For this project, I wanted to show how different techniques can be used to produce the same image on a tile. The image I chose is of a bird perched on a pot.
Top left
Paper resist on red clay with honey glaze. An image is cut out of newspaper and wetted enough to put onto a red clay tile so that it sticks and seals with no air bubbles. Then a coat of white slip is applied so that it covers the paper cutout and the rest of the tile. After allowing the slip to dry, the paper cutout is carefully removed. Any white slip that may have leaked under the cut out image can be removed from the image using a sharp carving tool. The tile is bisque fired and then glazed using a red iron or honey glaze, and fired again. The end result shows the difference in colour of the honey glaze over red clay and white slip.
Middle left
Sgraffito image. A red clay tile is coated with slip which is allowed to dry. Using a sgraffito tool, the image is carved out through the white slip to the red clay underneath. The tile is then fired and glazed with clear glaze, and fired again.
Bottom left
Paper resist with transfers. A red clay tile is coated with black slip and allowed to dry. A paper resist image is cut out from newspaper and placed the opposite way round from the image on the top left tile. Then white slip is applied, only using one coat so that brushstrokes can be seen. The tile is bisque fired, then glazed using earthenware clear glaze, and fired again. Transfers are then cut out in shape of the image and applied to glazed tile which is then fired a third time.
Top right
Paper resist with clear glaze. A red clay tile is coated with black slip and allowed to dry. A paper resist image is cut out from newspaper and wetted. The image is placed the opposite way round from the image on the top left tile. Then white slip is applied, only using one coat so that brushstrokes can be seen. The tile is bisque fired, then glazed using earthenware clear glaze, and fired again. The end result shows the two slip colours. The colour for the image needs to be applied before the background colour.
Middle right
Monoprint on red clay tile. To make the monoprint, a piece of cotton cloth is coated with three layers of white slip. A hairdryer is used to dry each layer until it is slightly tacky, before applying the next layer. While the last layer is still tacky, an image is drawn through the layers of slip, through to the cloth. The slip colour of the image is then applied until it fills the incised lines of the drawing. When the slip is tacky-dry, two more coats of white slip are applied using the same technique as before. When the final layer of white slip is tacky-dry, place the tile onto the print and turn it over to rub the print onto the tile. The tile is bisque fired, then glazed using earthenware clear glaze, and fired again.
Bottom right
A wetted paper resist image is applied to a red clay tile that has been coated with black slip (as in top right tile). White slip is then applied and the paper image is removed. Next, wax is applied to the tile in a circle over the image and allowed to dry. The image is coated with speedwell blue underglaze mixed with water. The tile is bisque fired, clear glazed, and fired again.
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