Learn Real Ceramic Glaze Techniques in Jingdezhen
Do you want to come to Jingdezhen and learn traditional glaze techniques?
For more than one thousand years, Jingdezhen has developed many ceramic traditions and production methods. Among them, glazing is one of the most important steps in ceramic decoration.
Our glaze course in Jingdezhen is mainly designed for adult learners and independent artists who want to improve their understanding of ceramic glaze materials and decoration techniques.
Whether you are a beginner or already have some experience, this course will help you learn traditional Jingdezhen glaze methods, and improve your artistic skills and understanding.
Normally, the glaze course lasts 7 days, and it focuses on glaze testing and glaze mixing experiments.
During the course, you will learn how to mix glazes and how to apply them onto ceramics. We also provide the working space and kiln firing service, so you can see the real results of your experiments.
The course fee is 700 US dollars per person for 7 days.
This includes:
- glaze materials
- teaching tools
- studio space
- teacher guidance
But the following costs are not included:
- international flights
- accommodation in Jingdezhen
- food
- local transportation
These expenses are paid separately by the students.
This course is helpful whether you want to work on ceramic panels, vases, teapots, or tea sets.
You will learn practical skills for glaze mixing and glaze decoration.
Our courses are flexible. They can be one-to-one private lessons or small group classes with 3 to 4 students.
First, you will learn about the three basic components of ceramic glaze, and how to mix basic glaze formulas.
During the course, you will test 36 basic glaze recipes and produce about 120 test tiles, so you can clearly see the results.
We will also introduce glaze additives, such as:
- opacifiers for matte and opaque glazes
- flux materials for glossy transparent glazes
- colorants such as iron, copper, cobalt, and manganese
We will also visit ceramic material shops in Jingdezhen, where you can buy materials for your own projects.
You may feel that this course is a bit like a chemistry class.
And yes, in some ways it is.
You will hear some chemical terms, but you don’t need to fully understand the chemistry. You only need to follow the recipes and proportions.
Most glaze knowledge comes from long practical experience.
You will also learn different color mixing methods, including oxide mixing and color blending experiments.
All test pieces will be fired in an electric kiln at about 1230°C in oxidation atmosphere, so you can see the real glaze colors.
During the course, you will also practice:
- glaze application techniques
- different glazing methods
- mixing your own two glaze formulas
- recording glaze recipes
You will also learn layered glazing, for example combining glaze A and glaze B to create new effects.
This is especially useful for ceramic panels and artistic ceramics.
We will also introduce basic glaze safety testing, including:
- glaze stability
- safety factors
- simple testing methods
This helps make sure your ceramics are safe for use.
Our glaze course is more like a round-table workshop, where teachers and students share ideas and experiences.
You will experiment with different ceramic forms, such as:
- vases
- ceramic panels
- teapots
- cups
- plates
After the course, you will have:
- about 120 test tiles
- glaze recipe records
- around 15 finished glaze pieces
After finishing the course, artists can continue working in Jingdezhen studios if they want.
This artist studio service is separate from the course and requires additional fees depending on time and materials used.
If you want to know more about our glaze course in Jingdezhen, please contact us by email.
The cups and glaze works shown in this video are examples from the course experiments, and we hope they can inspire you.
If you have any questions about ceramic glazes, even if you cannot come to Jingdezhen, feel free to leave a comment to potteryshowcase@outlook.com
