Understanding Underglaze Paints

One of the most exciting parts of pottery painting is experimenting with colour. From soft pastel blends to bold vibrant designs, underglaze paints allow endless creative possibilities and help transform a simple ceramic piece into something completely unique.

At Potter Worx, we love seeing guests explore colour combinations, layering techniques, and creative effects during our pottery painting experiences. Whether you are completely new to pottery painting or looking to improve your confidence with colour mixing, understanding how underglaze paints work can help you achieve even more beautiful results.

About the colours

The paints included in our kits and at our painting experiences are ceramic underglazes. These are specially formulated pigments designed for pottery painting and kiln firing.

A few important things to know:

Colours will look softer, flatter, and slightly chalky while wet and when fully dry
Don’t worry if your piece looks a little dull before firing — the transformation is part of the magic.
After glazing and kiln firing, the colours will become brighter, richer, and glossy.

How Underglazes Behave

Underglazes are water-based and easy to layer.
Most colours need 3-4 thin coats for solid, even coverage.
Allow each coat to dry before adding the next for best results.
Brush strokes often smooth out a little during firing, especially under clear glaze.
Sometimes applying a light colours on top of a dark colour is less effective. Use white on top of dark and then a colour if your design changed a little. For best results use the eraser to remove the dark area where the lighter colour is intended.

Tip: If a colour looks patchy after one coat, that’s completely normal — add another thin layer once dry.

Mixing Your Own Colours

One of the joys of pottery painting is creating custom shades, make a note of the amounts your using to create your colour to ensure you have enough of the colour for your design.

Simple Mixing Tips:

Start with small amounts — a little goes a long way.
No need to add any water to the underglaze.
Mix on your palette before applying to your piece.
Add lighter colours gradually to dark colours (not the other way around).
Keep notes if you create a shade you love!

Easy Colour Blends:

Red + White = Pink
Blue + Yellow = Green
Red + Blue = Purple
Pink + touch of Orange = Coral
Add White to soften any colour
Add a tiny touch of Black to deepen tones

Remember: Mixed colours will also appear slightly brighter and more vibrant after firing.

Final Creative Tips

Applying thin layers once the previous is dry, gives the best result.
Use smaller brushes for detail and lettering.
Use the backs of paint brushes to make dots.
Remove any tape gently once paint is touch dry.
Embrace the handmade look — each piece is beautifully unique.

We can’t wait to see what you create.