Wax Resist as Pottery Decoration

Wax resist is best known by potters for use in keeping bottoms and rims clear of glaze. Wax resist is also an impressive pottery decoration technique.

Wax has been used in the crafts and arts for hundreds of years. Although it has not always used as a resist to water-based or oil-based liquids, this is the "job" we are most familiar with.

I do need to add a precautionary warning here.... Burning out too much of anything in your electric kiln is bad for the elements. That includes wax. I've not had trouble with this, but I don't have much burning out when I fire, either.

One way to avoid the burn-out woes with wax is to warm it (after glazing or whatever) with a hairdryer, then blot the area several times with a paper towel. This can remove a lot of excess wax before the piece goes in the kiln. Just be gentle as you do this, so you don't mar the raw glaze coat!

Another way to avoid problems is to fire pieces inside saggers.