use of 'stains vs. engobes' is a bit like
saying 'I'm using tomatoes to avoid spaghetti
sauce', except that you have to puree the tomatoes
and add some spices and other stuff to make it
good on spaghetti, and bam! you're back to square
one.
Stains are pretty reliable - i.e. less subject to
variation than raw colorant oxides - but once you
mix it with other materials (and you'll have to,
as you noted) you've simply made another engobe.
What you seem to be suggesting is that a simpler
engobe recipe (just the stain and a frit, and maybe
a little clay for suspension, etc) might avoid the
variability issue. Actually, simple recipes are
more vulnerable to materials variation (and 'poor
travelling') than complex ones, since the more
ingredients there are in the recipe, the less
critical each one becomes, and the more ways there
are to adjust and 'fine tune' the result.
Stains with a flux and a suspension agent added
can work very well for some purposes, so if your
intentions are suitable for that, go right ahead,
but don't choose that route just to avoid
variability. The variables like firing, clay type,
and materials are still there, so pick the surface
you want and work out a recipe that will get you
there.
'Traveling' only matters when it's new to you,
and with any new process, you'll have to test the
results in your own studio conditions whether
it's simple or complex. Once you've got it,
it doesn't need to 'travel' any more, so who
cares?
(By the way, note the spelling: engobe. I'm not
being pedantic; it's just that accurate spelling
is helpful when searching the archives.)
-Snail
Joan Klotz on sun 9 oct 05
In addition to the helpful hints offered by others I would add that
the glaze you have under (or over) your stain can dramatically affect
the color you get. Lavenders, light to medium green, pinks for
example have been colors I have had trouble with. As always, run a
few test tiles before applying to your beautiful work. Inclusion
stains are generally pretty safe but the others can be modified by
the chemical composition of your glaze - even clear glazes.
Joan Klotz.
Ann Brink on sun 9 oct 05
I use mixtures of Mason stains, Gerstley Borate and water. You can use frit
instead of GB. However I apply my brushwork on top of the glaze. If I want
underglaze decoration, I do it to the leatherhard pot. If you wait until
the pot is totally dry, the brush drags.
If you are new at this, you will learn a lot from making some test tiles,(or
insides of small dishes), trying several variables.
Ann Brink in Lompoc, CA,
----- Original Message -----
PM
Subject: Mason as englobe/slip
> I want to paint (using a brush and/or spray gun) accent colours on bisqued
pots.
>
> I read that englobes don't travel well and commercial stains are somewhat
more reliable. So I
> bought stains (#6657 black & #6108 walnut brown). When making a batch,
should I mix stains
> with: frit, water, wollastonite???
>
> Firing oxidation to C6 using "Mastering Cone 6" recipes.
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