Ceramic decoration can be fun and creative. Painting designs on tiles will liven up your kitchen,bathroom or extend to a coffee table top. This article is for you.

Ceramic Decoration offers both excitement and practical uses. You can rejuvenate your kitchen by hand decorating some tiles. Expensive equipment and superior artistic talent are not needed.

Techniques to use:

There are many effective techniques by which you can decorate; either by using under-glaze (painted on the bisque, clear-glazed and fire in a kiln) or using the over-glaze colours where the design is applied over the glazed tile; once again this method must be fired in a kiln. Each of these methods has its own special features. Each has its own possibilities and limitations which should and can be mastered. The main limitation in both cases is that the decoration must be carried out before the tiles are attached to the walls

The simplest, but not necessarily the least effective, form of decoration consists of using the wonderful and exciting range of no-fire- stains or glazes.

You will naturally have your share of disappointments during your trial and error period. But don’t be too easily discouraged if at first your trials turn out to be mostly errors. Most professionals agree that lessons learned by trial and error are the best remembered.

With ceramic decoration moreover, all mistakes are not for the worst. On the contrary, many an error can result in a most attractive and original work. Usually these are pieces which can never be completely duplicated. Perhaps a colour combination turns out “just perfect” some brush strokes “just happen.” Experimenting is endless and the result rewarding.

Suggestions:

At one time a ceramic decorator had to possess some scientific technical skills. Now you can enjoy this fascinating creativity by using the many prepared glazes with easy-to- follow instructions.

A preference is to paint directly from the natural flower, but of course this is not essential. You can take your idea from a photo/picture either by tracing, stencil or freehand drawing.

This article describes the method of no-fire paints (glazes.)

Materials required:

Choice of colours, aerosol sealer, three or four brushes, (pointed sable and small square shader,) sponge for stippling effect if required, pencil, small jar for water, clean tile as palette, palette knife and paper towels.

Your kitchen bench top can make an ideal work table; cover with plenty of paper towels and set out all your materials.

Most tile suppliers will sell one or two tiles which you can use to practise brush strokes, designs etc. until you feel confident enough to apply your design directly for the wall tiles.

Everybody has a particular preference of design but the application for the end result is the same.

The love for the Australian flora inspired this choice to decorate the tiles with a variety of groupings of these flowers. The choice for demonstration is the very popular Bottlebrush.

STEP 1. Using the lead pencil sketch the design. Placement as with any design is most important, keeping a balance that is pleasing to the eye. The bottlebrush looked more attractive cascading down the tile rather than painted in the upright position.

STEP 2. Take a small portion of the red colour and place it on the tile palette, mixing a little water to thin if necessary. Using a small flat shader, block in the basic shape of the bottlebrush.

STEP 3. While this application is still wet, take the handle end of the brush and drag through the colour which form minute detail on the end of the bottlebrush stamens. Wash the brush well in water and press gently between the paper towel.

STEP 4. Mix some green on your palette and using the fine sable brush, paint the leaves with one sweep of the brush, press down and then lift up.

STEP 5. Using a darker red, shade into the depth of each cluster of stamens as they sprout from the green pods on the main stem that is painted with brown.

Hint:

An embossed look may be obtained by using a special product. This is applied where the pods are on the branch and after a short drying time, paint green over this raised area. This product is a wonderful additive to produce the illusion of Wattle, Banksia or any areas of your design which you wish to stand in relief of the tile surface. Gold highlights give a dimension when used on the raised areas.

STEP 6. When you have finished painting your tile, stand back and observe. If you feel satisfied with the result take a can of sealer and hold it about 20 cm from your tile (it is wise to place plenty of paper around your bench top (work table) and remove all utensils.) spray back and forth from the top to bottom of the tile and allow this coat to dry. Repeat this at least three times, allowing each application to dry in between. There are at least four types of sealers to choose from: matte, glossy, gloss or porcelain mist, depending on the finish you require.

This decorative art can make your chosen room a conversation piece. Happy painting.