Decorating Techniques (Ceramics Class)

Rating:
Summary: Decorating Techniques by Joaquim Chavarria
Review: Although Joaquim Chavarria's book is only 64 pages long, it's packed with lots of photos, great ideas, and easy to follow demonstrations! I'm a professional sculptor and potter who also teaches classes. Whenever I find a book that I feel is exceptional, I bring it in to share with my students. When I bought "Decoration Techniques" to a recent class, every student decided that they also wanted this great little book foor their personal library! I highly recommend it! Bravo Mr. Chavarria!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent instuctions, wide variety of techniques
Review: Continuing the excellent Ceramics Class series, this is a fantastic book for those wanting to decorate ceramics. There are excellent step-by-step instructions accompanied by lots of demonstrating pictures, plus any formulas you need.

Decorations can be applied at various points in the creation process. The book starts out with decorations for soft damp pieces. I love the sculptures and jewelry using an Egyptian paste. Other pieces shown use texture application, paddling, inscribing and an agate look. Next, leather-hard pieces are decorated using fluting, faceting, carving, cloisonné, englobe painting, paper resist, combing, marbling, burnishing and encrusting. The openwork bowl, relief jug and mishima tray in this section are simply gorgeous.

Decorating dry pieces is then covered. This includes using oxides, sgraffito and using resists. Bisque-fired pieces are next. Here, underglazing, using resists, overglazing and superimposing glazes are shown. An Indian design using the cuerda seca technique, in which different glazes are used to prevent them for mixing, was my favorite.

There is a helpful glossary of terms in the back. With so many wonderful techniques and a wide variety of projects, there is something for everyone here.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing but still useful
Review: I bought this book for decorating techniques (that is the title, after all), but found that a good part of the book covers handbuilding to the detriment of covering decorating in detail. For example, there several pages on using engobes, but nothing explaining engobes v. slip. In another section on using engobes and oxides, percentages aren't given, nor are details given about preparing tobacco water. As a general overview of decorating techniques, this book is ok; I did get a couple of new techniques from it making it worth the purchase price, but I expected more.

One additional note: the publisher should make sure books like this have an index. With no index, I can't find the all the techniques that use oxides or slips, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing but still useful
Review: I was looking for a book--to share with my students--that would give an overview of decorating techniques in a concise manner. This is definitely THE book. Packed into this slim 64 page book are easy to understand written instructions and wonderful color photos showing step-by-step approach to any style and/or method of decorating available. I originally bought this book to use as a starting reference point, but have concluded that until all the the techniques Mr. Chavarria demonstrates have been tried and experimented with, no more searching is necessary. I especially like his idea that there are no hard and fast rules to the creative process. My students have enjoyed this book, but more importantly, so have I.

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable tool
Review: I was looking for a book--to share with my students--that would give an overview of decorating techniques in a concise manner. This is definitely THE book. Packed into this slim 64 page book are easy to understand written instructions and wonderful color photos showing step-by-step approach to any style and/or method of decorating available. I originally bought this book to use as a starting reference point, but have concluded that until all the the techniques Mr. Chavarria demonstrates have been tried and experimented with, no more searching is necessary. I especially like his idea that there are no hard and fast rules to the creative process. My students have enjoyed this book, but more importantly, so have I.