Colored clay murrini techniques (similar to neriage or nerikomi) have been around for a long time. And lucky for us, we now have a gigantic range of colors to choose from because of the availability of stains and various oxides, which are easily acquired through ceramics suppliers. Chris Campbell has been working with colored pottery clay for twenty years and, as she puts it, has not "come close to trying everything I want to do...there always seems to be another question, another idea. It's just so much fun."
Today Chris joins us to help spread the fun with a simple colored clay murrini project. Even though the project only starts with two different colors of pottery clay, by mixing different proportions of the two colors, and arranging the results in different patterns in a loaf, surprisingly intricate patterns can be developed. - Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor
"Basically, I do what I do because there is nothing else that fascinates and challenges me as much as colored porcelain. I've been working with it for 20 years and still have not come close to trying everything I want to do ... there seems to always be another question, another idea. It's just so much fun." Colored clay murrini techniques have been in use since the times of the Ancient Egyptians. Yet, even with this deep history, very few Western ceramicists try using colored clay other than in single-toned clay slips. They seem to favor glazes that hide the surface of the pot, rather than using techniques that expose the clay. You can find some agate wares and sprigging, but colored clays are not part of many potters "tool kits."
The Murrini Process
1. Make two doorstop shaped wedges of the different colors and line them up thickest end to thinnest end as shown in this image. You can slice this now squared loaf into as many slices as you want. Fewer slices will result in bolder color changes. Ifyou want softer and more gradual color changes, cut more slices.
2. When you remove the slices you must number each one so you will remember which order they were in. This is the most important step. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
3. Knead each slice until the colors are blended to your satisfaction, then set them aside AFTER NUMBERING EACH ONE AGAIN. At this point I would make a small test disc of each color and fire it to be sure I liked the results. You do not want to put all the work into a patterned loaf only to find out the colors are wrong.
4. Roll out each ball of colored clay and cut them to the same width and thickness using a simple cardboard template. You will be using half of the pieces to create a simple striped loaf and saving the other pieces for later.
5. Place the pieces on your worktable in the order you wish to stack them.
6. For this project, I have brushed a thick black slip between each layer to make a thin line between colors
7. This is my multi-hued striped loaf.
8. Now we will be combining layers of this striped loaf with your reserved colored slices to make an attractive patterned loaf. The first thing to do is to cut the striped loaf into even slices using two identical boards or rulers as guidelines for your cutting wire.
9. Place the reserved solid-colored slices and your striped slices on your table in the order you want to use them. The order is strictly up to you.
10. Begin placing the striped slices by measuring and trimming until they match the size of the plain-colored slices. You should note that I have had to cut some in thirds to get the correct size.
11. Alternate the striped slices whimsically with the plain pieces checking to make sure you like the emerging pattern. Use a thin coating of black slip between the layers to create a thin shadow.
12. Tap the finished loaf gently on all sides to ease the slices together. Do not worry about air pockets as you will be able to smooth them out as you use the individual slices.
13. This is my finished stacked loaf. I recommend letting the loaf rest for a day or two before using it to build forms or for decorating.
14. This is a slice off the loaf that I can then use for handbuilding pieces.
It is simple to expand your use of color from boring single tones to the rainbow of hues available through mixing stains into clay. I use Mason Stain colors mixed with Southern Ice Porcelain to create my original designs in very vibrant colors. I mix the Mason stains with just enough water to create a creamy solution. I use my mixer to knead in the stain solution until the color is even throughout the clay body. This can also be done by hand. The finished clay should be soft as cookie dough.
**First published in 2015
FAQs
Nerikomi—also known as neriage—was first created in Japan, and it involves stacking and cutting colored pieces of clay to form different patterns.
What is the art of making beautiful things using clay called? ›
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form.
What methods can be used to create a patterned design on clay? ›
Using found objects or bisque/plaster molds to impress a pattern on the clay that you then use to create a form integrates that pattern into the form in a more intense way, akin to using a textured fabric to form a garment rather than a printed one.
What are the techniques of Neriage clay? ›
Neriage, or agateware, is done by laminating different colored clays together and throwing them on a wheel to develop a swirling and spiraling blend of the clays. Objects made this way can be left with the swirl pattern, or altered by various forms of cutting the surface, with fluting and faceting.
What are the three main clay techniques? ›
The three methods of handbuilding are pinching, coiling and slab building. Once you have experience with these three methods, you can make just about any object out of clay.
What is the magic clay? ›
Crayola Model Magic® is an air-drying modeling compound that remains lightweight and somewhat flexible even when dry. More information about Model Magic can be found here. Crayola Modeling Clay is a non-drying modeling compound. It can be sculpted, squished, and reused, providing hours of creative fun.
What art technique is used for clay? ›
Sculpting: Sculpting is the process of shaping and carving the clay by hand or using various tools. This technique allows for a high degree of detail and is commonly used for creating figurines, busts, and other intricate forms. Sculpting requires patience, practice, and a keen eye for proportions and form.
What is crafting with clay called? ›
Nov 17, 2023. Pottery is an ancient and captivating art form that involves shaping and firing clay to create beautiful, functional objects. Whether you're new to the world of ceramics or looking to expand your knowledge, it's essential to grasp some fundamental pottery terms.
What is clay Modelling called? ›
Modelling clay or modelling compound is any of a group of malleable substances used in building and sculpting. The material compositions and production processes vary considerably. A bust of the sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, by Auguste Rodin (1882).
What are the two methods of creating patterns in art? ›
An artist may create a pattern through the repetition of certain colours in their work, or use repetitive lines to form patterns. Patterns can be shapes, whether that be geometric or unique in design. Take Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans (1962) for example.
There are also a range of techniques used to apply texture to clay to create a decorative surface, these include impressing, piercing, rouletting , incising, stamping, making marks made on the wheel and burnishing.
How does a clay pugmill work? ›
How Does a Pugmill Work? Pugmills generate rapid mixing action using the counter-rotation of the the two mixing shafts as well as the inclined position of the mixing blades resulting in an intense vertical and horizontal mixing motion.
What is the difference between neriage and Nerikomi? ›
Neriage is the act of mixing at least two colored clay bodies together, which will create swirling and spiraling patterns when thrown on the wheel. Nerikomi works are hand built and then carved or faceted into to create a variation of patterns on the clay surface accenting the mixed clay bodies.
What is the Japanese technique known as neriage? ›
The Japanese ceramic technique Neriage is an artistic process that involves the mixing and layering of different colored clays to create intricate patterns and wonderful designs. It is characterized by its ability to produce stunning, marble-like visual effects on ceramic pieces through turning or hand building.
What is the Japanese clay firing technique? ›
The Raku technique is essentially when glazed ceramics are taken from the kiln while they are still glowing red hot and are then placed in a material that would be able to catch fire, such as sawdust or newspaper. This technique is used to starve the piece of oxygen, which creates a myriad of colors within the glaze.
What is the Japanese clay carving technique? ›
Kuri Nuki is a traditional Japanese form of handbuilding. The word means 'carving out' and it involves shaping a solid block of clay, then carving out a vessel to create 'interior space'. It is a more sculptural approach to making and the interior of the piece is just as important as the exterior.
What is the Wabi Sabi pottery technique? ›
The Japanese art of Kintsugi repairs broken pottery with gold, to highlight its beauty and imperfections – a philosophy that shines as a metaphor for life.
