I’ve had a chance to try some more decals recently. This time on real pots, not just test tiles. I really like how they look on the Bone White from Mastering Cone 6 Glazes. Even though the Bone White is a little too yellow after a glaze fire with a normal cool down I really like how it looks after going through an extra bisque fire required to fire the decals onto the piece. It becomes less glossy and brighter white. It reminds me a little bit of old paper.
These were a big hit during the Father’s Day festivities. I used black and white photos of Q and printed them off on decal paper. They came out pretty well. There is enough detail in the midtones to tell what the subject is but there are a few rough spots. Maybe if the glaze was more glossy the images would be a little smoother? It actually adds to the old paper look.
You’ll probably appreciate these more if you’re a fan of the TV show Fringe which ran for 5 seasons. A lot of interesting imagery and ideas which are great for decals!
Here is another test subject. I wanted to see what would happen if low fire glazes were applied over decals on ^6 stoneware and glazes. Mixed results.
The matte blue glaze left the decal underneath intact and let it show through but the glossy glazes seemed to melt the decals underneath. I’m not sure if this is a result of the matte/glossy difference or because the matte blue glaze was toothpaste-thick when it was applied and the others were closer to normal glaze consistency. Anyway, all the low fire glazes seem to be melted to the ^6 Bone White glaze adequately so far. It could be an interesting option for future decorating.