A few tips for (relatively) painless tiles
In the last few weeks, I've mixed several sets, and learned a few things about how to do this process more easily. I hope some of these tips may help others, too.
- First, when I get ready to mix the 35 glazes, I arrange the 35 cups,
then I use a piece of red ribbon to outline the cups that I am
supposed to be using. For instance, when I am measuring out
Glaze A into all the cups, I know I won't be putting anything in the
far right column or the bottom row, so I lay the ribbon to the left of
the 5th column and above the 7th row – this makes a visual
reminder so I’m less likely to squirt glaze in the wrong cup. Then
when I go on to the Glaze B, I move the ribbon so it is to the right
of the 1st column and above the 7th row, etc. I also put a marker
above the row I’m working on, so I don’t get lost.
- I also find that it helps to talk to myself – out loud, since I'm
working alone, repeating what I’m supposed to be measuring and
where I’m supposed to put it. At the beginning of each row, I
repeat the sequence of amounts for that row a few times (e.g. "32,
24, 16, 8") which helps get my brain set. Then as I measure each
amount, I look at the chart and then say out loud what I'm about to
do.
- My final tip, which Kathy Greaves suggested initially, is to measure
10 ml more glaze than you need in each syringe-full (e.g.,
measure out 22 ml when you need 12, and then squirt glaze out
just until you get down to the 10 ml mark). This eliminates the
need to worry so much about bubbles, since the bubble remains in
the part of the syringe that you are not emptying. Kathy suggested
adding 5ml, but I find that adding 10 ml works better for me
because the arithmetic is so easy.
- I've also found it really helpful to use one of those red bulb slip
trailers
for applying glaze to tiles -- much less apt to squirt glaze in
all the wrong places, plus you can shake it to keep the glaze well
mixed as you go from tile to tile.
- Another simple thing that I didn't do the first few times was to start
at the bottom of the tile and work
upward, so that if you do oversquirt, chances are it will go into an
empty square, not one that you've already filled.
Currie Grids in pursuit of cobalt greensMore Currie Grids in pursuit of cobalt greens
Currie grids by Kathy Greaves, Talc Set and Roy/Hesselberth Glossy Base Glaze 2
Currie grids by Debbie Engle, Talc Set on different clays