For those who have never tried Mayco glazes, the first things to know before purchasing are the firing temperature and the desired outcome for your piece, such as whether you want to draw patterns, decorate details, or create surface effects.
But if you don't have an idea yet and want to try Mayco Glaze for the first time, Pottery Clay recommends Stroke & Coat® (SC) because it is a versatile series suitable for beginners.
Why should beginners start with Mayco Stroke & Coat®?
The advantage of Mayco Stroke & Coat® is that it can be fired across a wide range of temperatures, from Cone 06 to Cone 6. It is one of the series suitable for beginners because it is versatile, provides consistent color, and yields fairly predictable results.
For beginners looking for Mayco ceramic glazes, Pottery Clay recommends the following colors to try:
SC-15 Tuxedo (Black)
Ideal for drawing lines, outlining, detailing, and writing text. It's a basic color that every studio should have for various uses.
SC-16 Cotton Tail (White)
Used for highlighting, adding white dots, or mixing with other Stroke & Coat® colors to lighten their shades.
SC-13 Grapel (Purple)
A bright purple that can be used as both a primary and secondary color. It's great for adding vibrancy to pieces and maintains beautiful color even at higher firing temperatures.
SC-73 Candy Apple Red (Red) and SC-23 Jack O'Lantern (Orange)
Red and orange might be tones that many find difficult to work with, but with Mayco Stroke & Coat®, you can easily create bright and beautiful results. Ideal for projects that require prominent red and orange colors.
Mayco Stoneware Glaze: A must-have series for effect enthusiasts.
Another series worth trying is Mayco Stoneware, which is a ceramic glaze for high-firing, primarily used at Cone 5 or Cone 6. Its strengths include creating textured surfaces, good flow, and suitability for layering to create various effects.
For beginners just starting with Mayco Stoneware Glaze, you can try these colors:
SW-106 Alabaster
A white to off-white glaze, suitable for use as a base color on the inside of pieces or as an underglaze layer with minimal flow when combined with other glazes.
SW-129 Copper Float
A blue and green glaze with copper undertones that has good flow. Ideal for applying to the rim of pieces or layering over other glazes to create effects and dimension on the surface.
SW-110 Oyster
A popular off-white color with subtle speckles that add detail to the surface, especially when used as a top coat to create dimension and interest over a base color.
SW-104 Black Walnut
A deep black color suitable for textured surfaces or as a dark base color to enhance surface details and create effects from glaze flow.
SW-101 Stoned Denim
A greyish-blue tone that can exhibit light brown effects in certain areas. Suitable for projects requiring natural tones and can be applied to dinnerware.
Choose Mayco Glaze according to firing temperature.
When choosing Mayco glazes, the crucial factor to consider is the firing temperature of the kiln you regularly use. Check which cone you typically fire at most often, then select the series and products that match that temperature.
If you are a beginner looking to start using Mayco Glaze, try Stroke & Coat®, which is versatile, before moving on to experiment with Stoneware for creating effects and layering.
Choose the right glaze for your firing temperature and artistic style, and enjoy experimenting to create ceramic pieces that reflect your unique self.