Underglazes are decorative colours applied to ware before the application of glaze, or they can be put over glaze (prior to firing), they can also be considered as a “paint for clay”.
Walker Ceramics manufactures in Australia and we supply three ranges of underglazes –
Refer to our fact sheets for Colour Decorating and Colour Application Techniques.
Cesco Underglazes
Cesco Underglazes are concentrated underglaze stains in a beautiful flowing brushing medium. They are fully ball milled, lead free and non toxic. They all have a high percentage of stain, giving strong reliable colours when fired at either earthenware or stoneware. There are 32 colours with a silky smooth application which are bottled ready to use OR they can be extended with FK110 Colour Extender or water and will still retain good colour intensity. Adding FK100 Flux Extender turns them into beautiful colours suitable for majolica decoration. They can be intermixed within the range and also with Wunder Colours and Design Colours.
To view our full range and sizes available visit our Online Shop.
Design Colours
Design Colours are ball milled, lead free and non toxic. With Design Colours you can
decorate with confidence as all colours reflect the final fired colour except for FK21 Cobalt Sea, which appears mauve in the bottle but actually fires to a deep, vibrant blue. This means you can use your creativity and decorate your work trusting your eye. The technical expertise of our ceramic engineers and laboratory staff has enabled us to provide the ceramic industry with Australian made, lead free, liquid colour concentrates of the highest standard. This range has numerous decorative applications that can give effects from opaque to translucent.
- Magnificent vibrancy on stoneware – even better on earthenware.
- 25 ball-milled colours – the STRONGEST ever developed.
- Beautiful silky flow characteristics that will not powder when dry
- Can be applied to greenware or bisque
- Perfect for majolica
- All colours are completely inter-mixable within the range or with our range of Cesco Underglazes and Wunder Colours.
Ready to use, or economize with our specialist Extenders: FE100 Flux Extender for majolica and special effects and FE110 Colour Extender for all temperatures.
To view our full range and sizes available visit our Online Shop.
Read what Jackie Gasson from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland had to say when she first used Design Colours:
| “At last bright stoneware colours” Several years ago, potters began asking for lighter, brighter colours. Gone were the browns, they wanted colour in their lives and pots. But the problem was that “pastels only” was the norm and even they were limited to earthenware temperatures. There was no such thing as Orange, Red, Pink or Lime Green at stoneware temperatures. Then Walker Ceramics sent me a range of their new Design Colour Concentrates for my evaluation. I wanted long, flowing strokes, without losing colour, good absorbency on bisque and colour that doesn’t rub off. Was I asking too much? NO! I started testing and found they all fired to 1300°C without fading, except No.6, No.9 and No.11.Brush strokes were silky, fluid and long. I was able to develop tonal changes just by more or less pressure on the brush and best of all I could extend using Walker Ceramics specialist Flux and Colour Extenders without loss of colour. Colours don’t rub off, resulting in ease of glazing; glazes are smooth and mature with no crawling. The lack of clay in the colour makes them very suitable for majolica. Specialist glazes are available to suit your clay and temperature range.Altogether I feel most excited about these colours. Design Colour Concentrates are the answer to many potters, including me, wanting versatility and brilliance of earthenware and stoneware colours. |
Wunder Colours
Wunder Colours are clay based, lead free underglazes of the highest standard and are the result of intensive development and testing. Wunder colours are opaque, brush on colours, very easy for beginner or professional to use, whereas Design Colours are a pure colour concentrate giving brighter, clearer intense colours at both earthenware and stoneware.
- Lead free, ready to use colours – Australian made
- Suitable for stoneware and earthenware
- Developed to suit all skill levels and techniques
- Completely inter-mixable within the range
- Compatible and inter-mixable with the Cesco Underglazes and Design Colours
- Can be applied to greenware or bisque
- Beautiful silky flow characteristics – will not powder when dry
- Economize with our specialist Extenders – FE100 Flux Extender for Majolica and special effects and FE110 Colour Extender for all temperatures.
To view our full range and sizes available visit our Online Shop.
| Take the word of an expert – Wunder Colours are…… Wunderful!Just when I had all the colours I thought I needed in my studio, Walker Ceramics sent their range of Wunder Colours. They are clay based, liquid opaque underglazes that can be intermixed, used alone or extended using Walker Ceramics specialist Flux Extenders which also aid their use for majolica.Even my newest students find they can achieve exceptional results; these colours are so easy to use.Many techniques such as sgraffito, stencil or wax resist are made easier because these clay based colours stay where you put them; no crawling, crazing or lifting from a green or bisque surface. Whether you are a child or adult,a new student or experienced potter, you will be excited by the intensity and opacity of Wunder Colours; they are even inter-mixable with Walker Ceramics Design Colours.Three superb colours in the range are Anzac Poppy Red, Cayenne Red and Tabasco Red………..my palette is now complete! Jackie Gasson, Sunshine Coast, Queensland |