Test Tiles

Purpose:

To create four equally formed tiles
To demonstrate the effects of layering glaze colors
To develop glazing skills
To contribute to a test tile wall for current and future ceramics students

Reflection:

The biggest aspect of a ceramics piece that shows an artist’s attention to quality of craftsmanship is attention to detail. This includes, but is not limited to, smoothed edges, even thickness and size across all tiles, even coating of glaze, and legible handwriting. I made sure to show quality craftsmanship in my tiles by using wooden guides when rolling out my clay to make sure it had an even thickness. I also measured where to paint my glaze and where to poke the holes in each tile to keep them as identical as possible.

When I first painted each layer of glaze on my tiles, it was hard to see the glaze that was underneath after another layer had dried on top. My set of tiles also included multiple shades of yellow, and those were hard to tell apart before they were fired. After each tile was fired, there were clear differences between the colors. The colors themselves also became a lot more vibrant once fired. I was very surprised at how different the colors of the glazes changed before and after firing. I was also surprised at how the glazes that were layered reacted with each other- I was expecting the colors to blend like paint, but the colors that these glazes resulted in were very unique and interesting.

I acquired a lot of new skills throughout this exercise that will benefit me for the rest of my time with ceramics. This was my first time using glaze, so the basic skills and techniques I learned will definitely help me with all my glazing in the future. I also learned how to wedge clay before forming the tiles, which was something I wasn’t familiar with and will most likely use in the future. Finally, I learned a lot about quality craftsmanship. Making sure each tile was even and polished will help me apply those skills to future pieces.

More Info on Test Tiles

The purpose of test tiles is to see how different glazes and other methods of color look after being fired in the kiln. They are meant to use small amounts of clay that can be easily replicated for each color you want to test. There are various types of tiles based on what your final clay pieces will look like- for example, if you tend to make 3D pieces thrown on a wheel, you may want to create test tiles that are thrown and then cut into sections so you will have a more accurate representation of what colors will look like on your final pieces (see the top right photo).

Because glaze can look very different in different textures, adding texture to your test tiles is important if you plan to add texture to your final pieces. It can be a simple shape or an all-over texture (see bottom right photo).

Overall, test tiles can be any shape or size. It is important to make your test tiles with shapes and textures that help you the most when considering what glazes to use on your final pieces.

Source (text and images): https://suemcleodceramics.com/different-styles-of-test-tiles-you-can-make-for-glaze-testing/

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