Glaze Chemistry Lab — From Fundamentals to Personal Recipes

11.6.26 - 14.6.26 // 16:00-19:00

Creating your own glazes allows you to move beyond commercial surfaces and develop a truly personal ceramic language. This intensive four-day masterclass is designed for ceramists with little or no experience in glaze formulation who want to understand what’s actually happening inside a glaze and how to control it.

The course begins with the essentials: raw materials, glaze chemistry, and how formulas function. From there, participants move into structured testing, recipe adjustments.

The emphasis is on clarity, practical skills, and confidence in the studio, turning glaze development into an intentional process rather than guesswork.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Understand the main raw materials used in glazes and their specific roles

• Read, interpret, and modify glaze formulas with confidence

• Design and carry out systematic glaze tests

• Begin developing a personal glaze recipe

• Navigate glaze resources such as books and online databases independently

Topics Covered

• Raw materials: fluxes, silica, alumina, oxides—properties and sources

• Core glaze chemistry and formula logic

• Testing methods and documentation strategies

• UMF (Unity Molecular Formula) and Stull chart methodology

• Colourants, opacifiers, glaze defects, and special effects
  (crawling, phase separation, lava-like surfaces)

Schedule Overview

Thursday to sunday 11.6. - 14.6. 4 days 16:00-19:00

Day 1
Lecture: Introduction to glaze chemistry, fluxes, raw material families and their role
Lab: Studio setup, safety procedures, basic testing, colourant behaviour in different bases

Day 2
Lecture: Colorants and Opacifiers - How to provide colour to a recipe
Lab: Line blends and triaxial blends on different bases

Day 3
Lecture: UMF theory, Stull chart, firing temperature and kiln cones
Lab: Developing and adjusting your own glaze using UMF

Day 4
Lecture: Glaze flaws and defects, special-effect glazes
Wrap-up: Review of test results, group discussion, Q&A, and next steps

Technical Notes

• Focus on functional glazes fired at mid-range (cone 5–8)
  (approx. 1220–1250 °C, electric kiln)

• All materials, test tiles, and firings are included

• Participants may bring their own tiles (stoneware suitable up to ~1240 °C), flat or vertical, approx. 2 × 7 cm
  Please provide details or a photo of your clay body

• Safety: An FFP3 mask is mandatory during lab work and will be provided by the studio

About the Instructor

Riccardo is the founder of Blayse Ceramic Studio in Berlin, where he focuses on glaze chemistry and material research for contemporary ceramics. With a background in wheel-thrown functional ware and years of hands-on testing, he develops his own glaze systems. His approach emphasizes understanding and control—helping makers shift from trial-and-error glazing to a deliberate, informed creative practice.

The class will be held in english

Cancellation is possible up until 30 days before the class. After that there is no refund possible.