You may have noticed that we have reviewed our range of brushes and added new copy to each giving better explanations. In this page, we will give more details on choosing the right brush and how to get the best results.
Application by brush is not often talked about in pottery, and experience says, hobby potters underestimate how a glaze colour or surface can be affected by poor brushwork.
It is important to remember that glazes and other slurries in ceramics are powdered rock in a liquid. Particles of minerals and materials will vary in weight and character. Therefore do not dip a brush into a pot which is not mixed, hold a brush in a painting and decorating manner or move the liquid surface back and forth, as the materials on the brush would be limited, and the final fired result will be a disappointment. The pottery supply world has not helped either using terms such as 'coats' or 'paints’ which misleads people into using brushes in glazes like household paint.
Our general guidance, which is on each of our glaze products, is a good starting point.
Remove glaze from the pot, stir and agitate the glaze in a larger container, make sure all the material is mixed thoroughly. Whilst keeping the glaze moving, dip your brush and hold it sideways to keep the material evenly distributed. Apply using confident dabs, move the liquid around and work quickly and smoothly. 2 to 3 applications could be needed so allow to dry between coverings.
Getting the glaze from its packaged pot, we have found the most useful brush is the 'General Purpose Oval Brush'. It's short and firm enough for getting stiffened dregs from a pot, and for chasing around agglomerated material in the larger container to make sure all is mixed properly.
If you are using a brush on glaze on a flat ware like a tile or large plate, soft wide brushes are favourable, such as 'Hake Brushes' or the 'Chinese Pipe Brush'. Try the action of the brushing somewhere between spooning and dabbing, this can give you a smooth coverage of glaze, without dribbles and runs.
Rounder fluffy mop heads are useful within the insides of a pot or bowls, they hold a lot of glaze so longer generous strokes should be possible and because of the roundness of head and handle you are not having to turn your hand halfway through. Similar with the more flattened mops, although they are more precise so you can do wider bands of glaze.
Chinese style bamboo brushes can be used with stains and oxides much like watercolour brushes but in more expressive ways, where in a flick of the wrist one can confidently design a shape or pattern.
Art brushes can be used in a variety of ways in pottery. Stains and oxides can be watered down to paint like watercolours warranting a soft brush. While underglazes, slips and engobes will behave more like thicker paints where a firmer brush could be preferred. But a long soft hairs brush with a stiffness will allow you to pool glazes in more precise places.
Long hairs with a point will allow for lines on rims and sides with lustres, while short stubby brushes will be good for stencilling or decals/transfers.
Such is the variety of brushes, methods of application and materials available in ceramics we encourage you to buy a few different kinds and experiment. A great starting point is our 'Beginner's Basic Brush Set'.
Please do test, experiment and practice with brushes, as it is an underappreciated skill.
