The Chill Glazing Manual
Look, glazing ceramics is a small challenge.
You’ve spent hours making that cup, tray or bowl. And now you’re looking at your bisque-fired bowl, glaze brush in hand.
Yeah, we see you.
That piece 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.
There are dozens of guides, YouTube videos and TikToks about how to glaze, and they’re probably all very thorough, but they can be scary, too. They talk about mistakes you never even thought of.
Not the best start.
With glazing, it's like with a lot of things in life:
try and see what happens.
If you need a little more guidance, we’ve got some starting points and ideas for you right here.
This manual 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.
01
Stop thinking,
Start Glazing
Let's start with that bowl.
It's your precious little bowl. And here's the thing: this is where it gets good.
o1
Application
Techniques
We've got options here, and they all work just fine. Pick what feels right for you and your piece.
Brushing is great for beginners and more intricate work. You just have a lot more control over the outcome.
Dipping gives you even coverage but requires a large amount of glaze and some experience. It's quick and it's efficient, but you have a little less control.
Pouring works beautifully for the inside of cups, vases, or planters. Pour it in with a tall 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.
You can also spray glaze if you 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!
02
The Golden Rule
You can’t mess this up. Either it’s a beautifully glazed bowl or a valuable lesson! We’re making art here, not building rocket ships. Go on that journey. That’s the whole point.
02
The Actual
Glazing Process
Pick Your Technique
01
Brushing
Equipment needed:
A brush-on glaze
1 or 2 fairly flat and wide brushes (best: with organic bristles that tend to hold more liquid than synthetic ones)
A sponge or cloth
A small bowl with water
Method:
If you have two or more brushes to choose one, try which one gives you the best feeling and most confindent strokes.
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 next one in the opposite direction. We stick to that practice, too.
The important thing is to let each coat dry completely before adding the next. Like dry-to-the-touch dry. The whole thing. 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 (look at what the box says). Leave the bottom or the foot ring glaze-free so you’ll have a fläche where it can stand in the kiln (write that). Wipe any excess off with a damp sponge or cloth.
What you need to hear now is: yes, it will look kinda streaky. and not very cool. That's normal! The kiln will sort it out.
02 Dipping
Equipment needed:
A ready-made dipping glaze
Glazing tongs or disposable gloves
A wide bucket for larger pieces
A smaller tall container for narrow pieces
A sponge or cloth for cleanup
A small bowl with water
A 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 practice with water first.
Dip smoothly and quickly for 3 seconds. Submerge completely, count to three, 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, then set it down on the table.
Now you can touch up tong marks or fingerprints with a brush dipped in glaze, wait 3 seconds, and blend them smooth.
Don’t double-dip immediately. Need a second coat? Wait until the first one is really dry. Dipping over 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. 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. Once the glaze is dry, rub any drips flat with your finger, too. Wear an FFP3/N99 mask for this, because dry glaze turns to dust.
03
Ready
set,
Go.
Prep your bisque ware
Your pottery needs to be bisque-fired first (that’s the first firing that turns clay from fragile to just-slightly-less-fragile).
Before you start glazing:
Wipe your piece down with a damp sponge with fresh water to remove any dust.
Make sure it’s dry before you glaze. The surface will feel dry almost instantly, but give it a few minutes more: damp bisque soaks up less glaze, so your coat ends up thinner.
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 the lines 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, or skip the glaze on the outside for a more organic look. Just keep unglazed pencil off surfaces that touch food or drink, like the inside or the rim.
You’ll find them at your local pottery supplier or online. They’re not super cheap, but they last quite a while.
A few tips:
Officially, you’re supposed to sharpen them with a sharp knife. We use a good, sharp pencil sharpener instead, because knives get dangerous fast and you waste a lot more pencil. Just skip the cheap ones: a dull sharpener breaks the core.
The tip wears down fast on bisque. Keep fine sandpaper nearby to bring it back to a point.
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. Or make a ruler out of a folded sheet of paper: it bends around curves, so your lines stay straight even on round pieces.
When you’re done drawing, dust off the loose pigment with a soft dry brush.
If you want to overglaze with brush-on glaze, apply a very thin and even first coat with a sponge and let it dry completely. After that, build it up with a brush just like you normally would.
Want zero smudge risk? Fire the drawing on in a second bisque firing before you glaze.
Forgot to sign your piece? Underglaze pencils are perfect for signing the bottom.
Want smoother lines? Some potters dip the tip in a little water before drawing, so the pencil glides more easily.
04
Before
firing.
The Bottom Line (like, literally!)
We cannot stress this enough:
Keep the bottom clean. No glaze there. Not even a small drop. Carefully wipe the bottom clean with a clean, 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 clay disk, a little wider than the base of your piece, that sits underneath it in the kiln, like a coaster under a cold drink on a hot summer day. If the glaze runs, it drips onto the cookie instead of your kiln shelf. Worst case, the cookie sticks to your piece, not the shelf.
A Few
More Tips
When You’re Starting Out
Build up color slowly, like painting layers of atmosphere. Even layers are your friend, just stick to the number of coats on the jar.
Read the label. Glaze labels tell us important things like firing temperature, number of coats needed, and whether it plays well with other glazes. If you want to keep things simple, look for glazes certified AP Non-Toxic. Making mugs, plates or bowls? Then the glaze needs to be labeled food safe or dinnerware safe.
Don’t start glazing when you’re rushed or tired. Give yourself 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 an FFP3/N99 respirator 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 More Confident
Make small test tiles with different glazes and combinations before committing to glazing a masterpiece. If you think test tiles are a little too much, try making ceramic ornaments instead: Roll your clay about 0.6 cm / ¼ inch thick, get some cookie cutters in cute shapes, punch a small hole with a disposable straw, let it dry, bisque-fire them, and go crazy with tha 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. Just keep layered combos on the outside of mugs and bowls, or test them first: some glazes that are food safe on their own aren’t when layered.
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 ways to color and decorate your pieces: underglazes, engobes, oxides and pigments.
Keep a glaze journal with firing results: 1 month 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.