The Bottom Line
Pros
- Can be used on greenware as well as bisqued pottery.
- Can easily be applied heavily enough for techniques such as sgraffito.
- Even yellow and red hold up to cone six. (Always test, though.)
- Rather thick, which allows you control over if and how much to thin with water.
Cons
- Can become rather lumpy. Follow directions about shaking or stirring.
- Sometimes needs to be re-stirred during application by brush.
Description
- Lead-free and dinnerware safe (when used as directed) liquid underglaze. Comes in plastic, non-breakable jars.
- Comes in a 16 oz. size, which is a nice size for anyone using a lot of underglazes.
- Colors of the raw underglaze are a fair approximation of their fired colors.
- Colors rated for cone 06 to 6. Best used under transparent glazes. Recommended use with Speedball earthenware glazes.
Guide Review - Speedball Liquid Underglazes
Speedball liquid underglazes allow for any number of decorative techniques on both greenware and bisqued pottery. They can be used very much like slips or thinned for washy effects and painting. Colors blend well and are formulated to be a fairly close approximation to their fired color. When fired, colors stay well; they are rated up to cone six. (It is always a good idea to test them according to your own needs and usage, however.)
If you want to do detailed or fine brushwork with these underglazes, I'd suggest using them on bisqueware. I found that when I used these on greenware, it allowed for a nice fluidity in the application, but fine detailing was tougher to achieve.
My main complaint is that they seem to settle quite quickly. When doing brushwork with them, I found that I needed to work in fairly small batches and shake the bottle thoroughly before squirting more out into a tiny cup.