Brushing on clear glaze

When a brush is better

Dipping needs a big bucket and a lot of glaze. A brush-on clear glaze is handy when:

• you glaze only a few pieces and keeping a bucket of glaze isn’t worth it;
• the piece is large, oddly shaped or awkward to dip;
• you need glaze on only part of the piece.

For low fire, this guide uses Superior Clear (SG213) — a glossy clear glaze that fires at cone 07–03 (approx. 980–1100°C) and is compatible with the Underglaze, One Stroke and Café Color series.

What you need

• a soft, wide brush (the softer it is, the fewer marks it leaves);
• clean, dust-free bisque;
• wax or Wax Protect for the foot;
• clean water, in case the glaze is too thick.

Step by step

1. Prepare the bisque. Wipe off dust with a damp sponge and let it dry. Wax the foot and the first few millimetres above it — glaze must not get there, or the piece will stick to the shelf.
2. Stir the glaze. Shake or stir well before use. Thin with clean water if needed — a little at a time.
3. First coat. Load the brush well and apply evenly in one direction (for example, horizontally). Don’t go over the same spot many times.
4. Let it dry. Each coat must dry completely before the next — the surface should no longer shine or feel cold to the touch.
5. Second coat — crosswise. Apply the second coat at right angles to the first (vertically). This spreads the glaze evenly and leaves no streaks. This is the “alternating direction” application you see often in Chrysanthos instructions.
6. Third coat if needed. 2–3 coats in total. The third goes in the same direction as the first.
7. Fire. Fire within the glaze’s range — cone 07–03 for Superior Clear.

Food safety: the surface is food safe when the piece is fully covered, with no bare spots, and correctly fired. See When is a piece food safe?

Over underglaze

• Café Color on bisque: the colour needs no separate firing — brush clear glaze straight over it, or dip.
• Colour applied to greenware: bisque-fire first, then apply clear glaze.
• Over unfired colour, brush the first coat lightly, without scrubbing, so the colour doesn’t smear.

Common mistakes

Problem	Likely cause
Streaks and brush marks	Coats all in one direction, or a coat was not dry
Rough, matt patches	The coat is too thin
The glaze ran or looks cloudy	The coat is too thick
The piece stuck to the shelf	Glaze got onto the foot

A new glaze or a new clay? Try a test tile first, in your own kiln.