Use of Slip for Surface Texture

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For more detailed presentation, see link below:
Surface Texture Tools Use and Tricks - Potter's Wheel. Lakeside Pottery Ceramic school and Art Studio in Stamford Connecticut

Using slip can be really rewarding if used properly. The slip should not have any grog in it, if made from different clay, test for compatibility with your clay (e.g., cracking) and it thickness should similar to yogurt where the shape can stay and hold the design achieved. It can be applied and formed by hand or with tools such as Mudtool red rib or a brush. Make sure the pot is hardens a bit (wait a few hours or dry with a heater / torch. If clay is too wet, the moister from the slip will weaken the pot and it will collapse. If the pot is too dry, the slip will not bond to the pot properly and will crack or peel off. The fun part about it is that if you do not like the design, you can try several times until you achieve the liked results. Eventually, the moisture from the slip will absorb in the clay and it be less applicable. Remember that whatever texture you achieve, it will shrink about 50% when the slip and the pot dry. In addition to having our students make beautiful pots using slip, children love to play with it and can easily achieve aesthetically pleasing results while having a lot of fun with the slimy texture of the slip. How to make slip


Using silicon rib with slip

Slip design with Mudtool

Designed with rib

Pattern when glazed


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