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Ceramic Glazes
Create stunning colors, finishes, and effects on your handmade ceramic pieces with pottery glazes from Blick. Whether you work in a high-fire, low-fire, or mid-fire environment, Blick carries the top brands of glaze for creating gloss, matte, crystalline, metallic, raku, celadon, and many other effects. You’ll also find dramatic low-fire glazes that produce results normally available only in high-fire environments. Choose underglazes in liquid, pencil, marker, and crayon form. Find ready-to-glaze bisque pieces for home décor and more. A long-time supporter of school ceramics programs, Blick carries a wide range of glaze classroom packs, brushes for applying glazes and underglazes, pottery and sculpting tools, pottery wheels, kilns, and ceramics studio furniture and accessories for both scholastic and professional settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a glaze will work with the clay I have?
It's crucial that clay and glazes be matched for firing temperature. Both low- and mid/high-fire clays can bisque at cone 04, but the recommended glaze firing range will be different for each. Glazes need to mature in the recommended glaze firing range for the clay. Fire the glaze too low and it won't mature, too high and it may discolor or flow too much. Fire the clay too low and it won't vitrify enough to be durable, too hot and the clay will soften and distort or may even melt. Also, we always recommend firing test tiles to verify that the glaze is a good "fit" for the clay. Most of the time commercial glazes and clays work together, but it's still possible for them to not have the same rate of expansion and shrinkage, which can result in glaze crazing or shivering.
Can I fire hotter than the glaze states?
Many glazes can fire hotter than the specified firing range, but the glaze will typically flow more, and certain colors may fade, darken, or otherwise change in appearance. Consult the manufacturer's guidelines to determine whether the glaze you have in mind can take a hotter firing and be prepared to fire test tiles to make sure you know what to expect before applying to actual ware.
Can I use a glaze that fires hotter or cooler than my clay is intended for?
This is not a good idea. Firing the clay hotter than the recommended range can destabilize or even melt clay that's meant for lower temperatures. Firing the glaze too low will not provide the heat necessary for it to mature to its expected appearance. The clay and glaze should be matched for firing temperature.
Can all glazes be used on dinnerware?
No. Please verify prior to purchasing that the glaze is acceptable for dinnerware if that is your intended use.
Will the clay body affect the appearance of the fired glaze?
Absolutely. It's always a good idea to fire test tiles with your specific clay to see the results you can expect before applying to your finished piece. The photos on our website will typically only show you the results with a single clay body.
My glaze is not the color I expected out of the jar. Should an Aqua glaze really look red in liquid form?
Ceramic glazes can look very different in liquid form compared to the fired result. Don't be alarmed if the liquid color is quite different.
I don't find the glaze color I'm looking for. Can I mix glazes to get different colors?
Sometimes you can. Look at the product description for the glaze to see if it notes that colors can be mixed. Otherwise, just know that any mixtures will be experimental; yellow+blue may not give you green for example, and take meticulous notes so you can reproduce any favorable outcome.