Handmade ceramic sculptures employ a broad range of shapes, determined by the desire and skill of the artist. Lifelike busts and ornately shaped and decorated abstract creations can be made through careful sculpting. Other options include geometric and fluid abstract shapes, with simple lines and colors. In addition varied forms, ceramic sculptures can also be made in many sizes from miniature to large scale.
While traditional wall art may take the form of pictures or paintings, handmade modern ceramic wall decorations can add a three-dimensional edge using basic colors and simple designs. Hand-formed geometric shapes, such as squares, placed in recurring sequence along a wall add dimension without overwhelming the room design. In addition, light and dark colors may be used to provide contrasting palettes which can be matched to the other features in the room’s décor.
Hand-built plates or bowls can be given a modern look with the application of different glazes or slips including the marbled finish. Marbling is achieved using tinted slips in contrasting colors such as black and gold. Combining centrifugal force and gravity, the tinted slips are applied to the surface of the wet clay with the primary colored used to coat the entire surface. As soon as the first coat is applied, a second color is added to the ceramic creation in lines. After the second color has been applied, the piece is rotated to create swirled patters across the surface.
Bold, clean designs can be applied to handmade ceramic pieces such as bowls or plates using a newspaper transfer technique which employs the monoprint printing technique. Using newspaper, the designs including shapes or figures are sketched on the surface and colored using various slip colors. After allowing the colors to dry, a slip coat is applied to the newspaper that is left to dry before adding a second coat. Again, the newspaper must be allowed to dry before it is applied to the surface of the dry, prefired ceramic piece. Smoothing the newspaper over the surface of the ceramic piece, it is then gradually rubbed to ensure the design adheres to the surface. As the newspaper is peeled away, the design is left behind.