marci Boskie's Mama =^..^= on fri 8 dec 06
There were a few comments lately about working with lusters...Im pasting
in the questions and will start my answers with *****
marci
At 11:00 PM 12/7/2006, you wrote:
>From: Deborah Thuman
>Subject: Questions about using lusters
>I love using lusters. I've been taught that I can only use lusters on
>top of a glaze. If I were to use a luster on naked clay, it wouldn't be
>shiny.
******** True.. Luster will take on the look of the surface it is
on..Luster over a shiny glaze will be shiny ... Luster on bisque
will have a satiny sheen , equally pretty but different...
>I've been told that the lusters I've got are food safe but..... if I
>put a piece with luster on it in the dishwasher, the luster would come
>off.
******** Lusters dont bond with the surface in the way that glaze or
chinapaints will.. I mostly use them over clear glazes on porcelain and
even in that case, they sit on the surface whereas chinapaints will
actually fuse to the glaze . As a result, lusters will rub off eventually.
( thats why you see a lot of antique dishes and cups where the decoration
is fine but the gold rims have worn away from use...) I would reserve
lusters more for decorative use... but I also fire my lusters much hotter
than generally recommended. The traditionally recommended temp for lusters
is Cone018(1323F/717C) but I fire regularly at Cone015(1480F/800C) and I
get a sturdier luster ( although it still doesnt bond wit the surface )
... I do get some color shift toward blue with some purple lusters at
those temps but the tradeoff for a sturdier luster is worth it
>I've only applied luster with a brush - and I can only do this outside.
***** On many pieces, I use Q-tips and then just toss them after
Im done... You can use brushes or even cosmetic sponges for an even
application , although it will take more than one application ( firing
after each application ) to get a totally smooth look . I do a lot of
marbled looks so smoothness isnt something I worry about . And yes, you
can use a brush .........and yes, they stink!!! :O) ( and they stink even
worse in the kiln )
On Dec 6, 2006, at 5:44 PM, Don Goodrich wrote:
> I just happened to have some tiny bottles of lusters.
> One is labeled Metallic Gold China Paint; another is
> MedMar Amber Pearl; the third is Duncan OG802 White Gold.
> I brushed a sample of each on a shard and fired it to ^022
> in the test kiln this afternoon.
> The white gold came out shiny just like it's supposed to.
> Amber Pearl is hardly visible. On different clay it might be.
> The china paint is a dull gold, and rubs off easily.
> None of them seem to be very durable surfaces. Higher firing
> might help, but 022 is the only cone I have on hand that's
> anywhere near the recommended temp for these.
********* OK First of all, 022 is not nearly hot enough .. 022 is used
for glass firing when you want to preserve the shape of the glass. ( ie.
painting and firing glass lampshades, wine glasses, etc ) ... In order to
properly mature chinapaints, you need at least a Cone018(1323F/717C) fire
.. and most of us now are firing hotter Cone015(1480F/800C) . This also
goes for lusters and gold.
The metallic gold china paint IS chinapaint. It contains mica and fires
with a sort of pearly effect ( and sometimes with an interference look
depending on the paint ) . It looks best if it is grounded on by
applying a layer of an oil that will dry ( like fat oil which can be
made from evaporating turpentine until it leaves a thick oil behind) ,
padding that with a sponge until it is thin, then letting it set up
until it is nearly dry but not dry . Then sprinkle the powdered paint
over the oil and gently coax it around the surface of the oil with a soft
brush or a cotton ball being careful to not let the brush or cotton touch
the oil ( just the paint ) .... Brush off the excess and fire
Cone015(1480F/800C)
Amber Pearl is a mother of pearl luster with a slight amber color to
the background. All mother of pearls( Mother of pearl , Mardi Gras, iris ,
etc ) are basically clear backgrounds with color play running through
them like colors on an oil slick or on a soap bubble. Some have a
slight tint to the background ( blue, yellow, green , pink, amber) but
they are all basically transparent so you would only see the effect on a
white or light surface . ( although it is spectacular over a fired coat of
Liquid Bright Gold because the colors reflect off the metallic surface ) .
It can also be used over other lusters to add a touch of iridescence to
the surface and it can be used over fired china paints but it will
fire satiny , not shiny.
Duncan White gold is basically a platinum looking metallic luster ,
similar to Liquid Bright Gold but silver. It is a luster . It , like
Liquid Bright Gold, doesnt have the gold content that something like
Roman Gold or real powdered gold has . The gold content in most of
the liquid golds ranges from 11 to 22 % gold where Roman gold and
powdered gold are 100 % gold ( Roman gold has binders that keep it in paste
form.. and flux... although you can get an unfluxed version to use over
fluxed surfaces like fired chinapaint )
The white gold will fire shiny on a shiny surface and matt on a matt
surface... and many of us take advantage of that fact by firing it and
Liquid Bright Gold over a matted surface to get a poor man's version of
Roman gold . ( roman gold yields a very rich gold finish with a
soft sheen after it is burnished but it is pricey )
Anyway , try these on a lighter colored clay body and fire hotter .
marci blattenberger
http://www.marciblattenberger.com
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