Technique & Information Sheets

Custom Firing Information for Portland & Eugene

Georgies offers custom firing services for cone 04 bisque, plus glaze firing for cone 05 and cone 6. The form below can be printed for your reference. ** Please NOTE ** the Portland Store now loads/unloads throughout the weeek ... we have a 7-10 day turnaround ... we will do our best to get your work back to you as soon as possible.
-- We will not fire our kilns if outside temperatures reach 100°F or higher -- this will cause delays in getting your work back to you.

Bring your pieces in with the name of the clay body and the temperature range that you want us to fire your work. We load on a first come-first serve basis, so bring your work in at your convenience. We will call you when your work is ready to pick up. -- Please print and fill out the In-Take Form below when you bring in your firing to either store -- .You can always call us at the Portland store if you have any questions at 503-283-1353. The Eugene store has different schedules for firing, so call 541-338-7654 for more information.

click image for PDX Firing Deadlines

click image for PDX Firing PDF ...

Firing In-Take Form PDF for both stores

Click image for Eugene Firing PDF ...

Georgies Tie Dye, Satin Glazes & Spin Art Flyer

NEW! Tie-Dye Color TD514 Milk & Honey	Tie-Dye Color Flyer with prices	Satin Color Flyer with prices	Tie-Dye Spin Art Technique Flyer - 2 pages

Georgies Glaze Combo's, Mason Stains^® & IP FAQ

Satin & Matte Glazes Design Combo's	Mason Stains® Class 9 pages	IP FAQ - 3 pages

Here's a list of more Flyers ...

Click on any of the titles in this menu to jump directly to the instructions for the project or technique that caught your eye. We will add more project and technique sheets over time, so this list will grow! Click on the technique sheet thumbnail images to open the full-sized sheet in a new window. These technique sheets are PDF files: you will need a PDF reader program (like Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader) on your computer to read, print and save these files. Some of these files may take several minutes to download depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

"New Talc" Low-Fire Clay & Casting Bodies

"How Do You Low-Fire?" Changes have happened over the last 3 years with the white low-fire clay and casting bodies. It's been a process to create a new product the works well for everyone. Click on the image at left for a 4 page flyer that talks about our red and "new-talc" clay along with our casting bodies, and how they interact with different underglazes and glaze applications.

How Did We Do That??

Click for project details about Sharon's firing schedule
for this reduction look in cone 6 electric firing.

Slipcasting Basics

A casting slip may take the form of any clay body where some will be more challenging than others. Casting slip will fall into the same firing ranges as moist pugged clays; Low-Fire, Mid-Range, and High-Fire. The majority of slip casting falls into the Low-Fire category, which is an earthenware-based talc body that offers a bright, white surface for your colorful and bright Low-Fire glazes. Mid-Range bodies fall into 2 categories: Stoneware and Porcelain. Stoneware slip (like its moist clay counterpart) is very plastic which can pose a few challenges to a slip cast body but brings a more durable product. Porcelain bodies are less plastic, easier to cast, but can pose more challenges in the firing process. You will need to assess your needs for your body and acquire the skills required to control, cast, and fire the slip body you choose. -- Click on the image at left for a 4 page PDF to read more --

Majolica

What is Majolica? In its historic sense, it is an earthenware with a white, tin-opacified, viscous glaze, decorated by applying colorants (often with a calligraphic brush) on the raw, unfired glaze surface. The flyer at left explains glaze application, troubleshooting, mixing your own colors and firing. -- Click on the image at left for a PDF to read more --

Mixing SSD600 Dry Stoneware Slip

SSD600 comes in 50lb dry blended bags which have the clay and mineral components. You must add water and a deflocculant (Darvan 811 is what we recommend and use). Follow the instructions on the PDF to make a 100# batch or a 300# batch. -- Click on the image at left for a PDF to read more --

Candle Making Basics

Candle Making is always fun and this flyer has some things you need to know. You can also go online and check out many websites that walk you through the process. - Click on the image at left for a 4 page PDF to read more -

Mixing and Using Mayco Dry Glazes

This is an economical way to buy glaze. For safety reasons, make sure you wear a mask when handling any dry materials! You will also need a drill with mixer attachment and a large bucket (5 gallons for 25lbs of dry glaze). Check the specific gravity using a gram scale - Click on the image at left for a 5 page PDF -

It's Springtime in Oregon!

Maria Sampson made this charming spring totem with flowers, birds, squirrels, and a wonky birdhouse! She used ... our ^6 Gloss glazes,our ^6 Sculptural/Textural glazes -- and our versitile -- ^06-^10 Interactive Pigments. Click the image at left for a larger view, or click the image at right to download a PDF technique sheet with all of the details of her glaze combinations.

Sunflower in the Garden Totem

Maria Sampson made this sweet, Garden Sunflower totem with a sun ray disc, bubble ball, star, and a blue bird! She used our... ^6 Gloss glazes, our ^6 Sculptural/Textural glazes -- and our versitile -- ^06-^10 Interactive Pigments. Click the image at left for a larger view, or click the image at right to download a PDF technique sheet with all of the details of her glaze combinations.

Color Play

Color is one of the most challenging aspects of all art endeavors for potters and ceramic artists who have spent a great deal of time developing form and surface. The most asked question is "How should I glaze this?" Color blocking, using only unique colors for a design pallet, can take your work in a new direction. We have attemped to help you solve this mystery with our flyer. Our textured tiles lay two or more colors alongside each other, creating harmonious, analogous, complimentary color schemes you might like to try.
Take a look and find some new inspiration!

Planting Seed Pods

Creating layers and depth with your work is what makes it special and gives it life. Here we have used Georgies CC520 G Mix ^6 clay body which is a nice off-white fine, tight clay body to make sure the colors really pop. The Interactive Pigments have been wiped back to give color in the nooks and crannies and allow the Gloss glazes and Sculptural/Textural glazes to show off their magic. Click on any of the images for a full-sized 4-page PDF.

Inspired by the seed pods above, that Christy made some years back, employees at
the Greorgie's Portland store made their own versions to show off a selection of ^6
clay bodies and glaze combinations. Fourteen of our ^6 clay bodies were selected
and two pods were made of each type. Glazes and glaze combinations were thoughfully chosen to show a wide variety of outcomes one can achieve using Georgie's brand
products. Everyone has the opportunity to express their own unique style and discover
new and exciting results through experimentation ... as Christy says, "be the flame!".
Click on any of the images for a full-sized 6-page PDF.

Reach for the Stars

More fun with glaze combinations, and presented in a new format! The center pentagon of each star shows the featured glaze by itself. Each point of the star shows the center glaze combined with another glaze. The star points are textured, so you can see how the combination works with the surface of the clay.

Enhancing Your Ceramic Surface

With all the flowers shown on this page, the pigments were applied to ^04 bisque and wiped back, leaving the pigment in the recess. Try your favorite glaze(s) over a variety of pigments. Here we show our GLW12 Eggshell and PG633 Aegean Blue Green (a soft celedon) on the top two flowers. The chemistry of the glaze, your choice of clay body and the pigment will be unique to you! Click on the image for a printable PDF to keep as a reference! - Click on the image at left for a PDF to print-

Fire + Time = Magic

GLW34 Ohata Red... ... and GLW34... ...and GLW34 again!

So what's the difference between these three?

It's all about the FIRING SCHEDULE.

Our clays and glazes are forever changed in the heat work of the kiln. We all know that, whether we work with fossil fuels in reduction or with electric kilns in oxidation. We also know that the outcomes of our firings vary... a LOT... with subtle variations we might not even notice at first. So what happens when we deliberately change up the times and temperatures of our firings? You guessed it: A LOT! Click any of these five thumbnails to download a five-page "paper workshop" on techniques you can try in your kilns!

We're Seeing Stars!

GLAZE STARS, that is! We've come up with a great new way to show just what you can do with our most popular glazes for Combo Mambo layering! Each star focuses on one central glaze, then shows a series of combinations with different glazes around the five points. Remember that the order of application for the glazes. The results will be different for Copper Patina over Incredible Black compared to Incredible Black over Copper Patina. They could both be great additions to your color palette!

Dance with Color and Design: Combo Mambos

We learn in our classes too! Christy just completed her always-popular class in exploring cone 6 glazes. She puts a lot of work into the class, and every year it just gets better. Our students got stunning results in exploring their own "Combo Mambo" dances of fire with our glazes. We'd like to share those results with you too. Click on any of these thumbnails to download the color samples page.

Interactive Pigments: Totems, Techniques & Tiles

Interactive Pigments are versatile design elements that interact with both your clay and your glaze. These technique sheets show a wealth of information, complete with color photos, on using our Interactive Pigments over glazes, under glazes, and every which way with sponges, stamps, and brushwork. We displayed many of these pieces in our NCECA booth in Philadelphia, so we're happy to offer this information if you were unable to attend the conference. Page 1 is a single page, Page 2 has all 5 pages, page 3-6 are individual pages from the 5 page flyer. Click the shopping cart at left to shop for these glazes

Glazes + Interactive Pigments = New Dimensions

Totem Trio

FAQ - Interactive Pigments

Interactive Pigments - FAQ How to use and Frequently Asked Questions - there are 3 pages of useful information including food safety and testing with non-food-safe glazes for interesting texture. Click on the image at left for a printable PDF

Georgies Glazes on Dark Chocolate

Christy has taken all of our Georgie Glazes and made samples on our Trail Mix Dark Choclate clay body. The results are visually and texturally gorgeous! The intense color of this clay body may alter/react with your glazes in unexpected ways. You may need to increase your coverage, or you may find that semi-trasparent glaze colors disappear. Some glazes do not like dark chocolate. Always test both your application and your glaze.

Georgies Glazes in Cone 6 Reduction

We recently had an opportunity to get many of our cone 6 glazes fired in a reduction atmosphere. At cone 6 temperatures, the glaze fuses with and becomes part of the clay. The interactive chemistry between the clay and the glaze can radically change the color of the glaze. The firing atmosphere makes a difference too, and can change the color of the glaze AND the clay AND how they interact. Click on any image for the 4 page PDF.

Raku Tips, Techniques & Safety

"Four elements enter into the making of Raku: the clay, the glaze, the fire, and the artist.
Of these the most fallible and least predictable is the artist. Raku is a technique,
but far more than this, it is also a philosophy." - Hal Riegger in "Raku: Art and Technique"

The Japanese word "raku" doesn't translate well into English. The closest translations we've seen are "enjoyment" or "happiness in the hazard", with strong overtones of serendipitous discovery. As artists we never know what will come out of the raku kilns and reduction chambers until we see the actual final results. Some of our pieces will break, while others will be spectacular. Here at Georgie's we've often compared raku to chess: we can teach you the moves in an afternoon, but you can spend a lifetime mastering the technique. These sheets offer decorating techniques, glaze tips, and safety notes to help you along the way toward your own personalized mastery of this unique craft.

Th-INK-ing About Crackles?

Georgies' new cone 6 Crackle Glazes are semi-transparent, designed to let the color of your clay body shine through. These glazes are especially effective on light-colored or white clay bodies like cone 6 porcelains. Now you can add a new layer of depth and detail by highlighting the crackle patterns with India Ink! Not sure how? Click on the tech sheet thumbnail on the right for more details. It gets messy, but the results are worth it!
(PDF file size = 786k)

Black + White = ... ?

The quirks of glaze chemistry make working with color in ceramics different from any other artform. It's not just about the pigments that reflect the light to make the color! You also have to account for the interactions of the glaze ingredients, where sometimes black + white does not equal gray. We worked with various combinations of our black and white glazes to see what would happen. We got grey, green, brown and even blue! See for yourself by clicking on our tech sheet thumbnail on the right. (PDF file size = 2.62 mB)

White Froth Tile at Cone 6 Oxidation

This is one of our favorite "combination" projects using cone 6 and cone 06 products together on a cone 6 clay. It has a high "wow!" factor when we display the tile in our classes or in store, and we'd like to share... how we did that! Click either thumbnail image to download the technique sheet.

Craftsman-Style Glazing

Remember the Craftsman movement? In the late 1800s and early 1900s, skilled artisans working in this style used designs inspired by the earth and nature, embodied in warm hues, to evoke the satisfaction of a simple but refined look and feel. Georgies' glazes in the Sculptural/Textural line (GLW35 to GLW47) give you the palette to recreate the Craftsman style in your own work. Click on the tech sheet thumbnail at right to find out how. (PDF file size = 991k)

Watercolor Glazing at Cone 6: Landscapes

This has been one of our most popular technique sheets! Watercolor glazing works on the same principles as watercolor painting: you build up layers of translucent color to create the images and subtle shadings that you want. Instead of using white paper, you're using white clay and a palette of translucent glazes. Think like a painter.... and click on the technique sheet thumbnail on the right for tips and techniques to make your thoughts real. (PDF file size = 2.7 mB)

Watercolor Glazing: Calla Lilies

More watercolor glazing, except this time we're going with a floral design. This technique sheet will help you see more of the possibilities for cone 6 watercolor designs. (PDF file size = 2.53 mB)

Watercolor Glazing: Heather

This just may be the most stunning of our studies in watercolor glazing. Not only does it show the possibilities in floral designs for this style, but right down to the fine details! It's combined on the technique sheet with the calla lilies, but we thought the Heather really deserved its own chance to be seen. Click the technique sheet thumbnail on the right for more details.
(PDF file size = 2.53 mB)

Doing the Combo Mambo

We have always described our Cone 6 glazes as "interactive" and "versatile", but just what does that mean? This color glaze brochure will show you! Our glazes work together with each other, the clay color, and the surface or texture to create effects that no single glaze could offer alone. Best of all, when you find glaze combinations that you like, you can repeat them on other pieces! The color samples here will show you just a few of the possibilities: there are many more awaiting your discovery!

Below is a four-page document. Click (then print or save) each of these four images to get the full document. (And check out the Crossover Plates technique sheet for a great way to test potential glaze combinations!)

Combo Madness!

Yes, we did it again! This document shows a whole new series of glaze combinations, using many of our newest Cone 6 Gloss and Sculptural/Textural glazes. The fired results are just gorgeous, especially as the glazes move, flow and combine over the textured surfaces. Click the images below to see for yourself! This is a 4 page document. Click (then print or save) each of the four images to get the full document. (And check out the Crossover Plates technique sheet for a great way to test potential glaze combinations!)

Cruising the Color Wheel

Ever wondered just why some colors seem to work together and some don't? This flyer illustrates some of the basic principles of color theory as used in other visual arts ranging from painting to photography to clothing and interior design. Working with these principles can enhance your work as you choose (or broaden) consistent color schemes. Click the thumbnail at right to begin exploring this fascinating, rich new realm of ideas. (PDF file size = 1.02 mB)

Contrast Plates

So you've been exploring the color wheel, but what's next? How about gloss and matte glazes, in complimentary or contrasting colors, side-by-side in your design work? The visual contrast between the different glaze surfaces lends a whole new dimension of depth and interest to your clay work. The plates on this flyer show some of the effects you can achieve by using Georgies' gloss and matte glazes together on one piece. And the plates show even more interesting possibilities for glaze combinations, too! Click the thumbnail at right for an eye-candy feast of inspiration. (PDF file size = 3.74k)

Crossover Plates

So many glaze combinations, so many choices, so little time... which ones catch your eye? Here's a great way to test our most interesting glazes and combinations for your clay body and application style by applying lines (horizontal) and columns (vertical) of our glazes and firing them together to see what happens. For the example on the left, we thought the combo of GLW36 and GLW37 might be the best one, but which would you choose? Click on the tech sheet thumbnail at right for more illustrations and directions on this great testing technique. (PDF file size = 347k)

Crazy Foamy Crystal Glazes

Mayco's lowfire Crystal Glazes (for cone 06 firing) along with Stroke & Coat Cottontail,
offer cascades of magical, melting color when you open your kiln after firing. Now here's
a way to add another contrasting element of breaking, flowing white to your pieces using these products. And you can do it with nothing more complicated than the nearest can of shaving cream!

Click on the tech sheet below to try this fun technique. (PDF file size = 1.3 mB)

Color Combinations Flyer

By combining the glazes you can reach whole new vistas of color performance! The combinations are reliable and repeatable too, just like our solid color glazes. Due to melt, texture, surface and firing variations from piece to piece, you'll see subtle differences so this new palette never gets boring -- though you're sure to find your own favorites among the possible combinations! You may never see ALL that these colors can produce together.(PDF file size = 1.5 mB) -- Although these are listed as "kits" - we no longer carry these as kits. You can purchase the colors individually to create the effects that you are most interested in.

(Click here for the GK1 page with larger color photos)
(Click here for the GK2 page with larger color photos)
(Click here for the GK3 page with larger color photos)

Amaco Technique Videos ...

Top 5 Ways to Use Celadon glazes

Revive Your Old Glaze with Amaco Gum Solution

Decorating with SMUG's & Underglaze Pencils

Glaze Application Tips & Tricks w/Saturation Gold

Layering Glazes: PC22 over PC28, Part 1

Layering Glazes: PC22 over PC28, Part 2

Layering Celadons over Velvet Underglazes, Part 1

Layering Celadons over Velvet Underglazes, Part 2

Alternative Silkscreens for Printing w/underglazes

Making Velvet Underglazes "Ink"

Silkscreen with Underglazes & EZ Screen

Underglaze transfer plates: easy classroom projects

Super simple Silkscreens for printing on clay

Clay cylindrical cups with decorated slabs

Choose the right glaze for printed underglazes

Mayco Technique Videos & PDF ...

Mayco has a series of YouTube videos that are available to you to watch. Click on the image at left to go directly to the videos. Click on the PDF link to print out a page showing a mix of stoneware combinations: stoneware combos

All contents related to Georgies' products copyright 2024. All rights reserved.
Georgies Ceramic & Clay Co. • 756 NE Lombard • Portland OR 97211 • 503.283.1353
Georgies of Eugene • 1471 Railroad Blvd #9 • Eugene OR 97402 • 541.338.7654
Fax numbers: Portland 503.283.1387 • Eugene 541.338.7565
Portland Store Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00a-5:00p Pacific time • CLOSED Saturday & Sunday
Eugene Store Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00a-5:00p • Saturday 10:00a-4:00p Pacific time • CLOSED Sunday & Monday