Underglaze is the easiest way to put controlled color and pictures on pottery, because it stays where you paint it. This guide covers how to use underglaze at each clay stage, how to paint solid color, ten underglaze techniques worth trying, design ideas, and how to fix mistakes. It is research-based: it follows the application directions AMACO and Mayco publish for their underglazes and the teaching guides we compared, checked October 2026.
Greenware or bisque: choose your stage first
Most brush-on underglazes work on either. AMACO lists wet clay, leather-hard and bone-dry greenware, and mature cone 04 bisque for its Velvet line. Mayco lists wet or leather-hard clay, greenware and cone 04 bisque for Fundamentals. Solid drawing tools such as underglaze pencils and chalk crayons are made for bisque only.
| Stage | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Leather hard | Sgraffito, mishima, carving through color | Clay and color shrink together as they dry; keep coats thin |
| Bone dry | Detailed painting, loose brushwork | Very fragile; a wet brush can soften thin walls |
| Bisque | Beginners, layered painting, pencils, crayons, transfers | Dust and finger oils stop color sticking; first clear coat can smear |
Painting greenware has one big advantage: the bisque firing fixes the color, so you can brush clear glaze over it later without smearing. The cost is a fragile pot and more risk of flaking if the coats are thick. Leather-hard clay is the usual sweet spot for greenware work.
Underglaze on bisque suits beginners. The pot is strong enough to hold, and mistakes wash off before firing. The catch is that unfired underglaze on bisque can smear when you brush clear over it, so sponge, dip or spray the first clear coat, or fire the underglaze on first. Our underglaze vs overglaze page covers the firing order, and our bisqueware guide explains what bisque is.
Prepare the underglaze and the surface
- Mix it. Mayco's label says to shake well. Stir jars that have settled; unmixed underglaze can fire patchy or flake.
- Adjust thickness. If a jar has thickened, AMACO's advice is to add a few drops of water.
- Use a palette. Mayco's label says to put underglaze on a tile rather than working from the jar, which keeps the jar clean.
- Clean bisque. Wipe with a barely damp sponge to lift dust. Mayco's label adds that lightly dampening the ware before painting helps adhesion.
- Sketch. A soft graphite pencil line burns away in the kiln.
- Test. Paint a tile of your own clay at your own cone. Fired color often differs from the jar.
Underglaze painting: building solid color
Underglaze painting for flat, even color is about thin coats and patience. Both AMACO (for Velvet) and Mayco (for Fundamentals, through dealer copies of its label) point to three coats for opaque color.
- Load a soft brush, not dripping, and brush the first coat thin in one direction.
- Wait until the coat loses its shine and looks matte.
- Brush the second coat across the first, at a right angle, to fill streaks.
- Add a third coat in the first direction for solid color.
- Paint edges and rims with a smaller brush last, so they do not build up thick.
- Let the piece dry fully before firing or glazing.
A soft fan or mop brush lays color more evenly than a stiff craft brush. Our pottery brushes guide covers shapes and hair types.
Underglaze techniques to try
1. Watercolor washes
Thin underglaze with water and brush one coat. The color goes translucent and the clay shows through, which suits soft florals, skies and layered tints. Build depth with several thin washes rather than one heavy one.
2. Sponging and stippling
Dab color on with a natural sponge for a mottled texture, or cut a kitchen sponge into a shape and use it as a stamp. Dabbing a stiff brush gives a finer stipple.
3. Stencils and tape
Press a damp paper cutout onto the pot, sponge or brush over it, then lift it once the color is dry to the touch. Thin masking tape makes clean stripes and color blocks; set the pot on a banding wheel to run it straight.
4. Wax resist
Paint wax where you want the clay or a first color to stay clean, then brush underglaze over it. The wax repels the color and burns off in the kiln. See our wax resist guide.
5. Sgraffito
Brush three coats on leather-hard clay, then scratch through to the clay below. It is the most popular way to get fine line drawings from underglaze; our sgraffito guide covers timing and tools.
6. Mishima (inlay)
Carve thin lines into leather-hard clay, fill them with underglaze, and scrape the surface clean once it firms up. The color stays only in the lines.
7. Piped and trailed lines
Fill a fine-tip applicator bottle with underglaze and draw raised lines, dots and lettering. Mayco's Designer Liner comes ready in a writer-tip bottle for this.
8. Drawing with pencils and crayons
For line work on bisque, an underglaze pencil gives crisp lines, and underglaze crayons give soft shading. Both need a sponged, dipped or sprayed first coat of clear.
9. Transfers
Printed underglaze designs on paper are pressed onto the pot and the backing is peeled away. Our underglaze transfers guide walks through it.
10. Dipping, pouring and spraying
Thinned underglaze can be dipped or poured for a quick, even background. Spraying gives smooth gradients, but only use a product the maker allows to be sprayed: the dealer copy of Mayco's Fundamentals label says "Do not spray apply." Spray only in a vented booth with a NIOSH-approved respirator.
Underglaze ideas and designs for beginners
Good first underglaze designs use simple shapes and repeat them, so small wobbles look intentional. These pottery underglaze ideas suit a first few pieces:
- Banded lines: hold a loaded brush still while a banding wheel turns the pot.
- Polka dots: dip the round end of a brush handle and print dots.
- Color blocking: tape off halves or thirds and fill each with a different color.
- Leaf silhouettes: press damp real or paper leaves on as stencils and sponge around them.
- Ombre fade: sponge a dark color at the base and lighten it toward the rim.
- Lettering: a name, a date or a short word in liner or pencil.
- Black and white sgraffito: one dark coat and a simple pattern scratched through.
- Layered washes: overlap two translucent colors to make a third where they meet.
Clear glaze and firing
Bare underglaze fires to a matte surface. A clear glaze on top deepens the color, adds gloss and is needed on any surface that touches food; the buying guide linked below covers when clear is needed in more detail.
Fire within the underglaze's rated range and check its fired chart at your own cone; some reds, pinks and blues deepen or fade near the top of a range. A thick or milky clear can cloud fine detail, so test the clear's thickness on a tile first.
We can't promise that a clear glaze will be food safe on your pots. Labels apply only when the glaze is fired to its stated cone on a compatible clay body, without crazing. Follow the maker's labeling and test finished ware.
Fixing mistakes
- Wet color: wipe it off with a damp sponge, then let the area dry before repainting.
- Dry color on greenware: scrape gently with a sharp tool or a sgraffito loop, or wipe with a barely damp sponge on bone-dry clay. Go slowly, since the pot is fragile.
- Dry color on bisque: scrub it off with a damp sponge or rinse the area, then let the piece dry completely, for a day if needed, before you repaint.
- After firing: fired underglaze will not wash off. Cover it with an opaque color or work it into the design.
Common mistakes and flaking
- Thick coats on greenware. The color and clay shrink at different rates, and heavy layers crack or flake at rims and edges. Keep coats thin and dry the piece slowly.
- Dust, oils or wax on bisque. Color peels off where it could not grip. Clean hands, a damp-sponge wipe and careful wax work prevent it.
- Glazing before the underglaze is dry. Trapped moisture can lift the underglaze in the glaze firing.
- Unstirred jars. Settled underglaze fires patchy.
- Brushing clear over unfired underglaze. It smears. Sponge, dip or spray the first coat.
- Skipping the test tile. Clay body, cone and clear all change the result.
Safety notes
Underglazes contain clay and ceramic pigments, and dry clay dust contains silica. Clean up wet: wipe tables with a damp sponge and mop floors, and never dry sweep. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator for spraying or for mixing any dry materials, and read the maker's Safety Data Sheet for each color. Do not eat or drink at the work table, wash your hands after decorating, and follow your kiln maker's manual for clearances and ventilation.
What you need
A few jars of underglaze, two or three soft brushes, a sponge, a tile palette, masking tape, wax resist and a clear glaze for your cone will cover every technique on this page. A banding wheel makes straight bands easy. For colors and brands, start with our best underglazes guide.
Sources: AMACO Velvet application directions (clay stages, cone 04 bisque, thinning); Mayco Fundamentals product pages and 2023 Underglazes catalog; Mayco label text as published by Krueger Pottery (shake well, tile palette, dampen ware, three coats, do not spray apply); AMACO and Chrysanthos pencil and chalk directions; Glendale Community College ceramics underglazing notes; Ceramic Arts Network article on underglaze painting on bone-dry pots; The Pottery Wheel articles on underglaze techniques and underglaze flaking; DiamondCore Tools beginner's guide to underglaze. Specs checked October 2026.