Decorating with coloured slip

Tom Kemp is a largely self-taught artist whose works are now in private collections around the world. His work stems from a fascination with writing, the physical creation of visual language. With this in mind, he has devised a special course for db pottery, a 4-hour course on decorating ceramic objects with slip.

Slip is wet clay and can be coloured with the usual oxides or dyes. In our series of tests, we will investigate three techniques for using slip as a decorative medium. Firstly, we will treat slip as a viscous paint and apply it to the surface of an unfired vessel using various tools, including our hands. Secondly, we will use slip as a coating and scratch through it to reveal the colour of the object underneath. Thirdly, we will score the object itself and fill the incisions with a contrasting coloured slip, then scrape it away to reveal the design.

Participants will work on 3 objects in this course. These objects will either be made by us or, if so desired, participants may also bring their own objects (raw).

This course is suitable for beginners as well as for advanced students who want to work with porcelain.

• Course director: Tom Kemp
• Language: English
• Course duration: 4 hours
• Number of participants: Min. 3, max. 6
• The price includes all material costs and the fires. Including a small aperitif. 
• Note: No warranty claims. Liability lies with the participating persons.