When You Want Control
Brush glazing is the most time-consuming application method but the most precise. It is the right choice when you want to apply glaze to specific areas, create painted designs, or apply different glazes to different parts of the same pot.
When to Brush Glaze
- Applying a contrasting glaze to just the upper half of a pot.
- Painting glaze motifs over a base dip coat.
- Applying glaze to handles and feet separately.
- Working with small amounts of an expensive or specialty glaze.
- Any situation where dipping or pouring would coat areas you want to keep unglazed.
The Challenge: Brush Marks
The main weakness of brush glazing is brush marks. Every stroke leaves a trace of the bristles. On a dipped pot you never see this; on a brushed pot, if your technique is poor, every stroke shows after firing.
The solution is not heavier coats but multiple thin coats in different directions:
- Coat 1: Horizontal strokes.
- Coat 2: Vertical strokes (after Coat 1 is dry to touch).
- Coat 3: Diagonal strokes.
Three thin coats from different angles average out the brush marks and produce even coverage.
Glaze Brushes
Use soft, full-bodied glaze brushes, not the stiff brushes used for underglaze. A good glaze brush holds a lot of liquid and releases it smoothly without dragging.
Brush Session Routine
For a controlled brush day:
- Pre-stir all glaze cups and test a stroke on a tile
- Plan which areas are base, accent, and overlap
- Work in three-coat passes, allowing full dry between coats
This keeps coats even and prevents overworked surfaces.
Explore More
Brush glazing shares many techniques with underglaze painting, where multiple thin coats in alternating directions also produce the most even coverage. The Wikipedia article on ceramic glaze covers the full range of glaze application methods and explains why brush marks disappear when the glaze melts in the kiln.
Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes
- One heavy coat instead of three thin coats: Thin layers build smoother surfaces and fewer runs.
- No dry time between coats: Let each coat go dry-to-touch before crossing direction.
- Using stiff detail brushes for large areas: Use full-bodied glaze brushes for even laydown.
- Changing stroke direction randomly: Use a repeatable horizontal-vertical-diagonal sequence.
Practice Exercise
Brush four test tiles: one with a single thick coat and three with alternating thin coats. Fire and compare marks, opacity, and flow. Keep this result as your studio reference standard.
