Expert: Leisha Hiester - 8/4/2008

Question
QUESTION: I recently purchased the Hershey Mold Co four seasons cannister set which if you are not familiar with the piece, has a highly detailed center depicting one of the four seasons ( 3d trees, houses, animals,people) I did this yearrrrrssssssssss ago lol where I used Duncan opaque stains and antiqued the detailed area sealing with a paint on sealer. I am no longer in touch with the couple I did this for so I have no clue how it held up. I am doing this set as a surprise for my Mother (was lucky to find it) whom just had her kitchen remodeled and still has a set of cannisters I made her 24 years ago (lol they were done with a crystaltone glaze and are in yellow her kitchen is now pale pink ohhhhhhhhh boy gotta love her)She has cleaned the old set up and wanted to use them...nawwwwww no can let her do hahaha. (My Mom will wear a shirt with flowers and plaid pants so it is time for some daughter intervention)
I would like to use Underglazes on the piece, have had great success using Duncan cover Coats on bisque after wetting the area before applying, the problem I am having is that I want to antique this piece after I fire the underglaze but not sure what I should use to obtain the same effect that antiquing over stains does. My reason for doing this in underglazes is because my Mom is a neat freak and washes EVERYTHING!! The set also has a set of mugs that I know will surely be submerged in water and stains are just not going to hold up no matter how much sealer is used. Please help, open to suggestions even if it means experimenting with another color product ( have only used Duncan for EVERYTHING) Thanks in advance!

ANSWER: Rae,
You sound like such a great daughter and what a colorful mom you have. I too love Duncan products. If you're familiar with them you know you'd want to coat the underglazes with a clear coat for gloss or a matte coat for satin type finish. How about trying one of the Envision glazes that are transluscent? Take a look at Ivory Belleek IN1629, Parchment IN1038 or Mocha Cream for a darker look IN 1039. Try out a test piece first, but I'll bet one of these will give you that antiqued look you're going for.
Let me know how it turns out.
Leisha

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Leisha, thanks for such a speedy response!!! Shes says I am the best daughter/son a woman can have lol I am an only child and am fortunate to be able to do almost everything, I dabble in electric, auto mechanics, drywall and construction, upholstery, sewing, glass etching, sculpting whew and lots more.
My ex fiance and I started new businesses this year. We both were approaching 50 and decided that it was time to do jobs that we enjoyed as our last hoorah, so his was towing and mine ceramics. We got a garage, built his tow truck, set me up in the back with 4 kilns and 1000 molds (gotta love ebay) and we also do auto repairs in the front. Our business is called Total Kare Auto and Krafts lol our motto "we do it all"
I had a successful ceramic shop 28 years ago and had sold everything I owned and gave up on the craft when I moved away from the area I lived in. So needless to say everything is new to me now. I was surprised how few shops there are, and the ones you can find are bisque only....I used to love the smell of greenware!!
I have used ivory belleek and love it, I make christmas trees for cancer survivors and use this in the place of stark white.
As I said I am out of sorts and had to go to the internet to find a conversion chart for certain glazes such as blue denim. I had a pint of it as an art glaze, but ran out and panicked when I saw it was no longer available, but whewwww it is now unleaded and had a new IN number.
Wouldn't you know I bought 6 bottles of a glaze that is discontinued, but it is the perfect pink and has crystals that become burgundy and brown teeny specks and fires out in satin. Gonna try to make it stretch because I am set on using that. The pink in her kitchen is ultra pale and this is the PERFECT match. I had picked teddy bear brown for the inside, bottom , and lids but guess what...lol it too has been discontinued so I am using espresso. Now the area that has me concerned is an oval shaped picture on the front of each cannister, mug , creamer, sugar, and the s&p shakers. the ring around the picture I plan to put premium gold ( she really liked the gold I put on her old cannisters, and the way this set has the  3d oval ring around the area to be antiqued it's crying to have gold)
My plan was to paint the scenes on the bisque in underglazes, then glaze the bottom and inside and lids as the first firing. Then I wanted to antique the underglazed picture, glaze the sides with the crystal glaze for the second firing. 3rd fire would be the clear matte over the picture and ring. Then add the gold as my final step.
I am still stuck on the antiquing. i looked up the glazes u suggested, but I think they wont give the same effect as a wipe off antiguing will. When I originally did this set, I used opaque stains and oil based wipe off antique then sealed it. I am really not that familiar with underglazes, was scared of them years ago and for some reason now I want to underglaze evertyhing hahahaha. I was reading up on EZ strokes, and was wondering if i could make like a wash and wipe it off. The scenes on this set is highly detailed and cries out to be antiqued. I have a few jars of the old dust away, but have noticed that when I use them they change the color of what they are added to and I dont want to lose the vibrance of the houses trees etc. Will try to take a pic of what I am working on to give you a better idea. I just need instructions on how to send the pic. Thanks again Leisha, glad I found you!!!

Answer
Rae,
I have created an antique effect with underglazes (Duncan) quite successfully. Let them dry after application, then rub off with a damp sponge. You're right, that would work. Then you could clear coat glaze over that once it is fired. The thing with UG's is that a darker color will always go over a  lighter color well, but it's difficult to get a light one over a darker one as smoothly.

I look forward to seeing the pic. Leisha