La Sierra University Ceramics Hand Building Paul Scott Shakespeare

1. © SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
CLAY PROCESSSURFACE DESIGN

2. In ceramics, you have the opportunity to create designs
and to try almost limitless surface treatments to the clay.
Ceramic surface design is any decorative method used
to alter the surface of the clay to affect its appearance.
INTRODUCTION TO
SURFACE DESIGN
© SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016

3. The techniques of surface design can be done during
each of the stages of clay:
● greenware
● bisqueware
● glazeware (firing)
INTRODUCTION TO
SURFACE DESIGN
© SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016

4. Ceramic colorants are added to glaze or clay to create
color. Most colorants are carbonates and oxides of
certain metals.
These colorants can create a multitude of colors,
depending on the materials they interact with and the
temperature and atmosphere in which they are fired.
At high temperatures, however, some ceramic colorants
will fume out of the glaze in vapor form.
CERAMIC COLORANTS
© SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016

5. CERAMIC COLORANTS
© SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
Examples of common colorants are:
● iron oxide
● cobalt oxide
● chrome oxide
● copper carbonate
● rutile
Stain = a metal oxide (colorant) suspended in water.

6. SURFACE DESIGN:
GREEN CLAY
© SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
● Engobe / Underglaze
(slip + colorant)
● Stain
● Texturize
● Carve
● Imprint
● Incise

9. © SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
ENGOBES / UNDERGLAZE
An engobe or underglaze is a slip mixed with a colorant.
It is a colored liquid clay intended to be applied at the
green stage of clay.

10. © SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
ENGOBES / UNDERGLAZE

11. © SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
ENGOBED TECHNIQUES:
MISHIMA
A contrasting colored slip is inlayed into the incised lines
and then scraped or sanded.

15. ENGOBED TECHNIQUES:
SGRAFFITO
© SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
This comes from the italian word meaning, “scratched
through” and is done by incising or cutting through a
colored slip (engobe) coating to reveal the clay body.

19. SURFACE DESIGN:
BISQUE CLAY
© SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
● Stain
● Glaze
Stain can be used to draw on
top of the glaze or to
accentuate texture of the clay

20. © SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
EXAMPLES OF STAINED WORK

21. © SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016

22. © SCOTT SHAKESPEARE | LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY ART+DESIGN DEPARTMENT | 2016
EXAMPLE OF STAIN OVER A GLAZE