Transform daily objects into veritable works of art

Water based porcelain and ceramic paints have revolutionised the art of porcelain painting. Thanks to them everybody can have a go at this wonderful technique, turning glass, ceramic, porcelain objects into a real work of art. All paints are fixed by simple 'cooking' in a conventional oven - no kiln is needed! The illustrations in this article show some of the possible results. The water based colours are thermo-hardening and specifically designed to adhere to surfaces such as porcelain, terracotta, metal, glass, and ceramic. Their ease of use and flexibility (soluble in water and re-dissolvable when dry) make for a perfect medium for schools and decorative arts enthusiasts. After baking, the colours offer an amazing finish - resembling that of a glaze, and they are waterproof and dishwasher safe!

How are the colours used?

These colours are suitable for all supports that are thermo-stable up to about 180C. Dependant on the absorption of your support you can play with the colour in numerous ways - multiple coats, washes when diluted with water, and even thicker coats to give more impact to the finished project. For multiple coats allow the previous to dry for at least 20 minutes, and for wash effects if you use too much water the paint may lose its adherence - although most manufacturers sell mediums to correct this.
All objects to be painted should be clean, dry, and grease free before work starts - to do this use turpentine, white or methylated spirit and a lint free rag.
If you want to make corrections before baking this can be done with a paint brush and some water or alcohol.
All work should be left 24hrs before baking, as with most paints thicker coats may well need longer than this. Firing temperatures vary from manufacturer to manufacturer - see product labels for details.

Firing your work

After drying for about 24hrs in the open air, place your object in a cold oven, and set the temperature given on the packet. After the oven reaches the temperature given leave it about 35 minutes. After this time switch off the oven but leave the object inside whilst the oven cools down. For large objects the firing time can be extended by up to 10 minutes.
Firing times and temperatures are the determining factors to the finish of the article, colours won't glaze properly if the firing time is too short or not hot enough. However on the other hand over do the firing and the colours will brown as they burn.
A cooking smell is quite normal during firing.

Choose your colours

In the Great Art catalogue you'll find Pebeo Porcelain 150 and Hobby line Porzellan 160 in the Ceramics section of the catalogue. Schjerning porcelain paints are featured on our website.
If you choose one colour it is advisable to buy your medium from the same manufacturer. For really porous surfaces like terracotta some manufacturers offer a primer to apply as an undercoat before working - see the catalogue for details.