Kiwi Underglazes
Kiwi Underglazes give you the freedom to add vivid, expressive colour to your pottery and ceramics, with a range of 50 shades from bold and striking to soft and subtle. Whether you're decorating a hand-built piece at home, adding detail to bisqueware in the studio, or exploring surface design techniques in one of our pottery classes, these underglazes are versatile enough to suit every approach and skill level.
We use and stock Kiwi Underglazes at Glaze Galleria and can vouch for the depth of colour they deliver, especially at high firing temperatures. We fire at 1250 degrees and the results are consistently vibrant and rich.
Underglazes can be applied to greenware or bisqueware and work beautifully under a clear glaze for a glossy, intensified finish. Left unglazed and fired to around 1000 degrees or more, colours take on a velvet matte appearance that works particularly well on sculptural forms.
Apply in thin layers for best results: one coat gives a translucent effect, two coats semi-opaque and three coats fully opaque. Colours are brightest when clear glazed and fired to 1180 degrees, with a full firing range of 1050 to 1260 degrees.
Please note: colours shown are approximate and may vary depending on application, clay body and firing temperature. We recommend making your own test tiles before starting a larger project. Test tile images are available on the product page for each colour at different temperatures.
Safety note: Kiwi Underglazes contain toxic materials that are hazardous as airborne dust or in liquid suspension. Work will be food-safe after clear glazing and firing.
✅ Suitable for: greenware and bisqueware, pottery wheel and hand-building, beginners through to advanced potters, use at home or in the studio
📦 Available in: 100ml (usually in stock in studio and online) and 500ml (online, delivered within 2 to 3 weeks)
🏺 Available in-studio and online at Glaze Galleria, Drummoyne, Sydney's Inner
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
KIWI UNDERGLAZE OFFERS FLEXIBILITY TO BE APPLIED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, INCLUDING:
- APPLICATION ON TO BISQUEWARE, FOLLOWED BY A COAT OF CLEAR GLAZE, THEN GLAZE FIRED.
- APPLICATION TO GREENWARE AND THEN BISQUE FIRED AT 1000 DEGREES CELSIUS PRIOR TO AN APPLICATION OF CLEAR GLAZE.
- APPLICATION TO BISQUEWARE FOLLOWED BY A SECOND OPTIONAL BISQUE FIRING AT 1000 DEGREES TO "HARDEN ON" THE COLOUR PRIOR TO GLAZING.
AFTER FIRING, THE COLOUR INTENSIFIES AND BECOMES GLOSSY. WHEN LEFT UNGLAZED AND FIRED TO AROUND 1000 DEGREES OR MORE, THE COLOURS ASSUME A VELVET MATTE APPEARANCE. THIS IS A GOOD SURFACE FOR SCULPTURAL FORMS AND AS A DECORATING EFFECT WHERE GLAZING IS NOT ESSENTIAL.
COLOUR SHOULD BE APPLIED AS THINLY AS POSSIBLE, IN LAYERS, TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED EFFECT. IF WATER HAS BEEN LOST A LITTLE MORE MAY BE ADDED BUT BE CAREFUL NOT TO DILUTE COLOUR POWER. APPLICATION GIVES A TRANSLUCENT EFFECT WITH 1 COAT, SEMI OPAQUE WITH 2 COATS AND OPAQUE WITH 3 COATS. COLOUR IS BRIGHTEST WHEN CLEAR GLAZED AND FIRED TO 1180 DEGREES, BUT FULL GLAZE FIRING RANGE IS 1050 TO 1260 DEGREES.
SAFETY: TOXIC MATERIAL OR HAZARDOUS AS AIRBORNE DUST, AND/OR AS POWDER AND/OR IN LIQUID SUSPENSION. WORK WILL BE FOOD-SAFE AFTER CLEAR GLAZING AND FIRING.
HELPFUL TIPS:
- MIX YOUR UNDERGLAZE THOROUGHLY BEFORE USING IT. UNDERGLAZES CAN SETTLE OVER TIME, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO MIX THEM WELL TO ENSURE CONSISTENT RESULTS.
- USE A CLEAN BRUSH OR SPONGE TO APPLY THE UNDERGLAZE. CONTAMINATION FROM PREVIOUS COLOURS OR PARTICLES CAN AFFECT THE FINAL OUTCOME.
- APPLY THE UNDERGLAZE IN THIN LAYERS TO AVOID CRACKING OR FLAKING. THICK LAYERS ARE MORE PRONE TO THESE ISSUES.
- ALLOW THE UNDERGLAZE TO DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE APPLYING ADDITIONAL LAYERS OR A CLEAR GLAZE.
- USE UNDERGLAZES TO CREATE DETAILED DESIGNS AND PATTERNS. THEY ARE ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR FINE DETAILS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE WITH REGULAR GLAZES.
- USE MASKING TAPE OR WAX RESIST TO CREATE SHARP LINES AND EDGES.
- EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS SGRAFFITO (SCRATCHING AWAY LAYERS OF UNDERGLAZE) OR STAMPING TO CREATE UNIQUE DESIGNS.
- USE STENCILS OR STAMPS TO CREATE CONSISTENT PATTERNS. CREATE GRADIENTS BY BLENDING DIFFERENT SHADES OF UNDERGLAZE.
- KEEP IN MIND THAT UNDERGLAZES WILL APPEAR DIFFERENT AFTER FIRING, SO ALWAYS DO TEST FIRINGS BEFORE STARTING A LARGE PROJECT.
- USE A CLEAR GLAZE OVER UNDERGLAZE TO PROTECT THE DESIGN AND MAKE IT MORE VIBRANT.
- APPLY THE CLEAR GLAZE IN THIN LAYERS TO AVOID CLOUDINESS OR BUBBLES.
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERFIRE THE UNDERGLAZE, AS THIS CAN CAUSE IT TO LOSE ITS COLOUR.
- MIX UNDERGLAZES WITH WATER TO CREATE A WATERCOLOUR EFFECT.
- USE A SPRAY BOTTLE TO APPLY UNDERGLAZE FOR A MISTY, ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAVE FUN AND EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND DESIGNS!
Stock subject to availability. Product made in New Zealand by Kiwi Underglaze. Data Sheet available @ kiwiunderglaze.com