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Step 1. Each pupil rolls out a slab
of clay using rolling guides and cuts out 6 tiles.
Tile 1 Painting.
The student just does a straight forward painted design on the tile.
Decorating slips behave in a similar fashion to poster paints. They
are best applied using soft brushes.
Tile 2. Sponging. Apply the slips with a sponge. You can
either build up abstract
layers of patterns with different coloured slips, or you could cut
sponges into shapes – a fish for example – and make a
repeat pattern using this.
Tile 3. Stencils.
First, make a simple stencil from newspaper, or use a found object
such as a leaf or paper doily. Lay them on the surface of the clay
and gently press in – you can use the rolling pin to do this.
Either paint or sponge slip over the stencils. Allow to dry and
peel away.
Tile 4. Sgraffito.
Paint slip evenly on the surface of the tile. Use a slip which is
a contrasting colour to the clay body underneath. When it is dry
to the touch, but before the clay becomes hard, use a pointed tool
to scratch through the slip. The clay underneath will show through
as a fine line. Various implements can be used to give different
patterns. For example, a comb or fork will give a very different
effect to something making a single line. This is one of the earliest
methods of decorating pots.
Tile 5. Marbling.
Use two or more colours of slip. Pour small amounts of the two slips
onto the tile - it is best if they are touching, or even better,
if one is poured carefully on top of the other. The tile is then
lifted and gently tilted in a circular motion so the slips gently
run into one another creating the marbled effect.
Tile 6. Slip trailing.
Only suitable for older pupils unless very carefully supervised!
Slip trailing is very similar in technique to icing a cake, and
can be quite difficult. However, once mastered, it is a very useful
and satisfying technique. It is a very traditional British technique.
Look at examples of its use on simple country pottery such as Buckley
ware, and more elaborate decorative ware such as the dishes made
by the Toft brothers in the 17th century.
A slip trailer is basically a container with a thin nozzle which
you use to squeeze either a raised line, or a series of dots of
slip. The slip must be thickish, and extremely smooth and well mixed
for this technique. If not, the nozzle becomes blocked, and the
slip can splatter out when extra pressure is applied. If possible
it is best to sieve the slip so there are no lumps. Students should
experiment with drawing lines, making repeat patterns with circles,
squiggles, curves and dots.
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