Painting Your Own Ceramic Bisque : eBay Guides

I have had many a email asking what is Bisque and how do you paint it.

So I thought maybe I could write a guile to help.

Bisque is what we call an item that is fired ceramics ready to paint.

Its a hard surface that is porous and all white ready to be painted.

Bisque can be painted with ceramic glazes or ceramic underglazes.

Some people use a clear glaze over the underglaze to give it a shiny look.

 Then its fired to be food or water safe.

Sometimes we put a Luster over it.

Which is not food safe.

Lusters are Opals, Golds, Pearls

Or for everyone that does not have a kiln bisque can be painted with acrylics and spray and is ornamental only.

However if you wish to use the item for food or water, only glazes or underglazes can be fired in a kiln to make it food and water safe.

I DO NOT know of any Acrylic paints that are food and water safe or firable.

Acrylic paints are strictly ornamental.

Before you paint the item I take a very small craft file and file away any mistakes that popped up in the kiln.

 I also use a piece of bisque that I make to rub the mistakes away.

 Its just a piece of greenware(then fire in the kiln) that I shape into a small stick some of them I have pointed ends on others I have dull ends on.

Do not make the mistake many of us do and just pick up a piece and start painting.

Ceramic Bisque has a dust on it that can make your finished product look like it has sand in it or worse.

Before painting or glazing a ceramic bisque piece, you must clean it at the greenware stage.

First dampen sponge with clean fresh water and sponge it over the bisque piece but DO NOT soak the piece in water.

It will take time to dry depending on the humidity of your work are will depend on drying time.

You can use any craft paint on ceramic bisque pieces. Don’t use them real cheap brushes that have plastic brushes as it leaves streaks in your paint.

 I find that after I paint with acrylic paints I just throw everything away and PLEASE PLEASE cover your clothing.

 I have ruined many of clothing by getting paint on them.

Then I use any clear spray paint and spray the item after it is dry and TADA your done.

There are may clear spray paints out there. Some are very shiny and others are flat and some you don’t even see on the items so its up to you.

There are other techniques for painting bisque like Dry Brushing or Staining but I am not very familiar with them so I will not comment on them.

I hope this guide helps you some. Have a wonderful day.