Sgraffito Decoration on a Large Bowl

This video shows how to decorate a large bowl with a carved sgraffito decoration. The video is a condensed version of about 45 minutes of studio work, with most of the video at a 4x speed. The pattern I'm drawing here is inspired by a Jack Lenor Larsen fabric print from the late 1960s called "Happiness."
To make a sgraffito decoration on a pot, first throw and trim your vessel and allow it to dry to a leather-hard stage. Lightly clean the surface with a damp sponge, and then paint on a clay slip or underglaze. In this video, a blue underglaze is used and four coats are painted on to achieve a solid, opaque surface.
Once the underglaze is dry, then the decoration is carved through the underglaze. The key to sgraffito is having decorative color that contrasts with the clay body. In this example, the brown speckle clay will look great with the blue underglaze once it is fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln.
While carving, a dry brush is used to clean up crumbs and bits. If a dry brush won't clean your sgraffito, you may need to let your carving dry before cleaning, or simply wait for your pot get to the dry side of leather hard. It will be easier to clean and get a sharp line if you are almost at a bone dry stage. As shown in this video, after carving, the base and rim are cleaned.
It's not shown in this video but after bisque firing, it's best to glaze sgraffito with a clear glaze or leave it unglazed, to best highlight the decorative work.
Instagram: / mattmerkelhess
TikTok: / mattmerkelhess
Website: www.merkelhess.com/

[@evangeliemourouti]

Beautiful!

[@jodiallen-zy5bi]

Gorgeous!!

[@alphonsechanekayebone7871]

Beautiful

[@helenangus1675]

Love your work and just using a pencil, fantastic love that idea will have to try it.

[@merkelhess]

thanks so much. There are better sgraffito tools than a pencil, but I always have one handy and they work if the clay is on the dry side of leather hard.

[@helenangus1675]

@Matthias Merkel Hess thank you for your reply, I do use other tools, but the use of a pencil was an interesting option.

[@user-vs6zr6du8u]

Love this…scrafitto

[@merkelhess]

Thanks!

[@aidasoto2936]

Excellent and hand made and quality control check ✔️ ✅️
Good work good stuff
Superliked, Distinguish, Ultralevel, Graceful, Respect 🙏

[@merkelhess]

Much appreciated!

[@JJ_Sparks]

Beautiful...n it feels good that you worked with pencil... 😀👍👍

[@merkelhess]

Thank you so much 😀

[@potterybymollika]

I really enjoy doing sgrafitto on some of my pots too. I love the design you did, very nicely done!

[@merkelhess]

Thanks!

[@largiledesantans]

Bonjour, engobe ? Sur consistance cuir ? Ou email liquide sur biscuit ? Merci de votre réponse

[@merkelhess]

Hi, this is a commercial underglaze on leatherhard greenware. I’ve thinned the underglaze a bit, as I find that easier to work with.

[@nadjabierbaum8136]

You do the scafitto- work with a pencil?

[@merkelhess]

Yes, I usually use a pencil. It works for me.

[@adarfrida]

Beautiful work! I also do sgraffito on my channel and this is an inspiration for sure :)

[@merkelhess]

Thanks, I’ll check out your channel!

[@cynthiaknox2131]

Do you glaze all the way to the outside bottom of bowl? Concerned about dripping at all?

[@merkelhess]

Hi Cynthia, thanks for your question. The outside of this bowl is just finished with a blue underglaze that I have tested, and know won't melt at cone 6. But it is still suitable for cleaning and washing. The inside and rim of the bowl was finished with a food safe glaze.
I fire to cone 6, and most underglazes stay matte at this temperature, but I still wouldn't put them on the bottom of a pot. If you have to do any clean up or sanding on the foot, having underglaze there will make it look uneven.

[@cynthiaknox2131]

@@merkelhess thanks for answering my question. Do you have a picture of the finished fired bowl here on Instagram or a website? I am interested in seeing what the final fired underglaze finish is like. Your scraffito designs are gorgeous. They evoke Peter Max art to me.

[@merkelhess]

@@cynthiaknox2131 thanks! I posted a picture of the bottom of this bowl in the "community" tab of my channel a few weeks ago.

[@anonumosGirl]

is your bowl bone dry when you are applying the underglaze?

[@merkelhess]

This bowl was on the dry side of leather hard, almost bone dry. It did rehydrate a bit from adding the 3 layers of underglaze.

[@jeangarry8189]

Hi I can tell you enjoy the process. My son's father is a Merkel😇

[@merkelhess]

I do enjoy it!

[@timothymccarthy7747]

I like the shape and size of this bowl, but think the decoration is too busy for it. It does add something attractive however.

[@merkelhess]

🌀🌀🌀

[@Noble-yc8wz]

Your clean up trim around the rim is so uneven.......I cant even watch it....UGH !

[@merkelhess]

thanks for your comment