Whats the difference between glaze and underglaze?
Glaze is a blend of powdered chemicals and minerals mixed with water and applied to clay. When fired to the glaze’s maturation temperature it melts and becomes a thin layer of colored glass that fuses to the clay and acts as a decorative and utilitarian surface on the clay. Underglaze as conveyed in its name is a similar blending of minerals as in glaze with the addition of clay and other less melting components along with a greater content of color producing chemicals that allow the user to do more detailed decoration on the clay surface before applying a usually desired protective layer of glaze on top of the underglaze. Separate firings of underglaze and glaze is NOT always necessary but may be advantageous in extremely detailed underglazing applications.
