How to Paint Pottery

Posted on October 14th, 2009 by aileen

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

No Comments (Post Comment)

Republish

Painting ceramics is a nice hobby that can be done by everyone, even little kids. If you want to try a new hobby, here are some simple ways to paint pottery.

Things You’ll Need:

Pottery piece
Acrylic paint
Paintbrushes
Newspapers
Cloth

Steps:

Choose a piece that you want to paint. Arts and Crafts stores have plenty of unpainted ceramic pieces that you can buy. You can also find ceramic painting kits that come with all the materials you need.

pottery painting

Prepare your work area. Spread newspapers on the table to prevent the table from getting paint. Make sure that you have all your materials with you before you start painting.
Clean your pottery with a damp cloth to remove dust. Using a wet cloth on your ceramic will make it hard for you to paint your piece as water will thin the paint, leading to streaky layers. (If you want to make your own pots, read how to make clay pots for plants)
If you want to draw some designs on your pottery, you may do so. Have a sketch of your design on a piece of paper. Transfer your drawing on your pottery using a pencil. Draw lightly.
Use the right kind of paintbrush. Square brushes are usually used for shading.
Apply a base coat. Lightly and evenly spread the base paint on your piece. Make sure not to leave out any area. If you’re painting a figurine, be sure to paint inside crevices. Continue applying your base paint until you can’t see any white marks anymore. 3 layers of base coat should be enough. Wait for each layer to dry before starting on another layer.
Do one area at a time. If you’re drawing a design, make an outline first before shading. Be careful not to touch the wet area when starting on another section of your piece.
Use only 1 direction for your strokes. If you started to paint vertically, continue and finish your work using vertical strokes.
Add depths by using various color tones.
You can also use other materials to design you pottery, like glitters.
Wait for the paint to dry.

Let your creativity flow through painting pottery. You can use your masterpieces as gifts to your friends and family or display them in your home. Happy painting! After mastering pottery painting, time for you to learn how to paint brick