Stoneware, Raku and
Smoke-fired Ceramics

Our Raku Glazes

One of our Raku workshops

We make all the raku glazes that we use and mix them up freshly for each glazing session as they do not store well. The glazes are mixed to a fairly thick consistency, almost like double cream and these are usually painted, poured or trailed over the surface of the pot, often leaving areas unglazed. These areas turn black during the post-firing process and contrast well with the bright colours and lustres that are so typical of raku. The glazes often are overlapped or several glazes put on top of each other. Anything goes!! They work best when applied thickly.
The Turquoise Lustre glaze reduces to a bright copper. Partial reduction gives a nice interplay of colours where the unreduced turquoise meets the reduced copper. The Blue Black Lustre reduces to a reddish copper often shot through with gold and silver areas.

Incidentally the picture shows a Raku workshop in progress


The Glaze Recipes
Basic GlazeHigh Alkaline Frit
Whiting
Ball Clay
Zinc Oxide
Bentonite
82%
8%
4%
4%
2%
 
White CrackleTo the Basic Glaze add
Zirconium Silicate
 
8%
 
Turquoise CrackleTo the Basic Glaze add
Zirconium Silicate
Copper Carbonate
 
8%
1%
 
Blue Black LustreTo the Basic Glaze add
Cobalt Carbonate
Red Iron Oxide
Copper Carbonate
 
3%
3%
4%
 
Turquoise LustreTo the Basic Glaze add
Copper Carbonate
 
2.5%

Lockettpots

Stoneware, Raku and
Smoke-fired Ceramics

Other Raku pages are accessible using the links below