Tip #78 Cool Glazes

Tip #78 Cool Glazes!

Some of you really like decorating your pieces. You like solid color glazes, either opaque or translucent. You often "paint" with your glaze, so you need solid, predictable colors that perform as much like paint as possible.

However, there also are people like me :-) You focus more on form, and cover your pieces with one, or sometimes two glazes. If there is any pattern to the glaze, it is random. So you need glazes which lend interest to the piece; these are glazes that "run" or "break", or change colors in interesting ways. Fortunately, glaze manufacturers have responded to this need and have lots of different products to choose from. This tip will review some of these popular types of glazes.

Before we get started, there is one thing to keep in mind: There is a tradeoff with these types of glazes. What you gain in interest, you lose in predictability. The glazes results will depend on many things, such as exactly how hot the kiln got inside, how thick the glaze is applied, the angle of the surface, the speed at which the kiln cools, etc. For this reason, these glazes are sometimes referred to as "art glazes", the implication being that art itself is experimental and your results are not guaranteed. So take a look through and see what creative inspirations start to flow!

Remember that layering glazes can also create some amazing results. Try experimenting with test tiles. Often one glaze will run into the next causing great variegate colors.

Low Fire (Cone 06-04)

Amaco Artist Choice glazes are a natural. They are designed to recreate some traditional high fire gas kiln glazes.

Aztec Turquoise

Exotic Blue

Peacock

Iron Saturate

Seafoam Green

Camel

Amaco Alligator Glazes Variegated matt textures predominate at the lower firing temperatures and gloss textures at the higher with a mingling of matt and gloss between the extremes. (Selected colors shown)

Moss Agate

Frosted Jade

Dark Blue

Antique Brown

Sandstone

Speckled Blue Gray

Mottled Orange

Antique Green

Duncan Crystaltone Opaque gloss colors with embedded color crystals that melt and run during the firing process, giving magical flow patterns. (Selected colors shown)

Plum Beautiful

Emerald Clouds

Raspberry Ice

Monterey Jade

Spanish Moss

Blueberry Ice

Blue Enamelware

Dalmatian

Amaco Magic Flow Magic flow glazes are a special series, which imitates the effect of Cone 10 reduction ash glazes. The clay on which it is used affects the unique wiggly flow of these glazes. For best results use a Talc containing clay. You can also get excellent results on slip cast items. On non-talc bodies the wiggly effects will not show as prominently but will smooth out and flow more in a straight line. (Selected colors shown)

Dark Blue

Turquoise

Olive

Burnt Orange

Straw Yellow

Rose

Leaf Green

Chartreuse

Duncan Crystals and Crackles Opaque gloss colors with embedded color crystals that melt and run during the firing process. (Selected colors shown) Note: Amaco also makes Old World Crackle glazes in a variety of colors.

Celadon Crackle

Waterfall

Emerald Falls

Peppered Raspberry

Fudge Marble

Monet's Garden

Ocean Mist

Spring Meadow

Spectrum Low Stone Designed to look like high fired stoneware. Some colors are more opaque and some more translucent. (Selected colors shown) (Note: If you like this look but want different colors, the Amaco Stone Texture glazes are similar.

Iceburg

Indian Summer

Autumn Leaves

Desert

Iron Earth

Old Copper

Molten Stone

Forest Moss

Duncan Designer Glazes These new glazes by Duncan have lustrous finishes, accented by the unique color breaks make each piece unique and stunning.					Amaco Opalescent Most have a high gloss with an iridescence similar to mother-of-pearl. On textured ware, the glaze flows thin on relief and thick in incised areas, giving an added dimension on the surface. May be used in Raku and high fire.
Distressed Denim	Saffron Silk	Teal Tweed	Crimson Chenille		Bluebell	Turquoise	Moss Green	Sapphire Blue

Mid Fire (Cone 5-6)

Amaco Potters Choice glazes are one of our most popular. They are designed to recreate some traditional high fire gas kiln glazes. Remember that results will vary and experimentation is the rule! (Selected colors shown.)

Blue Rutile

Albany Slip Brown

Temmoku

Seaweed

Chun Plum

Shino

Saturation Gold

Textured Turquoise

Amaco Pompeian Ash produce a wiggly design pattern as they flow on the piece. The result is similar to ash glazes that have to be fired to Cone 10 in reduction.					Laguna Mystic Glazes These radical glazes redefine 'break-up" at Cone 5. The mottled and shimmering colors create an exciting, almost "dancing effect" whether on functional or art ware.
Buff	Green	Blue	Tan		Mint Irish Cream	Layered Fern	Antique Jade	Turbulent Indigo

Opulence EnviroColors are an attempt to capture only the muted tones and shades of our natural environment.					Amaco Sahara High Fire Dark Green, because it is translucent, is great on texture where it comes out darker when thicker. Textured colors also have interest.
Bamboo	Wild Flower	Butternut	Meadow		Dark Green	Textured Amber	Textured Blue	Oatmeal

Spectrum Stoneware Textured glazes are very interesting. Green Stone is green breaking tan, very nice on textures. And Textured Kiwi is sometimes more green, sometimes more blue, but always gorgeous!