Painting Bisque Ceramics at Home

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Painting Bisque Ceramics at Home

What bisque is, underglaze and glaze, firing and food safety

Painting ready-made ceramic blanks is one of the easier ways into pottery, and the part people misunderstand is what happens after the painting.

What bisque is

Clay that has been fired once, at a lower temperature, which makes it hard and porous. It absorbs paint readily and is ready to decorate, and it is not waterproof until it has been glazed and fired again.

Underglaze and glaze

Underglaze provides the colour and stays where you put it, which is why detailed work is done with it. It looks chalky and matt before firing and changes considerably in the kiln.

Clear glaze goes over the top and is what makes the piece glossy, waterproof and durable. Without a glaze firing, a painted piece is decorative only.

Colours before firing are frequently nothing like the finished result, so use the fired sample tiles rather than judging from the pot.

Technique

Two or three thin coats of underglaze in alternating directions gives even colour, letting each dry between. Keep the base and the foot ring completely clear of glaze, or the piece fuses to the kiln shelf.

Wipe dust off the bisque before starting, since it resists paint.

Firing

Most studios fire your piece for you and return it in a week or two. Home kilns need a suitable electrical supply, proper siting and ventilation, which is a considerably larger commitment.

Food safety

A piece is only food safe if it has been glazed with a food-safe glaze and fired correctly. Check with the studio before using anything for eating or drinking.

Hand wash finished pieces rather than putting them in a dishwasher unless you know they are rated for it.

What to paint

Choose something you will actually use — a mug, a bowl, a plant pot — rather than an ornament. Simple shapes with flat surfaces are far easier for a first attempt than anything with fine detail.

Check the studio's turnaround before a birthday or Christmas, since firing takes time.

Firing changes everything

Colours lighten or deepen, glaze flows, and small details can be lost. Studios keep fired sample tiles for exactly this reason, so check those rather than judging from the pot in front of you.

Expect a slight shift in size too, since glaze adds thickness.

Other ways in

Wheel throwing and handbuilding classes are widely available and teach considerably more than painting a blank. Air-dry clay needs no kiln and is not waterproof or food safe.

With children

Paints are generally non-toxic and should still not be eaten. Cover surfaces, since underglaze stains fabric.

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