I love getting a chance to work with different clay bodies, so I was very excited when a friend gifted me a box of red clay a few months ago. I typically work with a white clay body because I use so much underglaze in my work and I want the colors to pop. I dealt with the concern of color intensity by painting white underglaze before layering the colored underglaze.
I created and carved the gnomes using my usual methods – rolling a cone shape, and carving gnome parts (beard, hat, arms, hands, face, etc) as the clay dried out more.
Once the clay was completely dry, I began painting the underglaze. I did paint everything – with the exception of their faces, lips, and hands – with three coats of white underglaze to help the colors stand out on the red clay. I also wanted the hair, mustache, and beard to be white. I thought the clay body by itself would be great for a flesh tone.
Once the guys were bisqued, I added a clear glossy glaze for the final firing.
I have to say, I’m really pleased with the final results. They’re really cute and fun, I love the colors. And one of my favorite part about working with the red clay? The clear glaze broke blue in several spots! <3
