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To paint an elephant
Mar. 28th, 2016 08:01 pmSince I'm a few days ahead of schedule, I decide to procrastinate by getting something done.
I know, that makes no sense, but hear me out. I would be working on sorting pots for Saturday Market, but we got all that done last week. I could be working on the map handout for OPA Ceramic Showcase, but I don't really have everything I need to finish the project, so I decide to wait on that and go down to Club Mud to glaze my elephant sculpture instead. That's how I procrastinate: by doing something else I've been putting off. Hey, it works for me.
In the past, I've poured and dipped glaze over my sculpture pieces, so I had to do a lot of wax resist to keep the glaze in control. This time, I don't want shiny, so I'm brushing on stains and underglazes instead, and sponging them back to weather and erode the colors a bit, for a dryer surface. So I don't need to wax, I can use scraps of paper, blue painter's tape, and careful brushwork to keep my colors in control.
I'm using black and white commercial underglazes for Marjorie's clothing, along with my home-brew red stain for some accents: sneakers and hair scrunchy. I'll brush some rutile on her hair, and brush on and sponge off iron oxide on her skin, to give a little emphasis to details on the face, hands and joints. Finally, I'll do something similar to highlight wrinkles and texture on the elephant, only using my regular black stain (the commercial underglaze is too thick, and resists sponging off).
Not entirely sure how this will turn out. If need be, I can use some "room-temperature" glazes (paints) after the firing. It's a sculpture, after all. It doesn't need to be food-safe.
I know, that makes no sense, but hear me out. I would be working on sorting pots for Saturday Market, but we got all that done last week. I could be working on the map handout for OPA Ceramic Showcase, but I don't really have everything I need to finish the project, so I decide to wait on that and go down to Club Mud to glaze my elephant sculpture instead. That's how I procrastinate: by doing something else I've been putting off. Hey, it works for me.
In the past, I've poured and dipped glaze over my sculpture pieces, so I had to do a lot of wax resist to keep the glaze in control. This time, I don't want shiny, so I'm brushing on stains and underglazes instead, and sponging them back to weather and erode the colors a bit, for a dryer surface. So I don't need to wax, I can use scraps of paper, blue painter's tape, and careful brushwork to keep my colors in control.
I'm using black and white commercial underglazes for Marjorie's clothing, along with my home-brew red stain for some accents: sneakers and hair scrunchy. I'll brush some rutile on her hair, and brush on and sponge off iron oxide on her skin, to give a little emphasis to details on the face, hands and joints. Finally, I'll do something similar to highlight wrinkles and texture on the elephant, only using my regular black stain (the commercial underglaze is too thick, and resists sponging off).
Not entirely sure how this will turn out. If need be, I can use some "room-temperature" glazes (paints) after the firing. It's a sculpture, after all. It doesn't need to be food-safe.
