A Decade of Experiments, Finally Gathered
Ten years in the glaze lab.
Hundreds of experiments.
And far too many of them never written down.
For a long time, I carried the quiet frustration of knowing how much knowledge had simply drifted away — unrecorded tests, forgotten formulas, lost potential. So much that could have been shared, refined, and built upon… instead living only in memory.
But I’ve learnt that frustration always points toward unused potential.
So I finally pulled my (*W)$% together and created something that had been waiting a long time to exist — my Glaze Recipe E-Book, featuring a curated selection of the Good Ones, paired with honest notes, studio insights, and personal observations from years of lived practice.
What always bothered me about many glaze books was their limitation: a tiny test tile that tells you almost nothing about how a glaze behaves on real work — or whether it will succeed at all.
In this E-Book, every glaze included has been tested on actual forms — plates, vessels, surfaces — revealing true colour depth, flow, nuance, and character. While not all recipes made it into my permanent collection, each one has proven its worth through process and practice.
This is not a fantasy of perfection.
This is real studio knowledge — evolving, imperfect, and deeply valuable.
How Much Water to Add to Glaze Powder?
One of the most common questions I receive is: “How much water should I add?”
The honest answer is: it depends — but here is a reliable starting point.
I suggest beginning with a ratio of 8:10 (water : glaze powder). This will vary depending on the glaze and how you plan to apply it, but it’s a solid foundation from which to adjust.
From there, you will usually need to add a little more water until the glaze reaches a Specific Gravity (SG) of 140–150.
This means:
100 ml of glaze should weigh between 140–150 g.
In practice, this often ends up close to a 1:1 ratio, but it is always better to start thicker and slowly add more water. If the glaze becomes too runny, allow it to settle and carefully discard the excess water from the surface after a few hours.
I strongly recommend recording the SG of every batch you mix and keeping detailed notes of your glaze tests. Many special-effect glazes are extremely sensitive to thickness — your success (and ability to repeat results) depends on this precision.
If a glaze settles excessively and becomes difficult to remix, remember to introduce a deflocculant. Some handmade glazes benefit enormously from this and become far more pleasant to work with.
Exact water amounts cannot be universally prescribed, as they depend on:
application method (brushing, dipping, layering)
glaze composition
clay body absorption
desired thickness
Some glazes prefer to be brushed thicker, others need to be thinner and layered.
Important Mixing Note
Because these glazes are handmade, the dry powder is not pre-homogenised.
This means you must mix the entire bag with water at once to achieve an even formula.
YES — this means:
0.5 kg powder → mix in a 1L bucket
5 kg powder → mix in a 10L bucket
(Do not split batches.)
Firing Range
1240–1290°C
Oxidation / Electric firing
(Orton Cone 7 – Cone 9)
Please note:
Some glazes (such as LAVA) perform best only at Cone 7 and should not be fired hotter. Always refer to individual glaze recommendations.
This E-Book is a companion for exploration, refinement, and growth.
Available for digital download here.
Get Started on Your Glaze Discovery Journey
Glaze can ruin a perfect piece… but it can also transform an average bowl into a fine art object.
Over my 13-year pottery journey, I have destroyed oh so many pots — most often due to poorly applied, wrongly fired, or simply unfortunate glaze choices. Watching hours of work end up in the trash can be painful, and my hope is that your path will be far smoother and more joyful than my steep learning curve.
In these online courses, I share my experience with openness and honesty — all the things I truly wish I had known at the beginning. This learning journey is designed to accompany my glaze recipe E-Books and glaze powders, offering you practical support, clarity, and confidence.
This course will not dive into complex glaze chemistry or the origins of raw ingredients. Instead, it focuses on what you actually need to get started:
Following glaze recipes with confidence
Applying glazes successfully
Understanding firing outcomes
The first steps in altering colourants using the line-blending method
Gaining creative control over your glaze finish
I know that for most beginners, glazing is the most intimidating part of ceramics.
I’m here to give you the right information, the reassurance, and the GREEN LIGHT to simply give it a go. Because in truth — glazing is the most exciting, transformative, and playful part of the process (at least for me).
