Preparing Your Pottery For Exhibitions
Want to stand out with the presentation of your pottery for the exhibition – follow the 5 steps below to take your pottery from beautiful to excellent. Remember to always test on a piece of pottery first before committing to the process and always wear a mask when sanding or spraying pottery.
Step 1
Purchase some sheets of ‘wet and dry’ sandpaper from your local hardware or auto shop. It comes in various roughness grains (grit) so you may want to start around 400 grit and work your way up from 600 to 1200 and finally 2000. The higher the grit number the smoother it is. Cut the sand paper into squares about 8cm by 8cm for ease of use.
Step 2
Wet the surface of the pottery and the square of sandpaper with water from a shallow bowl, then begin to lightly sand using the wet sandpaper. Run the piece of sandpaper back and forth over the pottery or in small circles, spending about 30 seconds on each area, rinsing the sandpaper and the clay frequently.
Step 3
Repeat the process with sandpaper of a slightly finer grit then repeat again with an even finer grit of sandpaper until the surface of the pottery is completely smooth and even in texture. When the water in the bowl becomes cloudy from the clay, empty it out and refill the bowl with clean water.
Step 4
Buff the sanded pottery with a piece of old denim (not new denim as the dye may run) or maybe use some canvas or an old t-shirt. Hold the denim in one hand and the pottery in the other hand and rub the denim vigorously over the surface. The more quickly you move the denim, the higher the shine you will achieve.
Step 5
For an even more stunning result you can apply a polish to the pottery using a water-based acrylic by either dipping it in the polish, or brushing or spraying it, onto the surface. When brushing, work quickly so the polish does not dry in between strokes. Some products you can use include Liquitex - High Gloss Varnish, or Krylon Spray - Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze, available from good art supply stores.
Steps by ehow.com
