Use Custom Glazes To Improve Your Artistry

Apr 18

Better work begins with better materials. Glazing your piece is no exception.

We don’t use premixed, bottled glazes. Every glaze in our studio is mixed by hand, right here in our dedicated glaze lab. That means we control the ingredients, the consistency, and the final finish. Your glaze choice and application should be just as intentional as the form itself.

What Makes Our Glazes Different?

Our glazes are developed in-house, not pulled off a shelf. This allows us to:

Fine-tune finishes for our specific clay body

Learn more about our custom clay body

Test glaze combinations thoroughly before offering them to our members
Keep our glazes in optimal condition so they’re always easy to work with
Offer more nuanced, dynamic results than many commercial options

Bottled glazes are often mass-produced, which is fine, but may fall flat. Our glazes feel alive. They respond to your hand, the kiln, and the clay body in unique ways. The difference is a little like cooking from scratch versus heating up a frozen meal. Sure, both get the job done. But only one is full of flavor.

Why Experienced Artists Appreciate Our Glazes

Seasoned potters tell us all the time: our glazes are some of the best they’ve used. It’s easy to notice the subtleties like how a glaze breaks over texture, how it pools in crevices, or how it responds to layering. The best surfaces come from skill, testing, and curiosity, not just convenience.

“Glaze impacts the piece as much as the form. It can reveal or obscure, accentuate movement, or completely shift how we experience the work.

It’s the final voice in the dialogue between maker, material, and fire.” — Josh Herman

Because we mix our own glazes, we can adjust them as needed to bring out the best in your work. That makes our studio a favorite for ceramicists who want more control over their surface finishes while fostering a deeper connection to the materials they’re using.

Why It’s Also Great for Beginners

Even if you’re just getting started, you’ll benefit from a thoughtful approach when it comes to glazing. We test every glaze in every combination so students don’t have to guess. This allows us to constantly innovate on colors, texture and final finish. Our studio glazes are designed to be easy to use and consistently beautiful, so new artists can focus on form and feel without stressing over what’s happening in the kiln.

We also believe that access to beautiful materials inspires better work. When your glaze options are this good, it encourages more experimentation—and more joy in the process.

The Tao of Clay Body + Glaze Combo

All our glazes are tested specifically on our custom dark brown clay body, which fires to a rich, chocolatey finish. It’s not just a backdrop - it’s part of the design.

Because our clay has so much natural depth and texture, it acts like a glaze all its own. Even a single-layer glaze can reveal multiple tones, breaking over edges or letting the clay peek through. That means more dimension with less work letting your initial form shine through.

Can Students Experiment With Their Own Glazes at Tao of Clay?

Absolutely. In fact, we offer an entire workshop dedicated to it.

LEARN: Developing Glazes Through Testing

If you’ve ever wanted to go deeper into the world of glazes, this class is for you. Designed for ceramicists ready to move beyond using bottled studio glazes, this hands-on course teaches the fundamentals of glaze testing and development.

Rather than focusing heavily on glaze chemistry, we emphasize the process: testing, observation, documentation, and refinement. You’ll learn how to:

Mix your own test batches
Use line blends, triaxial blends, and substitution testing
Adjust recipes based on results
Troubleshoot issues with color, finish, or firing
Understand how materials interact with heat and clay

You’ll leave with a library of your own glaze tests and a solid foundation for future glaze development. Whether you’re after soft satins, glossy earth tones, or wild, textural surprises, this course helps you take creative control of your ceramic surfaces.

How to Apply Glaze: The Fun Part

We encourage experimentation in both the formula and the application. In our studio, you can:

Dunk
Brush
Spray (with some instruction)
Pour, drip, or splatter (when you’re feeling wild)

We’re here to support the curious. Play is part of the process.

Is Hand-Mixed Glaze More Sustainable?

In many ways, yes. While it takes more time and intention, it also reduces reliance on packaging, shipping, and plastic containers. More importantly, it creates a deeper understanding of what goes into your work. That kind of awareness is part of a more sustainable practice—one rooted in craft, not consumption.

Read: Organicity and Ceramics

Why It All Matters

At Tao of Clay, our goal isn’t just to teach ceramics. It’s to help people fall in love with the process. That means giving you materials that feel good to use, support your growth, and make your work shine.

Our glazes are an extension of that philosophy: handcrafted, tested with care, and made to elevate your creative practice; whether you're just starting out or decades into your journey.

Take a Class: Developing Glazes Through Testing