IMAGE & DESIGN

TRANSFER
TECHNIQUES

Edited by Paul Andrew Wandless

lives and works in Chicago creating

art that combines ceramic processes
and printmaking techniques to
create clay prints that are also
incorporated into freestanding and
wall-mounted clay sculpture. In
addition to authoring several books
and numerous magazine articles,
Wandless is also featured in Ceramic
Art Dailys video Fundamentals of
Screen Printing On Clay featuring
his techniques. Wandless holds an
MFA from Arizona State University,
an MA from Minnesota State
University-Mankato, and a BFA from
University of Delaware.

For many years, ceramic artists have used printmaking, drawing

and photography to enhance the surface of their work. Using
underglazes, slips, and glazes its entirely possible to take
advantage many 2-D mediums to decorate both functional and
sculptural work.
Image & Design Transfer Techniques covers more than thirty
techniques that can be used on greenware, bisqueware and
glazeware. Youll discover ways to create and transfer images
and designs using appliqu and paper transfers, decals, stencils,
silkscreening, etching, stamping, embossing, and more.
An expert printmaker-turned-clay artist, Paul Andrew Wandless
presents you with many of his own discoveries where he found
clay receptive to his many printmaking skills. In addition,
he includes the methods of many talented artists who have
developed a variety of applications that can add a whole new
dimension to your clay surfaces.
Whether youre looking for the perfect book to start decorating
or you need expert information to expand your skill set, Image &
Design Transfer Techniques contains a wealth of information for
every clay lover.

Printed in China

Wandless

The American Ceramic Society

www.CeramicArtsDaily.org

IMAGE & DESIGN TRANSFER TECHNIQUES

Paul Andrew Wandless currently

Ceramic
Arts
Handbook
Series

The American Ceramic Society

600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210
Westerville, OH 43082
2015 by The American Ceramic Society, All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-57498-345-6 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-57498-580-1 (PDF)
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without
written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in review.
Authorization to photocopy for internal or personal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108
of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, provided that the appropriate
fee is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923
U.S.A., www.copyright.com. Prior to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please
contact Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This consent does not extend to copyright items for general
distribution or for advertising or promotional purposes or to republishing items in whole or in part in
any work in any format. Requests for special photocopying permission and reprint requests should be
directed to Director, Publications, The American Ceramic Society, 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville,
Ohio 43082 USA.
Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. Due to differing
conditions, equipment, tools, and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any
injuries, losses, and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book. Final
determination of the suitability of any information, procedure or product for use contemplated by
any user, and the manner of that use, is the sole responsibility of the user. This book is intended for
informational purposes only.
The views, opinions and findings contained in this book are those of the author. The publishers,
editors, reviewers and author assume no responsibility or liability for errors or any consequences arising
from the use of the information contained herein. Registered names and trademarks, etc., used in this
publication, even without specific indication thereof, are not to be considered unprotected by the law.
Mention of trade names of commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation
for use by the publishers, editors or authors.
The Publisher advises the reader that certain decal applications onto glossy substrates may be subject
to Patent No: US 7,622,237 B2.
Publisher: Charles Spahr, Executive Director, The American Ceramic Society
Managing Director: Sherman Hall
Series Editor: Bill Jones
Editor: Paul Andrew Wandless
Graphic Production: Pamela S. Woodworth
Series Design: Melissa Bury
Cover Image: Swirls and Stripes, 101/4 in. (26 cm) in diameter, earthenware, slip, underglaze, glaze,
laser-toner decals, commercial decals, and gold luster, by Jason Bige Burnett.
Frontispiece: Wheel-thrown and altered platter with layers of pattern created using both monoprinting
and toner-resist techniques, by Martina Lantin.

iv

Table of Contents
1 Image Transfer & Application
Newsprint Slip Transfers

Ink Transfers for Greenware

Jason Bige Burnett

Doug Gray

Underglaze Transfer Paper

11

Projecting Patterns

13

Monoprinting and Toner-Resist Transfers

16

Photolithography Transfers

21

Graphite Transfers

26

Rice Paper Transfers

32

Jessica Knapp
Shana Salaff

Martina Lantin

Kristina Bogdanov
Judith Berk King
Kate Missett

2 Decals
No-Fire Decals

35

How to Make Laser Toner Decals

39

Using Laser Toner Decals

41

Designing Custom Full-Color Decals

46

Masked Patterns and Laser Toner Decals

50

Acrylic Medium Images

53

Brendan Tang
Frank Gaydos

Justin Rothshank
Linda Gates

Andrew Gilliatt
Juan Granados

3 Relief, Etching & Stamping

Printing and Embossing with Linocuts
Paul Andrew Wandless

55

Reliefs with Photosensitive Polymer Plates 62

Paul Andrew Wandless

Etching a Glazed Surface

69

Light Sensitive Emulsion

71

Underglaze Stamp Pads

74

Ann Ruel

Jessica Knapp
Holly Goring

4 Stencils & Masking

Using Single-Color Stencils

75

Multi-Color Stencil Decoration

80

Friskets

85

Die-Cut Stencils

89

Using Stencils

94

Dimensional Stencils

99

Kip OKrongly

Paul Andrew Wandless

Frank James Fisher
Paul Barchilon

Hannah Lore Hombordy

Ann Ruel

Wax Resist Inlay

Sumi von Dassow

vi

102

5 Screening
Building a Silkscreen

105

Using Photocopy Film Negatives

111

Paul Andrew Wandless

Paul Andrew Wandless

Ultraviolet Light-Sensitive Emulsion Screens 114

Paul Andrew Wandless

Silkscreen Printing on Wet Clay

117

Thermal Screen Printing

121

Screening Multi-Color Images on Clay

127

Image Transfer for Volumetric Forms

132

Brad Menninga
Alice Drew

Paul Andrew Wandless

Forrest Lesch-Middelton

vii

Preface
Clay has a history of being combined with, and included in, other creative practices, such as printmaking,
drawing and photography. Clay and print have an especially unique relationship due to their natural compatibility. Utilizing printmaking techniques with underglaze, slip, and glaze to address clay surfaces allows
one to take advantage of the best of both mediums. Image transfer onto clay is a great way to explore
and experiment with different mediums and see what exciting possibilities can be visually incorporated
in your clay work. Having the ability to transfer an image, design, or text gives you the ability to take full
advantage of your creative ideas.
Over the years, several informative articles have appeared in Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Illustrated addressing clay and image transfer. A wide variety of methods have been covered to address the
surfaces of greenware, bisqueware and glazeware with printing and transfer techniques. This book is a
collection of information curated from these past articles, along with a few new ones written specifically
to be included in this book. Most of the processes covered are water-based and safe to use in your studio,
which makes it user friendly for everyone to try. Along with process information, there are also tips and
instructions on how to make some of the printing tools to help you customize your work even more.
Appliqu and paper transfers are a great introduction to transferring images if youre new to this way of
working. All you need is newsprint and underglaze to get started. Patterns and designs can be created on
newsprint with both underglaze and slip, then transferred to greenware to create new and dynamic surfaces. This can be done on flat slabs for handbuilding purposes or directly onto the curved walls of vessels.
Decals have been a popular choice for artists to add photographic images, designs and text to clay for
decades. A variety of decal options are covered, which address different visual effects that can be created
on work. Non-fired decals are a great choice to add images, but not add another firing. Laser toner decals
are a good choice for sepia-toned images that have a more subtle visual impact. Commercial decals, diecut decals and layering decals to make a complex collage are more options to explore, if youre interested
in further personalization.
Relief and embossing are image transfer techniques that allow imagery to be printed or impressed into
clay. Relief in the forms of linocuts and photosensitive polymer plates are used to print and emboss on
clay. Your ideas can be carved into linoleum and photographic images can be burned into photopolymer plates. For simpler ideas, rubber stamps can be used to create small reliefs to decorate greenware or
bisqueware.
Glaze etching and light sensitive emulsions can be used to work on glazed surfaces and bisqueware.
Work thats already glaze fired can have patterns and designs etched into the glaze surface. The matte,
etched areas contrast nicely with the glossy, un-etched areas. Photographic images can be projected onto
bisqueware thats been coated with light sensitive emulsion. The emulsion hardens and leaves an image
behind that can be fired. These two techniques produce unique results and are readily available as common art supplies.
While stencils seem like a fairly simple tool, they can be used to make very complex images. They can be
used on greenware, bisqueware and glazeware. You can go from cutting silhouettes for simple, single-color
images, to combining multiple stencils to create a complex, multi-color image. If hand-cut stencils are not

viii

for you, you can have them commercially made. Information to have die-cut stencils is covered so youll
know how to prepare the image files for best results. Friskets are another variation of masking technique
you can employ directly to the surface of your work.
Screen printing is the natural evolution of stencils to use images with greater detail. This certainly is one
of the most widespread and popular image transfer technique used by artists. Instructions of how to build
your own screen for printing, will allow you to build custom screens that are best suited for your ideas.
All you will need are common hand tools and a few supplies from an art store. Photocopy film negatives
are a cost-effective way to make custom images to burn into screens using diazo-sensitive emulsion. This
saves the trouble of making transparencies or darkroom film negatives. If you want to work without a
darkroom to burn screens, UV sensitive emulsion screens are covered. The unmounted screens give you
the option to print on flat or curved surface and can be used on greenware, bisqueware and glazeware. A
variety of screening techniques are introduced to screen single color images, multi-color images and even
screening on vessel forms.
This collection of clay and printmaking techniques has something for everyone, regardless of your level
of experience. There are several easy-to-follow processes for someone just wanting to experiment with
clay and printing for the first time. There are also several processes for someone looking to expand their
current skill set or learn new variations for screens, relief, paper transfers and decals. Then there are some
technical articles for those who like to make their own tools and equipment. Regardless of where you fall
in this spectrum, there will be something to try and hopefully make that image, pattern or design you
always wanted to, but werent quite sure how to do.

Paul Andrew Wandless

ix

Image Transfer & Application

NEWSPRINT SLIP TRANSFERS
by Jason Bige Burnett

Too Much Television, uses newsprint and slip decoration combined with incised decoration, decals, luster, and glaze,
creating dimensional surfaces that also pop with color.

My childhood interest in television cartoons influenced my current ceramic forms and surfaces.
The bright colors, graphic patterns, and illustrative qualities recapture and celebrate my fascination with whimsical domestic representation. Im
inspired by the stylized hand-drawn utilitarian
objects like a coffee mug in a cartoon characters
hand or the mixing bowl displayed on the shelf in
their kitchen.
The combination of commercial stained slips
and newsprint is a paper transfer process. By applying slips saturated with bold colors onto newsprint, then transferring the drawn images to a
slipped clay object, I can achieve an animated
surface. Playtime doesnt end there; I continue by
introducing stamps, stains, and stickers to further
enhance the ceramic surface until the desired effect is fully achieved.

Creating Newsprint Transfers

This newspaper transfer process mirrors the traditional monoprint process. Instead of drawing

on a metal plate and transferring the image to

paper, Im drawing on newspaper then transferring directly to clay. As with all monoprints, keep
in mind that the image you create will be reversed.
Text must be backwards and layers of color must
be applied foreground to background (figure 1).
Whether it be stripes, shapes, illustrations, or a
color field, start with an idea of how you would
like to approach the surfaces of your piece before
you start.
Apply your pattern or drawing to strips or
blocks of newsprint, varying the colors of slip using brushes, slip trailers, and sponge stamps. Use
caution as the paper causes the slip to dry; and
if it dries too much, it may chip off. Use a spray
bottle to keep the image damp but dont spray too
much water as it could puddle and smear the slip.
Regular newspaper works well but I prefer using
Strathmore brand Newsprint Paper available at
any art supply store. The thickness and tooth of
this paper is durable and tough enough to hold
and transfer slip.

Swirls and Stripes, 101/4 in. (26 cm) in diameter, earthenware, slip, underglaze,
glaze, laser-toner decals, commercial decals, and gold luster.

Image & Design Transfer Techniques

1. Create patterns with colored slips. Paint the foreground layer first and the background last.

2. When leather-hard, blot and brush on the background slip, which also serves as a transfer coat.

3. Gently apply the newsprint to the piece. Use a soft

rib to ensure contact and pierce any trapped air.

4. When the slip has had time to absorb and the newsprint has lost a lot of its moisture, slowly peel it away.

Slip it and Stick it

decoration on the newsprint are both at leather

After youve completed the newsprint image, wait

for the slip to become leather hard and then apply a slip coat over the drawing. Lightly dab the
first coat of slip on (figure 2), wait for this coat
to become leather hard and then brush on a second coat. A hair dryer assists in getting the slipped
newsprint to leather-hard. If the slip has a glossy
sheen then its too wet to continue.
The slip application works best on leather-hard
clay. Using a hake brush, apply a moderate coat of
slip to the surface. This layer of slip shouldnt be
too thin or too thick and it should be the consistency of heavy whipping cream. This slip coat creates a tactile surface perfect for pressing newsprint
into and absorbs transferred slip and imagery well.
When the slip-coated clay piece and the slip

hard, you are ready to print. There is a narrow

window of time here where the surface of your
piece and the newspaper are perfect for application. If one or the other is too wet when applied,
the result could be sloppy and undesirable. If the
image and object are too dry, then this affects the
quality of adhesion. When the slip on the object is
soft but not tacky and all the slip on the paper has
lost its sheen, youre ready to transfer the image.
Carefully pick up your piece of newsprint and
slowly bring it toward the object. Youll see the image through the newsprint and that assists with
placement. Once any part of the newsprint transfer touches the object, gently press the rest of the
newsprint onto the surface (figure 3). Note that
air pockets result on curved surfaces. These are

Image Transfer & Application

5. Apply damp newsprint strips and press down all edges

to prevent the second slip coat from seeping underneath.

6. Brush additional slip coats of any colors you wish

over both the first layer and the damp newsprint strips.

7. Create more of a tactile surface by applying another

layer of thick slip onto a fresh piece of newsprint and
wrapping it around the object.

8. After allowing the slip to absorb into the surface

for a minute or two, peel away the newsprint again to
reveal the varied, textured surfaces.

addressed later. Gently press the transfer onto the

surface with your hands, working over the general
area. The trapped air pockets can be removed by
piercing them with a needle tool or a small X-Acto
blade. If the air pockets are not taken care of, they
can cause defects or misprinting of the transfer.
Now that the newsprint has been applied to the
object, theres a layer of moisture trapped between
the object and the paper. Within the first minute or
two the clay object begins absorbing that moisture.
Using a soft rib, press the newsprint down, applying more pressure than before. Between thirty
seconds and two minutes is about the time when
youll notice the newsprint drying out again. Take
a slightly harder rib and, with more force than
before, rub the newsprint one last time into the
clay. Rubbing too hard could smudge the slip un-

derneath or tear through the paper. Practice and

experience with this method is the best way to find
your limits.
Grab a corner or take the edge of the newsprint
and slowly begin to peel away (figure 4). Its important to do this slowly so youll catch the spots
that did not adhere to the surface. Just place it
back down gently and massage the spot down
into the surface with the medium-soft rib. Repeat
if necessary. Not addressing the spots creates potential reservoirs for stain and glazes later. Now
that your image is transferred, handle the piece
carefully. Applying slip onto leather-hard clay will
make the clay soft and malleable again. I suggest
waiting until your piece becomes firm and the slip
isnt sticky to the touch before applying anything
else to the surface.
3

Image & Design Transfer Techniques

9. Mark the surface with stamps, rollers and carving

tools, creating new patterns and echoing the lines of
the form or of the colored bands.

10. Take advantage of the piece being leather hard and

carve away some larger areas of the slip, revealing the
contrasting color of the clay.

11. After the work has been bisqued, apply underglaze

or stain over the object and wipe away to accentuate
the process marks.

12. Apply soda ash wash, wax resist, and glazes to

desired surfaces. This is the time to plan for a final layer
of decals and lusters.

Additional Decorations

relaxed with this and just gently pat down the strip.

If you want a contrasting decoration in an adjoining area, apply another coat of slip to the leather-hard clay. This time, try cutting out stripes or
shapes of plain newsprint, spritz with water until slightly damp, and lay them over the slip coat
to act as a stencil resist (figure 5). Brush over the
piece with another slip, again any color works, and
let sit until the slip firms up (figure 6).
On top of the slip and strip layer, I also like creating built up textures of slip. Brush a moderate coat
of slip onto a wide strip of newsprint and vary the
thickness of application. Once leather hard, place
the wide strip over the slip-coated object with the
newsprint stripes still in place (figure 7). Be more

Give it a variation of rubs and pressings, then peel

away and notice the loose quality and nature of the
slipped surface (figure 8). Any sharp edges of slip
should be tapped down or pressed in with your fingers. After this surface has been bisqued, stains and
washes enhance the loose look, suggesting surfaces
such as torn wallpaper or chipped paint.
Next, carefully peel the stripes away. If locating
the paper and peeling it away is difficult, lightly heat
the surface with a blow dryer until the slip above
the newsprint becomes noticeably different in color
and dryness. Now the paper can be removed with
the aid of a needle tool or an X-Acto blade.

Image Transfer & Application

Stamp It Out

wash over the piece in two generous brush coats.

Since the object is still leather hard after the newsprint and resist techniques, more adornment may
be applied. You can create additional marks using
stamps, etched lines, and texture rollers (figure 9).
Larger areas of slip can also be carved away and
create more surface depth (figure 10).

To make the soda ash wash, combine 57 grams of

Layering After the Bisque

and then do a second firing of the iron toner decals

Staining the work with an underglaze creates more

depth and enhances the process marks and indentations previously made on the surface. Coat the
entire piece with one or two layers of underglaze, let
dry, and sponge it away from the high points leaving it in the recesses (figure 11). I use a black underglaze to give my work a distressed look. Let the
underglaze dry prior to applying wash and glazes.
Since the whole object will not be covered in
glaze, some areas will remain matte. If the matte
surfaces remain untreated, they come out looking
chalky and dry. To prevent this, apply a soda ash

soda ash to 1 cup of heated water and stir to dissolve the ingredients. Allow the piece to dry again.
The soda ash wash will cause the matte surfaces to
retain a moist and saturated look. I fire the stains,
glazes, and soda ash wash together to cone 0504,
(see page 39) to cone 08. Finally, I do a third firing
of gold luster and commercial decals together to
cone 017. Ive fired the soda ash wash up to cone 2
but not past that.
I use a variety of shop-made and commercial
glazes. For many, glazing is the last and final step,
but I find glaze firing is only an intermediate step
when pushing surfaces even further. When glazing,
try setting up areas for decals and lusters by selectively applying the glaze (figure 12). Remember,
decals and lusters reflect the surface below them
and work best when applied to a shiny surface.

Circus Stars and Stripes, 7

inches in height, earthenware, slip, underglaze,
glaze, iron-toner decals,
and gold luster.

Stencils & Masking

USING SINGLE-COLOR STENCILS
by Kip O'Krongly

My work in clay is intimately connected to the

exploration of layers. The
physical layers built up through
ceramic processes allude to the more abstract layers of issues currently occupying my
pots; the following leads you through my current
process of handbuilding and decorating a platter
using stencils.

Making Stencils
Before I make a platter, I come up with a design
and stencil for the imagery. Stencils can be as simple or as complex as you like, but I find the detail
thats achievable an exciting aspect of the process.
You can work from any drawing or photograph,
but high contrast images are the most straightforward to cut. Once you select an image, make
a photocopy (dont ruin your original!), and use
a permanent marker to clearly delineate the areas
you will include. All of the sections you intend to
retain in the final stencil must be connected to the
whole or they will drop out of the image.

Corn Duster, 17 in.

(43 cm) in diameter,
handbuilt earthenware
with hand-cut stencils, slip,
sgraffito, underglaze, and terra
sigillata. Single fired in oxidation to cone 04.

I cut stencils out of thin plastic tablecloth,

which makes them reusable. Since these cutouts often take more than four hours to create,
I cut through as many layers as possible at one
time to create multiple stencils. If you leave the
tablecloth folded out of the package, youll cut
through six layers of plastic and end up with six
identical stencils.
After choosing your imagery and determining
the areas to be cut away, tape the photocopy to
the still-folded plastic (figure 1). Using a fresh
X-Acto blade and working on a self-healing mat,
begin by cutting the interior sections of your
stencil. Starting with interior cuts provides the
most structure possible during cutting. Compress delicate areas to prevent the layers of plastic
below from shifting out of place (figure 2). Try to
begin each cut from one end of a line, cut to the
75

Image & Design Transfer Techniques

76

1. Tape a photocopy of the image to an unopened part

of tablecloth. Retain black areas, cut away white areas.

2. Cut interior sections first to keep the stencil strong.

Compress delicate areas to keep plastic from shifting.

3. The stencil with all interior sections removed prior to

cutting the exterior.

4. Drape a -inch thick clay slab over a bisque hump

mold. Trim the edge and immediately attach a foot ring.

midpoint, then cut from the other end to meet

in the middle. This method helps avoid inadvertently slicing beyond joints. Have tweezers on
hand to remove small areas as you cut, so you can
see your progress.
Once all interior segments are removed (figure
3), carefully cut along the exterior image border to release it from the surrounding plastic. If
youre careful, you can use the negative image as
a stencil as well. For this particular project, I cut
four stencils: One crop duster from a full-size
copy of my original, one stencil of the dust using
a second photocopy of the original, one stencil
from a photocopy of my drawing reduced to 75
percent of the original size, and one from a 50
percent sized copy (plus a few canaries to add
into the dust). Once all stencils are cut, youre
ready to build a form for surface application.

Building a Platter
Platters are an ideal vehicle for surface decoration. To form a platter, drape a -inch thick slab
over a bisque mold (figure 4) and attach the foot
immediately after draping. Once dried to firm
leather hard, flip the platter and attach a coil rim
(figure 5). I roll out or extrude a coil, then lay
it in a spiral on a banding wheel. With the platter on another banding wheel, I attach the coil,
then slowly spin the platters banding wheel as I
work so the coil always feeds to the rim at the
same spot. Let the rim and platter set up together under plastic overnight. The following day,
mask out the rim and foot with latex to protect
from slip while decorating (figure 6). I use Lagunas Goodrich Latex because it is water based
(no stinky ammonia, and it can be thinned with

Stencils & Masking

5. After allowing the clay to set up overnight, attach a

coil rim to the platter.

6. Mask all areas that you want to remain bare with

latex and let set for 24 hours under plastic.

7. Tack the first stencil down with water once youre

satisfied with the placement.

8. After the base layer of stencils is secure, apply a layer

of slip over the surface.

water). Applying latex allows freedom of gesture

with slip decoration and gives a clean, crisp line
when removed. Let the platter with latex set up
under plastic another 24 hours prior to decorating. This extra time under plastic makes for easier latex removal following surface work.

too much water, the stencil will float on the clay

Layering the Surface

courage folds that disrupt the image as little as

Plastic stencils adhere best to leather-hard clay

so keep forms well wrapped prior to decorating.
Once you have determined placement for the
first layer of stencils (three crop dusters in this
case), tack them down with a small brush dipped
in clean water (figure 7). The beauty of using
this thin plastic is the ability to see water spread
under the stencil, which helps ensure edges seal
to the clay. Use as little water as possiblejust
enough to make the clay surface tacky. If you use

rather than stick.

Following the lines of your cutout, gently work
the stencil into the clay. If youre decorating a
curved form (concave in particular) your cutout
may need to fold to accommodate the shape. Enpossible and take extra care to ensure edges firmly adhere. Once the first layer of stencils is set and
no wet areas remain on the clay, brush slip over
the surface (figure 8). Apply with care so that if
brush strokes show, they appear intentional and
fit with the movement of the piece.
After the slip sets to leather hard, use a very
soft pencil to sketch out areas of sgraffito. A light
spritz of water will erase pencil lines. I use a Kemper K23 tool for most sgraffito decoration (figure
77

Image & Design Transfer Techniques

78

9. Sgraffito areas of drawing into the surface. Note the

crop duster stencil still under the slip.

10. Mask out any areas of corn that fall within the dust
stencil using latex.

11. With the dust stencil set, brush underglaze into the
unprotected space.

12. Apply the canary stencils and more underglaze, then

remove the bird stencils.

9), but sometimes use an X-acto knife or pin tool

for variation of line quality.
With sgraffito complete (minus the corn tassels), use latex to mask out corn that will fall
within the dust stencil (figure 10). This results in
corn imagery that appears in the foreground and
visually pops off the platter surface. Once the latex has set (1020 minutes in this case), apply the
dust stencil. Use extra care when adhering this
stencil to avoid marring the slip below. With the
dust stencil in place, apply slip or underglaze into
the stencil area (figure 11). After the underglaze
loses any of its sheen, add canary stencils using
the above method of stencil application, filling
them in with additional underglaze. Once set,
gently remove each canary stencil with tweezers
(figure 12).

When the surface is back to leather hard, carefully remove the latex masking the corn (figure
13) along with all layers of stencils (figure 14).
Note that if you remove stencils too early, the slip
may run underneath. In contrast, if you wait too
long, the edges may be ragged. Try to find a window where slip is firmly set, but not yet dry. If
slip has dried too far, mist with water to soften
before removing stencils. If you find spots where
slip has bled under your cutouts, use a sgraffito
tool to scrape the clay body clean. Alternatively,
use a small brush with water to erase any areas
of unwanted slip. Once all stencils are removed,
add final sgraffito details or any other cutouts to
the surface (figure 15).
I single fire my work to cone 04, so prior to
removing latex from the rim, I coat the sur-

Stencils & Masking

13. When the surface returns to leather hard, peel the

protective latex coating off of the corn imagery.

14. Next remove all layers of stencils and clean up any

areas where the slip bled under using a sgraffito tool.

15. Sgraffito in the corn tassels and any other details

you would like to add.

16. If single firing, apply glaze prior to removing latex

from the rim and foot.

face with glaze (figure 16). To apply glaze at the

leather-hard stage, ensure that your glaze recipe
has a healthy portion of clay so it shrinks along
with your piece. If you have minimal clay in your
glaze, it may be better to wait and spray the glaze
on at the bone dry stage to single fire. With the
glaze firm, remove latex from the foot and rim
and let the platter dry slowly. If youre working
with earthenware, apply terra sigillata to any areas of exposed clay at the bone dry stage to seal
the surface and add a lovely satin sheen.

blot clean with a sponge. Once dry, the stencil

will stick to the Plexiglas until next needed. Note
that the more complicated your stencil, the more
likely it is to twist up following use. To help with
untangling, choose a plastic tablecloth that has a
pattern on only one side. That way, you can easily
identify which side is up and which is down as
you clean and reshape your cutouts.
Working with stencils provides the freedom
to explore possibilities of repeating imagery in
different combinations and on different forms.
While there is an initial investment in creating a
new cutout, once cut, there are many decorative
possibilities. Since this process works at any firing temperature and to range from simple shapes
to intricate designs, I find this surface method a
valuable and inspiring studio tool.

Cleaning and Storing Stencils

To clean stencils after use, place on a smooth surface (a piece of Plexiglas works well) and spray
liberally with water. As you spray the stencil, it
relaxes and becomes easy to manipulate. Gently

79

Screening

ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT-SENSITIVE EMULSION SCREENS

by Paul Andrew Wandless

Image on a hi-res
screen by Chicago artist
Tom Lucas, used to
print on clay.

114

Screen printing ranks as one of the most popular

EZScreenprint Stencils are screens pre-coated

printmaking techniques because it can be used to

with ultraviolet (UV) light-sensitive emulsion. In-

apply images to virtually any surface.

stead of needing an exposure unit to expose (burn)

Clay artists are always looking for simple op-

an image, you simply use the sun as your light

tions to transfer complex images, designs, pat-

source to expose (burn) the screen for 7 minutes.

terns, digital images and photography onto their

Its then soaked (developed) in tap water for about

ceramic pieces. While some image transfer tech-

15 minutes. After the exposed areas have developed

niques, such as decals, require chemicals and

and set during the soaking, rinse the screen with

equipment, Ive discovered a simple, commer-

water to wash away the unexposed emulsion and

cially available screen that requires minimal ef-

create an open, stencil version of your image. The

fort and items to create an image for printing.

final step is going back out into the sun for another

The product is called EZScreenprint Stencils

2030 minutes to harden the emulsion. Experiment

(available at www.ezscreenprint.com) and its de-

with the test strips included in the kit to get the

signed for use with simple black-and-white pho-

hang of exposing and setting the screen before us-

tocopies and the sun. You can go from an idea

ing a full sheet for your final image. Exposing times

to screening an image on clay in about an hour!

can vary based on the time of year and the strength

How cool is that?

of the sun for where you live.

Screening

1. Peeling protective covering off the screen.

2. Black felt covered board, screen centered over

photocopy placed on Plexiglas and fastening clips.

Image, Paper and Screen

the screen in a group, leaving half-inch spaces between individual images for easier printing. You
can also fill the screen with just a single image,
pattern, text or any combination of these. The
image was printed on standard printer paper.

For best results, the type of image and screen

mesh size and must be suitable and compatible with each other. Though your image can be
simple or complex, it must be black and white. It
can be line art, an illustration, photograph, digital image or halftone. Line-art images have few, if
any, small details and consist more of bold lines
and shapes or silhouettes with high contrast and
no mid tones, so those are considered simple images. Illustrations, photographs, digital images or
halftone images that typically have finer lines and
smaller details are considered complex images.
(Note: If the line or image parts are too fine or
small, the screen may clog when printing.) Once
you choose an image, make a black-and-white
print or photocopy using standard printer paper.
EZScreenprint screens come in two mesh sizes for simple or complex images. The Standard
screen is 110 mesh and the HiDef screen is 200
mesh. The 110 mesh has larger openings and is
best for simple images, while the 200 mesh is a
tighter screen (with more threads per square
inch, resulting in smaller openings) and is best
for the more complex images. Both screen meshes come in a variety of sizes.
The image in figure 1 started with digital photographs of tools in my studio, which were altered
in Photoshop to make them high contrast blackand-white images. You can arrange the images on

Setting up the Exposure Frame

With the black-and-white image on paper, youre
ready to set up the exposure frame. Everything
needed is supplied in the EZScreenprint starter
kitone 1012-inch exposure frame (black feltcovered board with clips and Plexiglas), two sheets
of 811-inch Standard Stencils, small test strips,
a plastic canvas and a small squeegee. Work in
a dimly lit room while setting up the exposure
frame to avoid prematurely exposing the screen.
Remove the protective covering from both sides
of the Plexiglas and place it on a flat surface, then
align your black-and-white image in the center.
Take one of the screens from the protective black
envelope then close the bag tightly so the unused
screen inside is still protected. Peel the protective
backing off the screen (figure 1) and immediately
place it shiny side down on top of the black-andwhite image (figure 2). Place the black board on
top of the screen with the black felt side down and
clamp together with the clips provided in the kit.
When done, take the frame out into the sunlight. Keep the Plexiglas side down to keep light
from hitting it or cover it with a towel to protect it
from light before and after exposing it to sunlight.
115

Image & Design Transfer Techniques

3. Rinsing screen to remove unexposed emulsion.

4. Dabbing off extra water from screen.

Exposing and Setting

there are some small detail areas that did not rinse
out well. This happens more with complex images
in the HiDef screens because of the tighter mesh.
When thoroughly rinsed, hold screen up to the
light to check it. You should only see the white
threads of the screen itself in the open areas. If
you still see a thin film of residue, rinse again. After completely rinsing, place the screen emulsion
side up on a paper towel and dab off all the excess
water (figure 4). Put a fresh dry paper towel under the screen with emulsion side up and take it
outside to re-expose in the sun for 1020 minutes.
This hardens the stencil and making it durable and
long-lasting.

Once outside, turn the exposing frame Plexiglas

side up to face the sun. Expose for 7 minutes during a regular sunny day and for 9 minutes if its
a slightly overcast day. Dark, cloudy days with no
real sunlight are not optimal and success varies
if exposed under these conditions. I exposed this
screen for 6 minutes on a partially cloudy day, but
had good sunlight through the light clouds.
Once exposure is complete, turn the frame
over (Plexiglas side down) or cover with a towel
and go inside. Unclamp the frame and submerge
the screen in a sink or container filled with cool
water for a minimum of 15 minutes to develop
your stencil. Soaking longer than 15 minutes
doesnt harm the stencil in any way. After a minute or two, the unexposed areas blocked by the
dark parts of your image appear light green. The
exposed areas turn dark, and these darker areas
become the stencil.
After 15 minutes, place the perforated plastic
canvas provided in the kit under the screen and
rinse with cool water from a faucet or kitchen
sprayer (figure 3). The plastic canvas acts as a protective backing for the screen during the rinsing
process. Rinse both sides of the screen to remove
the unexposed emulsion (light areas). Take more
care when rinsing the emulsion side. Keep rinsing
until all the residue from the unexposed emulsion
is completely removed. Use a soft nylon brush if
116

Using the Screen

Once the screen is hardened, its ready to use!
Since the screen is unframed, its flexible and can
be used around a vessel or on a flat slab. Any surface you can bend the screen around is fair game
to print your image. Be careful not to make creases
in the screen if you try to bend it around sharp
corners. If you group several images onto one
screen, you can use scissors to cut it into smaller
individual screens (stencils).
Experiment and have fun with this easy to use
product. Its a great way to create images for screen
printing on clay that you thought were only possible with a darkroom. You can screen images directly onto greenware, bisqueware or decal paper
using both underglaze and glaze.

IMAGE & DESIGN

TRANSFER
TECHNIQUES

Edited by Paul Andrew Wandless

lives and works in Chicago creating

art that combines ceramic processes
and printmaking techniques to
create clay prints that are also
incorporated into freestanding and
wall-mounted clay sculpture. In
addition to authoring several books
and numerous magazine articles,
Wandless is also featured in Ceramic
Art Dailys video Fundamentals of
Screen Printing On Clay featuring
his techniques. Wandless holds an
MFA from Arizona State University,
an MA from Minnesota State
University-Mankato, and a BFA from
University of Delaware.

For many years, ceramic artists have used printmaking, drawing

and photography to enhance the surface of their work. Using
underglazes, slips, and glazes its entirely possible to take
advantage many 2-D mediums to decorate both functional and
sculptural work.
Image & Design Transfer Techniques covers more than thirty
techniques that can be used on greenware, bisqueware and
glazeware. Youll discover ways to create and transfer images
and designs using appliqu and paper transfers, decals, stencils,
silkscreening, etching, stamping, embossing, and more.
An expert printmaker-turned-clay artist, Paul Andrew Wandless
presents you with many of his own discoveries where he found
clay receptive to his many printmaking skills. In addition,
he includes the methods of many talented artists who have
developed a variety of applications that can add a whole new
dimension to your clay surfaces.
Whether youre looking for the perfect book to start decorating
or you need expert information to expand your skill set, Image &
Design Transfer Techniques contains a wealth of information for
every clay lover.

Printed in China

Wandless

The American Ceramic Society

www.CeramicArtsDaily.org

IMAGE & DESIGN TRANSFER TECHNIQUES

Paul Andrew Wandless currently

Ceramic
Arts
Handbook
Series