The Chill Guide
to Glazing Pottery
Look, glazing ceramics sounds scary.
You've spent hours making that cup, tray, bowl — you name it.
And now you're looking at your bisque-fired bowl, glaze brush in hand, frozen with indecision and worry? Yeah, we see you.
That bowl took you so long to make, and now you're supposed to cover it in some mysterious liquid that might turn out completely different from what you imagined? Or you’re at that point where you're like: "Glazing? Wait, with what? How?"
There are dozens of guides and YouTube videos and TikToks about how to glaze, and they are probably all very thorough. But they can be scary, too.
Focus on the process and forget about the outcome - at first.
Because they talk about all the mistakes you could make that you didn’t even think about in the first place. That's not the best start. With glazing, it's like with a lot of things in life: try and see what happens.
And if it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted? Next time, you’ll get another chance.
Still, we’ve got some starting points and ideas for you right here. Come along!
This guide shows you, in a relaxed and fear-free way, how to glaze ceramics by letting go of perfectionism, trying simple techniques, and trusting that the process will bring a new, beautiful result every time.
Glazing Guide:
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Glazing feels intimidating. We show you why your bowl doesn’t need protection, why mistakes are mostly myths, and how letting go of expectations opens the door to unexpectedly beautiful results.
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This part breaks down the simplest glazing techniques, the minimal tools you actually need, and why even streaky coats sort themselves out in the kiln.
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And the cool part? The more you glaze, the better you get. Here are a few tips for the road.
Part 1.
Stop Overthinking, Start Glazing
So let's go back to that bowl.
It's your precious little bowl. And here's the thing: this is where it gets good. This is where we stop overthinking and start making things beautiful.
Application Techniques
We've got options here, and they all work just fine. We're picking what feels right for us and our piece.
Brushing is great for beginners and more intricate work. We have control and we can actually see what we're doing.
Dipping gives us even coverage but requires a large amount of glaze and some experience. We're talking full commitment here — dunk that piece in, let it drip, done. It's quick, it's efficient, but we need to practice our technique first.
Pouring works beautifully for the inside of cups, vases, or planters. Pour it in with a high measuring cup, swirl it around, pour the excess back out. It can be easier than trying to brush inside a narrow opening but takes a little more courage.
We can also spray glaze if we have access to a spray booth and compressor, but let's be real — most of us are starting with a brush and a bucket, and that's perfectly fine.
The Golden Rule
We cannot mess this up! Sure, things might turn out differently than expected, but different often means surprisingly cool.
We're making art here, not building rocket ships.
Embrace the process.
Go on that journey.
That's the whole point.
Ok, so let’s start
Look, we could spend hours mixing our own glazes from scratch, because people say it's the right thing to do.
Or we could use pre-mixed glazes and actually focus on the technique first. Neat idea!
So, that's decided for now. See? That was easy. Now you can choose between dipping and brushing. Both techniques work well for beginners!
Part 2.
Pick Your Technique — The Actual Glazing Process
Step 1:
Prep the Bisque Ware
Our pottery needs to be bisque-fired first (that's the first firing that turns clay from fragile to just-slightly-less-fragile).
Before we start glazing:
Wipe your piece down with a damp sponge to remove dust. (Don't skip this step. We've been there and it makes a difference.)
Make sure it's completely dry. For a bisque-fired piece, this will take less than a minute.
The Bottom Line (like, literally!)
We cannot stress this enough: Keep the bottom clean. No glaze there. Not even a small drop. We carefully wipe the bottom clean with a damp sponge after glazing.
Pro-Tip: When you're not sure if your glaze will melt too much and drip in the kiln: use a cookie. That's a bisque-fired disk you can use like a coaster for your cold drink on a hot summer day — and you'll be fine.
Step 2:
Choose Your Application Technique
Brushing
Equipment needed:
your brush-on glaze
one or two fairly wide brushes
sponge or cloth
a small bowl with water
heat gun (totally optional)
Method:
Use a soft brush, preferably one with synthetic bristles, as they tend to take up the glaze more evenly. If you have two or more brushes, try which one gives you the best feeling.
Here's where it gets interesting: You will apply more than one coat when glazing pottery. Always. Even if that Instagram reel you saw didn't show it. Glaze needs more than one coat. Most people will tell you to do one coat in one direction and then the second one in the opposite direction. Honestly, we don't see the difference. So go about it however you like.
The important thing is to let each coat dry before adding the next — dry-to-the-touch dry. If you're a little more on the impatient side (we certainly are), you can use a blow dryer or heat gun to dry the coat more quickly.
Apply 2–3 coats. Leave the bottom or the foot ring glaze-free — that's where your piece touches the kiln. Wipe excess off with a damp sponge or cloth.
What you need to hear now is: yes, it will look streaky. That's normal! The kiln will sort it out.
Dipping
Equipment needed:
ready-made dipping glaze
glazing tongs or disposable gloves
a wide bucket for larger pieces
a smaller tall container for narrow pieces
sponge or cloth for cleanup
small bowl with water
small soft brush for touch-ups
Method:
Hold your piece with glazing tongs or your (gloved) hands. Firmly but gently. It needs a little practice. If you want to be on the super-safe side, you can practise with water first.
Dip smoothly and quickly — 3–5 seconds. Submerge completely, count to three (or five), pull it out in one motion.
Let excess drip off. Hold it over the bucket and let gravity do its job. Give it a gentle shake if needed and let it slide gently onto the table.
Now you can touch up tong marks or fingerprints with a brush dipped in glaze, wait 2 seconds, and blend them smooth.
Don't double-dip immediately. Need a second coat? Wait until the first one is really dry. Dipping wet glaze creates a mess that'll peel off.
After dipping, check the bottom. If glaze got down there (it probably did), wipe it off with a damp sponge or cloth right away. Clean bottom = happy kiln shelf!
Be thorough with the cleanup. Also, you can touch up small spots that look like air bubbles with your finger. But don’t worry too much — it will most likely get smoothed out in the kiln!
A Little Extra:
Underglaze Pencils
Underglaze pencils are exactly what they claim to be: pencils that let you draw directly on bisque-fired pottery — and stay there after the kiln does its thing.
They behave like real pencils, just with ceramic color instead of graphite, so you can sketch, shade, cross-hatch, outline, letter… you name it.
They’re precise, controlled, and perfect when a brush feels too clumsy or when you want that fresh, modern look with lines and checkered patterns on your pieces.
Just know this: the lines might look a little subtle at first. They’ll show their true color once they’re fired. You can seal them under a clear or colored glaze and fire, or skip the clear coat for a more organic look — they won’t smudge or fade after being fired.
You’ll find them at your local pottery supplier or online. They’re not cheap (nothing in ceramics is), but they last quite a while if you treat them right.
How to use them well:
Sharpen them with a knife (super carefully — don’t hurt yourself).
Before drawing, rub the tip lightly on fine sandpaper to wake up the pigment.
Be bold — instead of layering scratchy lines, draw one confident line.
If you need a guide, you can sketch first with a regular graphite pencil. It’ll burn off in the kiln and disappear completely.
If you want to overglaze with brush-on glaze, gently blow off any dust first. Then apply a very thin coat with a sponge and let it dry completely. After that, build it up with a brush just like you normally would.
Part 3.
Trust The Process — A Few More Tips
When You’re Starting Out
We're building up color slowly, like we're painting layers of atmosphere. You can add as many (thin) layers as you like!
Read the label. Glaze labels tell us important things like firing temperature, number of coats needed, and whether it plays well with other glazes. Don't buy glazes that contain toxic chemicals. If you want to be super safe, get the ones that are food-safe, even if you don't plan on using them on tableware.
We're not glazing when we're rushed or tired. We're giving ourselves time to enjoy this. We know a lot of potters who hate glazing. We get it: a bisque-fired bowl looks lovely as is — silky-smooth and perfect. The process of glazing it turns it into this rough-looking, dull, pastel-colored thing. Accept that state for now, and it will become a masterpiece after firing.
Wear a mask when working with powdered glazes. Always wash your hands with warm water and soap after working with glazes of any sort.
When You're Getting Better
Before committing to glazing a masterpiece, let's make small test tiles with different glazes and combinations. If you think test tiles are a little too much, try making ceramic ornaments instead: Roll your clay about 0.5 cm thick, get some cookie cutters in cute shapes, add a small hole with a disposable straw, let it dry, bisque-fire them, and go crazy with glaz-y! They'll make nice gift tags for your friends!
Layering is where it gets interesting: once you're comfortable with single glazes, you can try combining different colors.
Playing with combinations: try a dark glaze on the inside, a lighter one on the outside, or dip the rim in one color and brush the body in another.
Try other types of coloring and decorating your pieces: Underglazes, Engobes, Oxides and Pigments
Keep a glaze journal with firing results: three months from now, when you pull that perfect mug out of the kiln, you're probably not going to remember how many coats you applied. The basics: glaze name and brand, number of coats, application method (brushed, dipped, poured), firing temperature. These notes are gold.