Coating the Exterior

Pouring glaze over the outside of a pot gives you control over the flow patterns and can produce beautiful layered effects. It is also the method of choice when you do not want to submerge the whole pot.

The Setup

You need:

Two bats or two cups to rest the pot on (inverted, elevated above the tray so glaze can drip freely).
A tray underneath to catch the excess.
Enough glaze in a jug to flow over the entire exterior in one pass.

The Pour

Prop the pot on two supports over the tray. For a cylinder or mug, two chopsticks or kiln stilts work well.
Pour glaze from a jug starting near the rim, rotating the pot steadily with your free hand as you pour.
Move the pour down the pot in a spiral, keeping the stream consistent.
Cover the entire exterior in one continuous motion if possible.
After pouring, let the excess drip freely for 30 seconds.

Exterior Pour Checklist

Before stopping:

Have enough glaze in the jug for one full pass
Keep pour stream consistent in speed and angle
Watch for thin patches and quickly touch up with a brush

Good setup and one confident pour beat multiple hesitant passes.

Common Pouring Mistakes

If something looks wrong after the pour, it is usually one of these:

Heavy curtains of glaze on one side: You paused or slowed too much over that area. Next time, keep your hand moving at a steady pace, even if you are nervous.
Bare spots near the foot: You started the pour too high and did not bring it down far enough. On the next pot, begin your spiral slightly lower and watch the coverage all the way down.
Thick ridge where the stream started and ended: You changed the distance between jug and pot. Aim to keep the nozzle height consistent relative to the surface.

Write down which mistake you see – and what you will change on the next piece – while the lesson is fresh. This is how pouring gets better from pot to pot instead of feeling random.

Managing the Overlap Zone

Where the inside and outside glazes meet at the rim, you often get a thick band of double-coverage. This can run badly in the kiln.

Fix: After both inside and outside are dry, gently scrape the rim with a damp sponge to thin the overlap zone to a single layer. Be careful not to remove too much.

Pro Tip

For creative poured effects, deliberately pour two different glazes over each other while both are still slightly wet. They will blend and flow together during firing to create unique waterfall and layered effects.

The Bigger Picture

The way glazes blend during firing depends on their chemistry, and the Wikipedia article on ceramic glaze explains how different flux materials control melting temperature and flow. Potters working with stoneware bodies often see the most dramatic poured effects because the higher firing temperatures give glazes more time to move and interact.

Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes

Not enough glaze in the jug: Refill before starting so the pour stays continuous.
Changing pour height mid-pass: Keep jug distance constant to avoid ridges.
Ignoring overlap thickness at the rim: Thin overlap zones after drying.
No tray recovery setup: Catch and reuse excess glaze to keep material quality stable.

Practice Exercise

On test cylinders, repeat one exterior pour three times with controlled variables: steady pour speed, fixed jug height, and single-pass coverage. Log each run and compare fired results. This is the fastest route to clean, confident pouring.