To-Go Kit Guide

This page can be used as a resource while you work on your pottery at home or as a tool to plan your pottery to-go experience.

Instructions

Follow these instructions to paint your pottery

Text Bubble that says paint me coming from an unpainted bisque frog

1. Prep

Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe down your bisque and remove any dust.

2. Basecoat

Your basecoat is marked with a letter on the top of the cup.

Paint three coats over the entire piece (top, bottom, inside, and outside).

If you have streaks of white bisque showing through, add more basecoat.

This is what makes your piece waterproof and gives it a high shine!

3. Decorative Colors

These colors are marked with a number or a letter and a number

Colors can be mixed to create different shades. See the star chart below to see what color your glazes will fire to, and what one coat (top of star) vs. three coats (bottom of star) of the glaze might look like.

Star made up of three pink layers getting more opaque from top to bottom. Labeled one coat = translucent (top layer); two coats = increased opacity (middle layer); three coats = solid color (bottom layer). Glazes are non-toxic and food safe. Pottery is microwave and dishwasher safe, however we recommend hand-washing.

Let glaze dry between coats.

This won't bleed or blend with the basecoat color, and lighter colors can be layered over darker colors.

Please do not use any paint or glaze not included in your to-go kit or we cannot fire it for you.

4. Sign & Snap

Sign the bottom of your piece with your name or initials using one of your glaze colors, and snap a photo to help you identify it at pick up.

Check list for paint your own pottery: Double Check! did you... - glaze all sides of your piece including the bottom? - sign the bottom? - get a photo?

5. Wrap & Return

When your piece is completely dry, wrap it nack up in the bubble wrap and return it to the Workspace during our open hours.

When you drop it off, we will give you a card indicating the dates you can pick it up after firing.

Questions?

Email workspace@iastate.edu

Glaze Colors

Use the chart below to choose glaze colors for your piece and/or to see what the glazes you have will look like when they are fired. Colors will not be completely accurate on screens, but should be close. Stars labeled with letters are basecoats, numbers 1-20 are decorative glazes, and S1-S4 are decorative speckled glazes. Decorative glazes get more opaque with more coats. Each star shows one coat of glaze on the top, two in the middle, and three on the bottom.