What Is Sgraffito Technique

Sgraffito, (Italian: “scratched”), in the visual arts, a technique used in painting, pottery, and glass, which consists of putting down a preliminary surface, covering it with another, and then scratching the superficial layer in such a way that the pattern or shape that emerges is of the lower colour.

What is the technique of sgraffito in pottery making?

Sgraffito (in Italian “to scratch”) is a decorating pottery technique produced by applying layers of color or colors (underglazes or colored slips) to leather hard pottery and then scratching off parts of the layer(s) to create contrasting images, patterns and texture and reveal the clay color underneath.

What is sgraffito What are the benefits for using this technique?

Like stucco, terrazzo, and Venetian plaster, sgraffito is used as a way to add texture and depth to a surface. One benefit for artists working in this method is a degree of control not typically seen in other types of techniques. Sgraffito is also extremely popular in the creation of pottery and ceramics.

Can you put underglaze on Bisqueware?

3. Underglaze on Bisqueware. Many commercial underglazes are made to work on greenware and bisqueware. This means underglazes are super versatile and can potentially save you time if you are running a tight firing schedule.

What does Mishima mean?

Wiktionary. Mishima(Noun) (ceramics) A slip inlay style of pottery adopted from Korea, probably in the 16th century. Etymology: Mishima pottery is named either after the Japanese Island of Mishima, where the original pottery was transported from Korea, or after a radiating character of almanacs made in Mishima, Japan.

What is the Mishima technique?

Mishima is a technique of inlaying slip, underglaze, or even clay into a contrasting clay body, the main clay body of the pottery piece. This technique allows for extremely fine, intricate design work with hard, sharp edges that can be difficult to reliably replicate in any other way.

Who invented sgraffito technique?

Sgraffito ware was produced as early as 1735 by German settlers in colonial America. Detail of Renaissance sgraffito on the walls of the Březnice Château, Czech Republic. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.

What is Obvara firing?

The obvara firing process, which originated in Eastern Europe around the 12th Century, involves scalding the finish on the pottery to seal the porous surface. Similar to the raku pottery process, a bisqued pot is heated, in this case to 1650°F (899°C) and removed from the heat.

What tools do you use for sgraffito?

Paint brushes and rubber shapers are used to remove unwanted material.

• Kemper Tools WLS Double Ended Wire Loop Sgraffito.
• Jack Richeson Wire Loop Sgraffito.
• SE 12-Piece Stainless Steel Wax Carvers Set.
• HTS Stainless Steel Hollow Tip Carver Wax & Clay Sculpting Tool Set.
• Xiem Studio Tools Ultimate Tools for Clay Artists.

What does underglaze mean?

“Underglaze” as a term can mean any decoration that is applied, almost always in a fluid form, on the pottery surface before any glaze is applied. In this blanket sense, underglazes can encompass slips, engobes, and stains, as well as products that are marketed as underglazes. 02 of 05.

How do you make a sgraffito tool?

Using a pair of needle-nose pliers, bend the staples to shapes that will work best for your sgraffito work. Put a small dab of Gorilla Glue in each drilled hole, then insert the wire shape into the hole. Note that Gorilla Glue expands while it dries. Dry the tool in an upright position for 12 hours.

Can you do sgraffito on air dry clay?

For this project, we’ll follow in the footsteps of potters in making sgraffito bowls (minus kilns or firing glazes). Instead, the bowls are made with store-bought air dry clay that is similar in texture and behavior as ceramic earthenware clay and Tsukineko’s All-Purpose Ink.

What is the difference between underglaze and overglaze?

What is the important difference between overglaze and underglaze is when the paint is apllied. In the case of overglaze, you burn the glazing on the porcelain and then paint it. While when using underglaze the paint is applied on the unglazed porcelain and then the glaze is applied over the paint. Thus underglaze.

What’s the difference between sgraffito and Mishima?

What is Mishima? Mishima on the other hand, is essentially the opposite of sgraffito, as you inlay the slip or underglaze, or fill in the color, rather than scratch the top layer away to reveal it. You can add additional colors to the piece to finish the design before firing.

Can you apply slip to bone dry clay?

When slip is applied to bone dry clay, one part of the pottery will be much wetter than the next. As such slip won’t stay liquid and doesn’t create the liquid soup for clay particles to move about in. So, generally slip is not used to join pieces of bone dry clay.

What does glaze turn into after it is fired?

A Flowing glazes means that it moves when fired and will bleed ( move ) into a glaze place next to it. A Stiff glaze stays put and does not move much from where it is applied when fired. Read the glaze label.

Can you do sgraffito on Bisqueware?

Making sgraffito pottery involves scratching through a top decorative layer to expose the underlying clay body. The decorative layer can be underglaze, slip, or engobe. However, the sgraffito technique can be used on bisqueware too.

What is sgraffito and where does it come from?

So what is it, already? Well, for starters, Merriam-Webster defines sgraffito as “decoration by cutting away parts of a surface layer (as of plaster or clay) to expose a different colored ground”. Sgraffito comes from the Italian word “graffiare” which means to scratch.

Why do people use sgraffito?

The artists first started using sgraffito on the exterior of buildings, using it to create incredibly detailed frescos on housing and palace facades. Incredible examples of the sgraffito technique remain across Italy, particularly in Florence and Pisa.

Who made sgraffito?

Sgraffito ware was produced by Islāmic potters and became common throughout the Middle East. The 18th-century scratch blue class of English white stoneware is decorated with sgraffito patterns touched with blue. Sgraffito ware was produced as early as 1735 by German settlers in colonial America.