Introduction:
There are many techniques to paint on tiles. You can use underglazes,
glazes and overglazes to decorate tiles in a permanent finish and all
these paints need to be fired in the kiln. Do not be discouraged if you
do not own a kiln. There are many ceramic shops near you that own a kiln,
that for a fee they will be happy to fire for you. Ask around, now I see
stores like
MJ Designs that offer the service. I do not advise any paints such acrylics
for painting on tiles. We need to remember all the hours that we will
put on our project deserve a permanent finish. Any other kind of paint
will waste our time.
I personally use overglazes. I feel that I get a better result on my
designs.
I can do washes like watercolors, and the other reason is, when I use
an open medium with overglazes, this allow me to work for many hours (
some times days) without the worry that my paint we will dry and I can
paint more realistically.
There is another practical reason: I can paint on any commercial tile
sold in the open market and re-fire it in the kiln. This means that you
can decorate some tiles but the rest of the filling tiles will be the
regular tiles, saving you a lot of time and money.
Then I will focus on overglaze techniques where I think expertise lies.
What are overglaze colors?
One of the misunderstandings about overglazes is on the name itself.
Overglaze paints are vitrifiable paints made from oxides of different
metals that applied over a glazed surface, which have been fired in the
kiln twice - one for the “biscuit” and once for the glaze,
the paints are transferred to part of the glaze after cooling.
In other countries overglazes are called "third fired paints",
and in the United States, many call them "china painting colors"
due of the popularity of China Painting years ago.
The correct name is "overglazes”, which can be used to paint
on any ceramic, china or porcelain body.
Overglaze colors are made from oxide of different metals. The most commonly
used are:
Chrome, for the green colors.
Cobalt, for the blue colors.
Iron, for the red and brown colors.
Cadmium, for the yellow colors.
Gold for the pink, ruby, violet and purple colors.
Overglazes are sold as fine powder ready to mix with a medium.
It is very important to fire a color chart sample tile, since most of
the colors will change after they are firing.
Colors like yellows and reds do not mix well. They might look really pretty
before they are fired, but after firing they will sometimes fade until
there is very little color remaining, or the yellow will “eat off”
all the red or brown color. With this exemption almost all the colors
can be mixed with others. However, there are cadmio colors that will not
mix with other colors. These are not ordinary colors and the manufacturer
will tell you. I do not use these colors. I try to keep on my palette
colors that I have tested and am sure how they work. The best approach
is to begin with four colors and add one at the time. The worst mistake
is having many colors in your palette and not knows how they work together.
Most colors come from the kiln a shade lighter than they go in. The colors
do not always look the same after firing as they do before. The best way
to know exactly what the colors will look like after firing is to make
a color test.
Painting Mediums:
There are several kinds of mediums and they vary from thin to heavy, or
they might be fast drying or slow drying. The medium one use depends a
great deal on the technique one plans to use.
A thin medium, or open medium usually dries slowly or never dries. This
medium technique allows you to work for many hours and some times days
without the worry that the paint will dry. An opened medium is wonderful
for working free hand and for painting shadows of several colors. You
can paint many layers and create backgrounds of different depth without
the need of firing between layers. Of course you can fire the tiles before
applying other colors.
A heavy medium or closed medium will dry quickly. This medium will give
you more line control. It is great for outlining and writing.
Some times I use both techniques in one project.
Materials:
Overglaze colors of your choice
Open medium
Closed medium (a fat oil or copaiba oil)
Lavender oil ( do not buy the synthetic)
Brushes, square # 8, # 12, point #00, liner #1 ( I use “Sharff brushes
from
France)
Palette knife (spatula)
Pen work (fine calligraphy pen)
Soft pencil for glass
Turpentine ( you can use a synthetic kind if you are allergic)
For a preparation with a open medium, place a small amount of dry colors
on a ceramic tile, start dropping a few drops of medium into the top of
the pile, add just a little oil at the time. When the color is ground
smooth with a knife and about the constancy of thick toothpaste it is
ready to be transferred to the palette. Do not be afraid to use pressure
on the blade of the knife when you are grinding the color.
Some colors are harder to grind as smooth as others and they are usually
some of the colors that contain gold.
Wet your brush with oil and dry the brush on a paper towel (too much oil
will ruin the color in the kiln). Clean your brush with turpentine each
time you change colors.
It is very important to be sure that the surface to be painted is very
clean; I clean the tiles with alcohol before painting any piece (let dry
alcohol).
The overglazes mixed with open medium can be stored for months.
When you apply the paint, try to do it in small strokes and in thin layers.
This is not a regular oil painting. If you apply the paint too heavily
will not work, after firing it will fall down. The only way is EXPERIMENT!For
mixing the overglazes with a closed medium, use the same processes as
for open medium but use fat oil or copaiba oil but get the paint to a
heavy consistence. Then add a few drops of lavender oil. You can write
with this medium, if you need to thin it, you can add a few drops of turpentine.
This paint can not be stored. Prepare just small amounts enough to use
in one day.
Choosing your project:
Begin with a small test and choose a simple project. I know sound boring,
but the worst mistake is to jump to do a complicated design. Because you
are not ready, you will think that this medium is too difficult, and give
it up. Begin slowly, maybe doing some leaves until you gain some confidence.
Buy only 4 colors (a red, mixing yellow, black, blue). Do not buy any
pink or purple color first because they are more difficult to work with
and four times more expensive.
About firing:
Most of the overglazes are fired between 1350 F to 1500 F
Cone 017 for green, red, brown, black colors.
The colors that contain gold need to be fired at higher temperature. Such
as Cone 016 to 015.
Follow the manufactures guide. |