Tile Design

For this project, we had to create multiple tiles to create a multi0level design. The way we made these tiles, however, was unlike any other project in both ceramics one and ceramics two. We first had to create molds out of plaster with the design of our tyles in it, letting it dry and then creating a blueprint per se to create the tiles. Once the tiles hardened up we were able to press clay into it, creating the design in the clay and wait a couple of minutes so it dries and hardens up and carefully takes it out of the mold. Personally, I wanted my design to get less and less detailed with bigger geometric shapes the farther away you went from the middle point where all four tiles connected. I also knew that I wanted the background color to be black to really support and make the main colors show even more. The glazes I used where HF-1 (black) for the background, I then used C-49 (Rainforest) for the outer most shapes. I then used C-47 (Jade) for the triangles and for the square I used C-41 (Pear). For both the inside shapes I used the glazes C-40 (Marigold) and ended it with C-53 (Wheeping Plum).

Overall, I think I was very successful with this project. I personally like the colors I chose the most out of anything because it was my first time using that series of glazes that aren't as vibrant as the common ones but in a specific way I liked that color difference even more. I also am appreciative of how patient I was on the glazing, painting all the background and the "walls" of all the shapes was a hassle, and needed to take time for each coat for all four tiles to make them look really good. The only real thing I struggled with was the center piece where the triangles all connect due to that corner always getting stuck in the mold, resulting in it not being attached to the rest of the clay tile, forcing me to redo the mold with more and more clay a couple of times in order to get that peace out. If I were to redo this project all over again, I would still want to stick with simple variety of geometric shapes because I think it looks clean. However, I would take extra time making the mold better with sharper angles for the shapes and then go back with the clay tiles before they get too hard and smooth out the shapes, especially the middle triangle.