Surface Decoration of Ceramics

Surface decoration of ceramics is a very important part of creating visually appealing works of art. It\u27s important for an art educator to understand the materials being used to best serve the students. It\u27s also important for me as an artist to know what results will be achieved from using different materials. Knowing the colors that are most appealing will help with selecting underglazes to purchase. Due to the cost of materials and usually small budget of both art classrooms and emerging artists, it\u27s essential to purchase materials that will be used most frequently. It\u27s also important to understand the different methods of application for the surface decoration. My goals were to try out as many different colors of underglaze on ceramic tiles as I could to determine which colors worked the best as well as to experiment with different ways of application. This included painting underglaze in 1, 2, or 3 layers onto ceramic tiles and using different controlled applicators. I also experimented with other forms of surface decorations such as underglaze pencils and crayons. I created decorative tiles that show others my findings. I learned that painting and using a syringe were the easiest for underglaze application as well as the most cost-effective. I learned what colors created the most visually appealing art. I determined that the results from the crayons and pencils were appealing for my own personal art. These results will impact my own artwork and future students as well as others who see my tiles