Ching pai

Colour: Pale blue celadon

Transparency: Clear

Surface: Glossy

Tips: A very pale transparent blue celadon. Because this glaze is transparent, the colour of the clay will show through and affect the colour of the glaze: the brightest colour is achieved over porcelain. 

chun

Colour: Pale blue

Transparency: Translucent / semi-opaque

Surface: Glossy

Tips: When used by itself looks very similar to Ching Pai, although slightly more blue, but actually has some opacity when thicker caused by tiny bubbles. Chun tends to run more than the other stoneware glazes. It’s used over Tenmoku to create bluish-white patterns, but it’s important to remember when double-dipping it that it will run down the pot a lot and allow for this (don’t double dip past halfway).

Chun over copper red can give a purple effect.

copper red

Colour: Red

Transparency: Translucent / semi-opaque

Surface: Glossy

Tips: A vibrant red glaze, works well with pale blue. Copper glazes are somewhat unpredictable. The copper red doesn’t have much copper in it, so if applied too thin or fired in a hot spot in the kiln, the glaze can burn out and be a very pale blue/clear. 

duncan’s white

Colour: White

Transparency: Opaque

Surface: Glossy

Tips: A shiny, clean white with good coverage. The whiter of the two stoneware whites. Doesn’t speckle over brown clay.

Lex’s white

Colour: White/off-white

Transparency: Opaque

Surface: Satin

Tips: This glaze is a less shiny and bright white than Duncan’s white and speckles beautifully over brown clay.

oribe

Colour: Dark green

Transparency: Opaque

Surface: Glossy

Tips: This is a copper saturated glaze and comes out dark green with a metallic sheen. Because of high levels of black copper oxide it is not food-safe. If acidic foods are put in contact with it (pineapple, tomato sauce, etc) the glaze will change so it’s generally best not to use on food-contact surfaces.

Works beautifully in salt/soda firing.

pale blue

Colour: Blue

Transparency: Opaque

Surface: Satin/matte

Tips: More a mid-blue than pale. Works well when sprayed or with a thin coat to get breaking over edges. Will speckle over brown clay if not too thick.

shino

Colour:  White/orange/brown

Transparency: Opaque

Surface: Satin

Tips: Fires white where thick and orange to brown where thin. This effect is strongest on brown clay - white clay will give a peach colour where thin. Thick white shino will craze and takes India ink well for a crackle effect.

Shino is an unusual glaze, it’s more like a clay, and reacts badly if applied over other glazes - may cause roughness or bubbling. Usually okay under other glazes.

tenmoku

Colour: Black/brown

Transparency: Opaque

Surface: Glossy

Tips: On brown clay, shiny black where thick, brown where thinner. Breaks from black to brown on edges. On white clay it may be a more greenish slightly transparent black.

Works beautifully under Chun.

Tessha

Colour: Red-brown

Transparency: Opaque

Surface: Satin

Tips: Reddish/purplish brown. Layers well with wax resist and other glazes underneath - Lex’s White, Pale Blue, Ching Pai. Goes blackish brown over Pale Blue.