Paint a solid underglaze coat on a test tile

Before you paint a design, you need to be able to lay down a clean, opaque, even coat. That's harder than it sounds with a brush.

Steps

1. Take a bisque or leather-hard test tile
2. Apply 2–3 coats of underglaze, letting each dry between applications
3. Alternate brush direction each coat (horizontal, then vertical, then horizontal)

Success criteria

• Opaque coverage: no clay body visible through the color
• Even color: no streaks, no brush marks, no thin spots
• Smooth surface: not gloppy or textured from too-thick application

The key insight

Multiple thin coats beat one thick coat. Thick applications crack, peel, or crawl. Thin layers build up evenly.