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Here are a few pieces with this "Sahara" enamel:

To find this glaze, which I call "sahara", my starting point was my research into the Vert forêt glaze. The test below was found by adding kaolin and copper to my Tressaillé transparent oak ash glaze:

So I started with the sample (in the red dot on the picture above). I removed the copper and replaced it with rutile in different proportions:

The test with the larger amount of rutile gives me a matte but melted and slightly runny look. This is the first time I will be working with this type of glaze (matte). I find the look and the idea interesting. So I'm starting with this sample and testing it on larger pieces:

Small disappointment... The color is there, the matte aspect too but it doesn't really look like the visual of my sample... 2 solutions: either I didn't enamel the pieces thick enough, or I end up with the same disappointment during my tests for the development of the Forest Green enamel.

Before performing a thickness test, I decided to decrease the kaolin concentration at this base; here is the result:

The sample on the right (with the highest kaolin concentration and corresponding to the large piece tests above) shows again an interesting result. The very mixed results on the large pieces must be due to the thickness of the glaze, as I was able to prove when developing the Forest Green glaze.

A thickness test here too should make it possible to realize this(link to build a small tool to measure the thickness of the enamel):

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Here are a few pieces with this "Cobalt Blue" enamel:

To obtain this "Cobalt Blue" glaze, my starting point was my initial research with oak ash, thanks to which I had obtained a transparent Tressaillé glaze. I decided to keep the same base and add cobalt metal oxides in different proportions:

The enamel being quite transparent, I try to add zirconium silicate to try to make it more opaque, while keeping the crackle network:

We observe that at low concentration the zirconium silicate has no obvious effect and at high concentration the braiding is absent or masked. This is not the desired effect, so I go back to my original tests:

We can see that the glaze is very runny. The left sample lacks blue and the middle one has too much (in my opinion). I decide to continue the tests by using a concentration of cobalt between the 2 left tests. While selecting this concentration of oxides, I also add silica:

The result is more relevant. I choose the middle sample to proceed to a thickness test (You have a small description of the tool making here):

The enamel remains runny just like my Lichen Green, be sure to apply it to pieces that allow it.

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Here are a few pieces with this "Linen" enamel:

To obtain this "Linen" glaze, I followed the same methodology as for my Water Green glaze. Namely, I had my Tressaillé transparent glaze based on oak ash. I then added various oxides in different concentrations.

Here, the addition of nickel oxide at different concentrations is visible:

The 3rd sample seems interesting! Is the fact of having 2 different brown samples in the same glaze due to a different thickness or a beginning of crystallization? Anyway, I select this sample and I vary the silica:

Here we can clearly see the impact of silica on this glaze: more silica implies a less flowing and less melted glaze. I select the 2nd sample which does not flow too much but allows to keep the 2 different colors.

I can't wait to see what the thickness test is going to give (You have a description of the tool making process here). Will we keep the 2 colors? Will the result be yellow when the thickness is great and brown when it is less? :

Bingo! When the enamel appears, we get a beige/gray color while the enamel appears brown in thin layers or on the edges.

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Here are a few pieces with this "Cornflower" enamel:

I discovered this "Bleuet" glaze when I was researching a rose, in this case my Vieux rose. I then obtained a pink as can be seen here:

The goal of my research was to develop a purple glaze from this pink. To do this, I added to the sample (with the red dot) a little cobalt oxide in different proportions:

The sample with a high cobalt content will result in my Night Blue. But I use the second sample to develop my Blueberry!

Finding the color and the aspect already interesting, I realize a test of thickness (You have a small description of the manufacture of the tool here):

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Here are a few pieces with this "Old Rose" enamel:

To obtain this "Old Rose" glaze, I followed the same methodology as for my Water Green glaze. Namely, I had my Tressaillé transparent glaze based on oak ash, to which I then added various oxides in different concentrations.

Here we can see the addition of manganese oxide at different concentrations:

I select the middle sample and in the same way as for my Water Green glaze, I add silica:

I like the sample n°6! We can observe a color close to mauve.

In order to accentuate even more to go towards pink or purple, I perform a series of tests starting with sample #6 and adding to it:

• Different concentrations of cobalt:

Here I discover 2 new colors! You can follow their development: here for " Bleuet " (the 2nd sample) and here for " Bleu nuit " (the 4th sample).

• Different concentrations of titanium:

• Different concentrations of rutile:

• Different concentrations of zinc:

The additions of titanium, rutile and zinc do not bring me anything very convincing. However, the addition of cobalt is interesting! So here I am with 3 new colors to explore!

Then I decide to make a thickness test for the purple enamel without any addition (You have a small description of the tool making here):

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Here are a few pieces with this "Litchi" enamel:

To obtain this "Litchi" glaze, I followed the same methodology as for my Vert d'eau glaze. Namely, I had my Tressaillé transparent glaze based on oak ash. I then added various oxides in different concentrations.

Below, we can see the addition of rutile at different concentrations:

A white appears! And at high concentration, we even observe small crystals! These first tests suggest interesting effects...

I then proceed to add silica with the high concentration of rutile (sample with the red dot):

Following this test, we find our small crystals. We can also observe that the more silica is added, the less the enamel flows. Thus, the white is tinted with small red-brown touches. I select the middle sample to proceed to a thickness test (You have a small description of the tool making here):

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Here are some examples of achievements with this larch green enamel:

It was while researching the " Lichen Green " glaze that I developed this "Larch Green" glaze. In fact, during the development of the " Forest Green " glaze, I decided to reduce the concentration of copper oxide and obtained this:

Following a failure during the test on a large piece of Forest Green glaze, I decided to lower the kaolin content and tested with the 2 copper concentrations (the left column will provide the Larch Green and the right column the Forest Green):

The result of the left column shows a satin enamel showing darker crystals.
I select sample 3 of the first column and perform a thickness test(link to build a small tool to measure enamel thickness):

A notable result is obtained from sample 3.

I decide to test on large pieces trying to apply a thickness higher than 3. Moreover, we can observe a non flowing glaze even for a thickness of 5. This will help us for its application and limit the risks during the firings:

The test is conclusive! The enamel joins my collection!

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Here are some examples of achievements with this Forest Green glaze:

This "Forest Green" glaze was discovered during the development of the Lichen Green glaze. I also tried to vary the alumina content by adding kaolin:

The result is just as unexpected as with the addition of silica(link). Even more unexpected! That's what's so exciting about this research: you expect something, or you don't, and then you're surprised by the appearance of a color or texture!
Close-up on "Forest Green":

It's pretty crazy how a glaze can change so much by adding a few grams of this! This type of enamel a little metallic matte with glittery highlights are the ones I like best I think.

The failure of the appearance of the Forest Green

I decided to test it right away on a small room:

In parallel to the test on a larger piece, and finding the enamel dark enough I decided to decrease the concentration of copper oxide, you can follow the continuation of this research here:

Then, big disappointment: the test on a large piece is a complete failure! As if the enamel had not melted enough. The test with less copper (just above) also shows a less melted enamel.

I assume that the kaolin was incorrectly weighed during the first test. So I decide to lower the kaolin level to try to find the initial aspect and I take the opportunity to do the test with the 2 copper concentrations.

More and more interesting and complex at the same time! The sample at the bottom right is the same as the initial test and I find the same result. So maybe the problem on the big pieces came from the weighing for the big piece test and not from the previous test!

Understanding failure

In view of the above results, I decide to select the 2nd sample in the right column (which corresponds to a concentration of 2% Copper) thus with a little less kaolin than the initial test and, rather than trying on a large piece, I proceed to a thickness test:

Once again, it is thanks to the thickness test(link to build a small tool to measure the thickness of the enamel) that we solve the enigma encountered during the tests on large parts. Indeed, we notice a great similarity between the results obtained on the large parts and the sample with thickness n°2. The problem comes therefore from the thickness of enamel applied and not from an error in weighing the kaolin.

In order to confirm the previous test, we proceed to a new test on a large piece. However, we apply a thickness of at least 3 or 4:

Bingo!

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Here are some pieces with this Beige enamel:

To make this "Beige" glaze, my starting point was my White glaze, to which I added manganese in different proportions:

Samples 3 and 4 (red dot) catch my attention, so I keep these manganese concentrations.

Tin oxide, as part of my White glaze, is a rather expensive raw material. According to the literature, it is possible to use zirconium silicate as a substitute. So I replace the tin oxide with zirconium silicate. I use the 2 concentrations of manganese selected above and vary the zirconium silicate in two different concentrations:

On the top is the low concentration of manganese and on the bottom the slightly higher concentration. On the left, the concentration of Zirconium silicate is lower than on the right. I select 2 trials (red dot).

However, the glaze seems very runny. I know that, for this enamel base (I specify this enamel base, because it is not a general truth!), adding kaolin allows, in principle, to make it less fusible. So I proceeded to a test by progressively adding kaolin:

We observe that sample n°4 is less flowing.

I decided to test this formula on larger pieces:

The result is good! I then proceed to a thickness test(link to build a small tool to measure the thickness of the enamel):

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Here are a few examples of projects using this "Chair" enamel:

To make this "Chair" glaze, my starting point was my White glaze, to which I added nickel in different proportions:

Samples 1 and 2 (red dot) hold my attention, I keep these nickel concentrations. In this article, we will follow the progress of the tests on sample n°1.

Tin oxide, as part of my White glaze, is a rather expensive raw material. According to the literature, it is possible to use zirconium silicate as a substitute. So I replace the tin oxide with zirconium silicate. I use the 2 nickel concentrations selected above and vary the zirconium silicate in two different concentrations:

At the top, we find the low concentration of nickel. We have the impression that the beginning of a pink tint appears. I do some research on the net and, indeed, nickel can bring this pink tint! So we continue with this. In the previous recipes, zinc was omnipresent to obtain a pink nickel glaze. So, I'm doing a progression test with the addition of zinc, as well as with titanium. We'll see!

The above test with zinc does not lead to anything very interesting. I give up on that.

On the other hand, with titanium, the first sample with 1% titanium removes the speckled side of the enamel but provides a beautiful flesh-colored nappé enamel:

I'll do a test on larger pieces to see the result:

As we can see, the result is as expected!

I proceed to a thickness test(link to build a small tool to measure the thickness of the enamel) to finish validating this enamel:

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