Methods of decorating ceramic products

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To give ceramic products a finished look and artistic value, they are decorated – decorated with relief, glazes or paintings. Decorating is carried out by various methods:

  • sculptural (creation of relief);
  • pictorial (painting with ceramic paints, engobes);
  • technological, which not only decorate the product, but also improve its properties.

One of the ways to give artistic completeness to a pottery is engobe. Engobe translated from French means – coating, plastering. The original masters, using plastic natural material, received various shades, and did not suspect that as a result of mixing of clays engobes for ceramics appear.

Engobe is really a clay diluted to the consistency of sour cream. A thin layer coating is applied to the ceramic product before firing in order to provide a certain color, water resistance or mask surface defects.

Engobes are white and colored. White engobes are getting from white clays. Colored engobes are obtained using metal oxides or naturally colored clays.

Engobing can be both continuous and partial. It is possible to cover a surface of a ceramic product completely or to put a relief pattern.

The main qualities of engobes, which determine their widespread use in the ceramic industry, are:

  • great combination with different textures;
  • the ability to get a smoother surface of the finished product;
  • emphasizing the natural color of clay;
  • high adhesion to the ceramic base;
  • attractive appearance.

A wide range of engobes for painting pottery is presented to you at our pottery master classes in the art studio «Lihtaryk». You will learn to apply engobe with a brush and paint products directly on the potter’s wheel.

Methods of decorating ceramic products

Among the ways of decorating ceramics, botanical imprint is popular. There is nothing easier than collecting a bouquet of flowers or leaves and imprinting them on a pottery. After all, the flowers will fade, and their relief drawings will be burned in the oven, covered with engobes and will please the eye for many years. Handmade ceramics with plant prints – bright and unusual. Each product is unique, and the technique is simple enough in our master classes at the art studio «Lihtaryk».

One of the oldest ways of decorating ceramics is Sgraffito. The almost finished product, which has dried slightly, is covered with a layer of engobe or white slip (soft porcelain mass). Then the stack scrapes the desired pattern, exposing the lower, darker, layer of clay. This technique was used in Greek ceramics in the 15-17 centuries. Then sgraffito came to Italy as a way of decorating the walls, and from there to other countries.

Stack cutting has its own features:

  • it is easier to cut the material when it has not finally hardened, in a semi-raw state;
  • the complexity of sgraffito drawing depends on the number of colored layers;
  • thin layers of paint should be cut with special precision so as not to remove excess.

The standard technology of this method of decorating ceramics includes three stages:

  • Preparation (leveling) of the product surface.
  • Applying one or more layers of colored coating to the surface.
  • Cut a picture according to a pre-prepared template.
  • Using this way, you can decorate vases, flower pots, plates and more.

Whatever style you choose, professional masters of the art studio «Lihtaryk» will help you to show your creative potential, relax and at the same time join one of the traditional Ukrainian crafts!

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