Agateware/Nerikomi Patterns with Colored Porcelain #2

[@renefarkle5005]

Can't wait to see what you make with this!

[@CeramicJim]

This block was a long time ago and I made some test pieces with it but never finished them. Oh well. I’ll have to make some more I suppose. I’d like to retry this design again.

[@hobbypotter]

Love it, always enjoy!

[@CeramicJim]

Thank you so much! Means a lot coming from you! You are so positive I love your channel!

[@elizabethaaronson7978]

I love your videos and am starting to work with colored clay. What do you make with the strips and blocks when you are not throwing or using a mold. Seem like you would need huge pieces to slab build.

[@CeramicJim]

Sometimes I wrap slabs into cylinders and attach them to wheel thrown discs.

[@elizabethaaronson7978]

@@CeramicJim Thanks so much for responding!

[@CeramicJim]

I'm pretty happy with how the spirals turned out but what do you think? Any ideas for patterns for future videos? LMK!

[@tortugamoon2073]

Flowers! Stars. Infinity loop? Yin and yang.

[@foreverroadtrips1951]

I’d really have liked to seen something post kiln But thanks for sharing

[@CeramicJim]

It’s hard to do it all and include it in the same video but I’m doing more and have considered getting lost firing shots in ahead of time.

[@lydiabosley5544]

Hey Jim, Just stumbled across your series, really enjoying watching and learning, can't wait to try it. Thought at first it must be easier to get a consistent blend by mixing dry materials first, but by your example I see how much faster it is just adding stains to (wet) clay. I love purple, and found one mason stain that was REALLY expensive, tried (just once) adding it to clay but it barely showed... maybe didn't do percentages right ... but it seems like weighing the (wet) clay or weighing dried material would make a vastly different ratio between clay and stain, right? Anyway I'll have to do some experimenting with your help - thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. Don't hesitate to make your videos longer ~ I'm always wishing they were! (used to watching Hsin Chuen Lin who does half an hour or more... love watching him). Thanks again, great inspiration!!

[@CeramicJim]

Thanks Lydia. Yes, wet vs. dry does make a difference but if you're adding to wet clay by percentage it should be stronger than dry because you're adding based on the additional weight of the water. Was the clay really white? Did you fire it yet? Some colors take higher percentages to work. Pinks and yellows need more. Maybe purples too, that's the one color I haven't used. I will take your advice to heart. Thanks Lydia!!!!

[@purpledreamer7465]

Thank you for this vedio

[@CeramicJim]

It's my pleasure

[@madelinevictoriapolkowski6200]

Where do you find the pigment I am looking to get my hands on some of it and what is the best white clay to use for colored clay at cone 6

[@CeramicJim]

Any white clay works. The key is as a white as you can so the colors show true and vivid. I buy my stain from US Pigment is South Elgin, IL. They have all the typically stains and some exclusive stains that the owner makes himself. Let them know I sent you!

[@shaunathompson2562]

Hi Jim…I just discovered Nerikomi and have watched lots of videos and find yours really informative. I do have a question: when making blocks of different coloured layers, do you need to score them to prevent cracking? I just made a 14-layer block using white clay, black slip and different coloured clay sausages wedged between the layers. I didn’t score before putting everything together. After all that work, I’m afraid the layers will break apart after I’ve made the mug. Any input you may have would be great! Thanks!

[@CeramicJim]

Hi Shauna. Short answer is no. This was early on in my knowledge and there weren’t many videos for me to go off of and learn. I always scored as a precaution because I had had some piece or patterns split or crack apart and scoring was a good insurance policy. As I got better I first realized that score marks show up,which is annoying, and that working better and storing longer allows those patterns or layers to stick just fine. Work wetter, brush pieces with water or slip and press together. The hard part is waiting and giving the clay time to even out in moisture stay stuck together.

[@CeramicJim]

*working wetter. Not better. But also working better is good 😁👍

[@shaunathompson2562]

Thanks so much for your replies! Any other suggestions or things you’ve learned about this technique would be great, too. I couldn’t tell from your videos if you were brushing on water or something else. How king do you store the blocks ?

[@shaunathompson2562]

*long do you store….flipping iPad keyboard!🤣