Plant Studies With Teacher's Palette Glazes
Discover a new way to use AMACO Teacher's Palette Glazes by transforming them into watercolor-style paints. In this lesson, students study plants from observation while exploring layering, value, and color mixing to create vibrant botanical artwork on ceramic tile.
Supplies List
- Lead pencil
- Black AMACO Underglaze Pencil
- 6" x 6" Bisque Tile
- Plants (real, fake, or printed image)
- Dried TP glazes in egg carton
- Water Cup
- Spray Bottle
- Paint Brushes
What you'll do:
Explore how dried Teacher's Palette glazes can be reconstituted and used like watercolors on bisque-fired ceramic tiles. You will apply watercolor techniques—such as washes, layering, and blending—to depict plant forms, learning to control glaze fluidity and transparency.
You will explore watercolor-style painting on bisque-fired tiles using dried Teacher's Palette glazes and plants as the subject of your image study.
Start by sketching a simple plant form and apply watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet blending, dry brush texture, and layering for depth. Experiment with color flow, opacity, and brush control while learning how glaze behaves differently from paint.
Select a Reference & Gather Supplies
Find a plant outside or an image online. You could even use a fake plant! It is recommended to use a plant with all warm or all cool colors.
Draw Your Plant
Looking at your reference, sketch your plant onto your tile using a plain lead pencil.
Prepare Your Palette
Spritz your Teacher's Palette watercolors with the spray bottle to get them ready for painting.
Learn more about creating Teacher's Palette Watercolor palettes here!
Base Layer
Use your dried Teacher's Palette glazes like you would watercolors, dipping your brush into your water each time you get more glaze. Paint 1-2 layers of your lightest color over the entire plant/flower.
Midtones
Choose a slightly darker shade and layer it over areas that should be in shadow. Be sure to keep the lightest areas of your image untouched.
Shadows
Apply your darkest shade to deepen the shadows, adding dimension to your piece.
Quick Tip!
You can also apply a complementary color to increase the contrast. Avoid using black, except in very small areas, as it can quickly muddy the colors.
Background
Fill in the background of your image. Use a complementary or contrasting color to help the plant/flower stand out.
Note: If the glaze on your tile is still shiny, allow it to dry to avoid the colors mixing unintentionally.
Final Details
Add finishing touches using an AMACO Underglaze Pencil.
Fire Your Tile
No need to apply a clear glaze! The TP Watercolors will fire matte where thin and glossy where thick. Fire to Cone 05 on medium speed.
Video
Similar Lesson Plans
