Customer Reviews

Surface Decoration for Low-Fire Ceramics: Underglazes & Glazes * Maiolica * Slip Trailing * Grafitto * Terra-Sigillata * Photo Decals * Overglaze Enamels (A Lark Ceramics Book)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is absolutely the best resource for learning low-fire clay decoration. The book is in full-color & is packed beautiful example pieces. The author covers everything you need to know in an easy to understand manner. Surface decoration techniques include slips, terra sigillata, underglazes, glazes, maiolica, china paints, decals, & lusters. Formulas for some of these are included by volume & percentage. Seven step-by-step projects that demonstrate use of slips, sgraffito, cutouts, decals, underglazes & maiolica help you to apply what you have learned. A glossary, cone-firing range chart, & resource list are a great bonus. Numerous examples of each style are given in individual galleries throughout the book. I found them all an inspiration. Captions for each piece give information on the artist, clay type, technique & cone.

As a ceramics instructor at a small art school, I am constantly searching for a suitable text for my students, even going so far as to consider authoring one myself! Fortunately, the world has been spared my awkward diction, and has been blessed with this wonderful instructional text by Lynn Peters. I have been an admirer of Peters' work for some time now, and was delighted to see that she had documented her pursuits. The anecdotal theme of the text even had me reading for its literary quality alone! The photos are wonderful, and provide fantastic insight into the actual process of creating ceramic art. I highly recommend this tome to all instructors and students, and will continue to do so until Peters blesses us with my desired sequel! Kudos!

I stumbled on this book when I heard a sales clerk call it "brand new." As a student of maiolica, I read anything that I can find. Lynn Peters has written a book that surpasses any other on low-fire ceramics. As a college professor (ceramics), she instructs with perfect explanations, including discussions of the pros and cons of materials, both old and new, and she inspires with great photographs. I was spellbound as I read it from cover to cover all night. The greatest asset of this book is this: under each photograph of the ceramic art is a list of the clay, the techniques, and the firing cone. All the guess work is eliminated. This is rare in an industry that is finally (!) changing to the artists' advantage. Almost always Lark Books selects excellent work for publication, and this book shows pure class.

Where did Lynn Peters come from, and why is this the first I have heard of her? Wow! I have been looking for this book all my career! My students next semester and every semester after that will read this book. Everything I was never exactly sure about is in this book, from maiolica to cone temperatures, and all points in between. All of us ceramics instructors owe a giant hug of thanks to Ms. Peters.

I would love to take one of her college courses because Lynn Peters presents material clearly, concisely, and makes it seem like fun! The photographs are beautiful and very inspiring. The first time through I just looked at the pictures and captions. The second time through I read the lessons with pictures step-by-step. Third time, I read every word, and I know I'll refer to it again and again. I appreciated her simple, straightforward style of writing, and how she didn't bog down on details that don't make a lot of difference. If she wrote about it, it is useful info.

The emphasis of this book is surface decoration techniques in general. Most of the ceramics techniques in this book you will already know something about if you have had a good ceramics class. If the topics listed are new to you, then this book is a great introduction. If you've already been exposed to them, then this book does not take you farther.

There is not a lot of specific low-temperature information, other than a few recipes (which can be quite useful). In particular, I was hoping for a book that would help me approach the effects of high temperature glazes when working with a low temperature kiln, how to modify a high temperature glaze recipe to be suitable for lower temperature work, how to do glaze calculations, etc.

For an introductory book, it is very good, with good photos, etc. I'm giving it 3 stars simply because it is only introductory.

There are more thorough treatements of surface decoration in ceramics, like Hopper's _Making Marks_. And there are better coverages of ceramics in general that include this surface decoration information, such as Peterson's _Craft & Art of Clay_, which is much larger, but can (at this writing) be purchased inexpensively from discounted booksellers listed through the Amazon page.

I've taken classes and workshops with Lynn. In my opinion she will become as highly regarded in the art and techniques of Low Fired Clay as Beatrice Woods was for her art. Her inspirationally illustrated book is well thought out. All levels of clay artists will find her techniques useful.