Texture ideas please
 

Hi. I am new to this news group. I am taking a ceramics 2 class this
semester at college. I have been enjoying lately using material pieces to
texture my clay. What I am needing help on for idea is on using other items.
I have heard something about using items like grass and such to texture
pieces, but didn't know if theres some do's and don'ts along with it. My
instructor only recomends using cloth's, which im bored with now, though an
idea that I came across tonight about using lace could be an interesting
texture.

Ideas of any type are welcome. Oh, I had seen on some site online, the use
of rice for texture. But it mentioned that any pieces that had been left in
would 'pop' out, not just burn up. I am not sure if that would be safe for
other pottery being fired at the same time as mine, considering that I am in
a class, so could be as many as 50 other pieces being fired at the same time
as mine, that belong to other students.

Thanks

Meridith

Meridith: There are so many things with which to make textures---look in the
garden--leaves of all sorts, check out your kitchen drawers, look in your
jewelry box. I am always looking at earrings, charms to make cute stamps.
Roll pine branches on the clay. Plastic mesh bags that onions come in---waffle
weave rubber rug mats. I always have my eyes open for objects with which to
texture---it's like a game for me.
Good luck and have fun.
Martha

One of my favorites is corrugated paper. The inside of the little
square things that enclose light bulbs is a smaller version of
corrugated paper, and I've also found some with curved lines.

Janet

Meridith Davis wrote:

Hi. I am new to this news group. I am taking a ceramics 2 class this
semester at college. I have been enjoying lately using material pieces to
texture my clay. What I am needing help on for idea is on using other items.
I have heard something about using items like grass and such to texture
pieces, but didn't know if theres some do's and don'ts along with it. My
instructor only recomends using cloth's, which im bored with now, though an
idea that I came across tonight about using lace could be an interesting
texture.

Ideas of any type are welcome. Oh, I had seen on some site online, the use
of rice for texture. But it mentioned that any pieces that had been left in
would 'pop' out, not just burn up. I am not sure if that would be safe for
other pottery being fired at the same time as mine, considering that I am in
a class, so could be as many as 50 other pieces being fired at the same time
as mine, that belong to other students.

Thanks

Meridith

I've used leafs and grass to good effect. Some of that long ornamental
grass. Cockle burrs. Used a pine cone. Broken ends of sticks. Wax resist is
nice. Paint your pattern with melted wax and use a damp sponge to lightly
remove what is not covered. The contrast of the groggy and smooth surfaces
is nice. There are just a zillion possibilities. Go wild. Your imagination
is the only limiting factor. I think the rice problem is overblown, but with
so many other possibilities available, use something else.

Have fun,
Raj

Uh oh.... now you've done it Martha....

I'm now looking at everything in this light.... my cats are taking to hiding
under the bed. Cat hair pottery? Where are my clippers....




"Marmaj40" wrote in message
...
Meridith: There are so many things with which to make textures---look in
the
garden--leaves of all sorts, check out your kitchen drawers, look in your
jewelry box. I am always looking at earrings, charms to make cute stamps.
Roll pine branches on the clay. Plastic mesh bags that onions come
in---waffle
weave rubber rug mats. I always have my eyes open for objects with which
to
texture---it's like a game for me.
Good luck and have fun.
Martha

I use samples from discarded wallpaper samples and paper doilies. Of course
leaves and grasses also work well. They burn out in the bisque fire. No
worries.

Steve in Tampa, FL

"Meridith Davis" wrote in message
m...
Hi. I am new to this news group. I am taking a ceramics 2 class this
semester at college. I have been enjoying lately using material pieces to
texture my clay. What I am needing help on for idea is on using other
items.
I have heard something about using items like grass and such to texture
pieces, but didn't know if theres some do's and don'ts along with it. My
instructor only recomends using cloth's, which im bored with now, though
an
idea that I came across tonight about using lace could be an interesting
texture.

Ideas of any type are welcome. Oh, I had seen on some site online, the use
of rice for texture. But it mentioned that any pieces that had been left
in
would 'pop' out, not just burn up. I am not sure if that would be safe for
other pottery being fired at the same time as mine, considering that I am
in
a class, so could be as many as 50 other pieces being fired at the same
time
as mine, that belong to other students.

Thanks

Meridith

Have you tried crochet doilies or anything that has been crocheted makes a
nice imprint. I have used lace and it looks really cool. I've used those
tiny pastas that's shaped like a tiny teardrop and they worked well. The
ones that are about the size of a rice. They just get soft in the wet clay
after a while. They will burn out or you can remove them later with a needle
tool if they bother you. I've thought of, but haven't done it yet, alphabet
pasta. Tree bark is really cool if you can find some that is really textured
nicely. I've used clippings from all kinds of weeds or trees in my yard and
they look really cool. Well you ought to have some pretty good ideas. I'm
sure you will start looking at everything in a different way. Just get a wet
clay pad and start pressing different things in it to see how it comes out.
Rub it smooth again and try something else till you find some things that
you like. Then start pressing them into your made pieces. With foliage you
can leave it in to burn out later or you can remove it after it's been
impressed.
Have fun,
Crystal


"Meridith Davis" wrote in message
m...
| Hi. I am new to this news group. I am taking a ceramics 2 class this
| semester at college. I have been enjoying lately using material pieces to
| texture my clay. What I am needing help on for idea is on using other
items.
| I have heard something about using items like grass and such to texture
| pieces, but didn't know if theres some do's and don'ts along with it. My
| instructor only recomends using cloth's, which im bored with now, though
an
| idea that I came across tonight about using lace could be an interesting
| texture.
|
| Ideas of any type are welcome. Oh, I had seen on some site online, the use
| of rice for texture. But it mentioned that any pieces that had been left
in
| would 'pop' out, not just burn up. I am not sure if that would be safe for
| other pottery being fired at the same time as mine, considering that I am
in
| a class, so could be as many as 50 other pieces being fired at the same
time
| as mine, that belong to other students.
|
| Thanks
|
| Meridith
|
|

meridith - you hit on something i work to a sickness! TEXTURE! send me e-mail
and i'll send you some JPG files of pots & tools.

i've used saw blades, doillies, lace, toy truck tires (really Knarly Wheels
Man!), paint rollers, pasta cutters (wheels), pastry cutters (wheels), cake
decorating tools (tupperware and steel versions), rope & twine, pizza cutters
(the ones with saw teeth), tools for cement work, wood bark, stones, sand,
rice, saw dust.

i started making my own wheels and have versions with thorns, blades, X's and
Y's and O's, and zig zags, etc. (easiest understood with JPG pictures).

gather wallpaper tools to get blank rollers. scribe into these rollers or add
features to get other results.

it's a sickness! watch out or you'll get the bug! when i see large off road
trucks i wounder what i could do with their tires...

see ya

steve


Subject: Texture ideas please
From: (Marmaj40)
Date: 10/21/2004 11:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

Meridith: There are so many things with which to make textures---look in the
garden--leaves of all sorts, check out your kitchen drawers, look in your
jewelry box. I am always looking at earrings, charms to make cute stamps.
Roll pine branches on the clay. Plastic mesh bags that onions come
in---waffle
weave rubber rug mats. I always have my eyes open for objects with which to
texture---it's like a game for me.
Good luck and have fun.
Martha








steve graber

there's a crochet pattern called "pineapple" that makes a great impression.

ferns make great natural affects also. kinda like making your own fossils.

springs used to cut a slab off your bag of clay make neat affects.

i think the best result is to apply texture, and stretch the clay from there.
if texture is applied to a piece, it looks applied. but if it's STRECTHED
after applying it looks like it becomes part of the clay piece.

see ya

steve


Subject: Texture ideas please
From: "CNB"
Date: 10/22/2004 4:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

Have you tried crochet doilies or anything that has been crocheted makes a
nice imprint. I have used lace and it looks really cool. I've used those
tiny pastas that's shaped like a tiny teardrop and they worked well. The
ones that are about the size of a rice. They just get soft in the wet clay
after a while. They will burn out or you can remove them later with a needle
tool if they bother you. I've thought of, but haven't done it yet, alphabet
pasta. Tree bark is really cool if you can find some that is really textured
nicely. I've used clippings from all kinds of weeds or trees in my yard and
they look really cool. Well you ought to have some pretty good ideas. I'm
sure you will start looking at everything in a different way. Just get a wet
clay pad and start pressing different things in it to see how it comes out.
Rub it smooth again and try something else till you find some things that
you like. Then start pressing them into your made pieces. With foliage you
can leave it in to burn out later or you can remove it after it's been
impressed.
Have fun,
Crystal


"Meridith Davis" wrote in message
om...
| Hi. I am new to this news group. I am taking a ceramics 2 class this
| semester at college. I have been enjoying lately using material pieces to
| texture my clay. What I am needing help on for idea is on using other
items.
| I have heard something about using items like grass and such to texture
| pieces, but didn't know if theres some do's and don'ts along with it. My
| instructor only recomends using cloth's, which im bored with now, though
an
| idea that I came across tonight about using lace could be an interesting
| texture.
|
| Ideas of any type are welcome. Oh, I had seen on some site online, the use
| of rice for texture. But it mentioned that any pieces that had been left
in
| would 'pop' out, not just burn up. I am not sure if that would be safe for
| other pottery being fired at the same time as mine, considering that I am
in
| a class, so could be as many as 50 other pieces being fired at the same
time
| as mine, that belong to other students.
|
| Thanks
|
| Meridith
|
|










steve graber

Make your own rollers out of clay and bisque them. Make them about as
long as your hand and about two fingers thick. Center holes in each end
and after they are fired make a handle out of clothes hanger wire that
snaps into these holes.

On 10/22/04 9:33 PM, Slgraber wrote:
meridith - you hit on something i work to a sickness! TEXTURE! send me e-mail
and i'll send you some JPG files of pots & tools.

i've used saw blades, doillies, lace, toy truck tires (really Knarly Wheels
Man!), paint rollers, pasta cutters (wheels), pastry cutters (wheels), cake
decorating tools (tupperware and steel versions), rope & twine, pizza cutters
(the ones with saw teeth), tools for cement work, wood bark, stones, sand,
rice, saw dust.

i started making my own wheels and have versions with thorns, blades, X's and
Y's and O's, and zig zags, etc. (easiest understood with JPG pictures).

gather wallpaper tools to get blank rollers. scribe into these rollers or add
features to get other results.

it's a sickness! watch out or you'll get the bug! when i see large off road
trucks i wounder what i could do with their tires...

see ya

steve


Subject: Texture ideas please
From: (Marmaj40)
Date: 10/21/2004 11:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

Meridith: There are so many things with which to make textures---look in the
garden--leaves of all sorts, check out your kitchen drawers, look in your
jewelry box. I am always looking at earrings, charms to make cute stamps.
Roll pine branches on the clay. Plastic mesh bags that onions come
in---waffle
weave rubber rug mats. I always have my eyes open for objects with which to
texture---it's like a game for me.
Good luck and have fun.
Martha








steve graber