Understanding Glaze Chemistry - A Practical Workshop
Understanding Glaze Chemistry – A Practical Workshop
Explore the building blocks of glaze making, experiment with your own glaze combinations and discover how to develop colour in this practical three-session course with local potter James Colver.
Have you ever wanted to make your own glazes, understand what's in a glaze recipe, or find out how small changes can create completely different results?
Glaze chemistry can feel like a bit of a mystery when you're starting out, so we're welcoming local potter James Colver to Clayful Hands for a practical workshop exploring the building blocks of glaze making.
Across three sessions, you'll learn about the materials used in glaze recipes, experiment with different combinations and discover how to develop colour using colouring oxides and ceramic stains. You'll put what you've learnt into practice, test your own ideas and build a better understanding of how glazes work.
This workshop is open to anyone interested in learning more about glaze chemistry, including our studio members and students, as well as potters joining us from further afield. You don't need to be an expert in glaze making to take part – this is an opportunity to learn, experiment and ask questions in a supportive studio setting.
What's Included
Three practical sessions with James Colver
Learn the building blocks of glaze chemistry
Explore common glaze materials and their roles
Create and test 25 different glaze combinations in pairs
Experiment with colouring oxides and ceramic stains
All glaze materials, tools and PPE provided
Test tiles and glaze firings included
Tea, coffee and a relaxed final group discussion
Course Breakdown
The course takes place over three Sundays in February 2027. Each session builds on the last, taking you from understanding the ingredients in a glaze to experimenting with your own combinations and evaluating the finished results.
Session 1 – Understanding the Building Blocks
Sunday 7 February 2027 | 9am–1pm
We'll start with the fundamentals of glaze chemistry, exploring what a glaze is, what makes it work, and the different ingredients that come together to create a glaze recipe.
James will introduce some of the most commonly used glaze materials, including silica, china clay, frits, feldspars and different fluxes, helping you understand what each material does and why it's used. We'll also look at firing temperatures, pyrometric cones, and the differences between oxidation and reduction firing.
After a tea and coffee break, you'll put what you've learnt into practice. Working in pairs, you'll choose four materials to create a base glaze, then mix a series of 25 different combinations to explore how changing the proportions affects the results. These test glazes will be fired ready for our next session.
Session 2 – Testing, Experimenting & Developing Colour
Sunday 14 February 2027 | 9am–1pm
This session is all about seeing your experiments come to life and discovering what happens when you start making changes.
We'll begin by looking at your fired glaze tests and comparing the results, identifying which combinations have the potential to work well as a glaze. You'll then select a promising base glaze and mix a larger batch to use for further experiments.
From there, we'll explore how colour can be introduced into a glaze using colouring oxides and ceramic stains. You'll create a range of test tiles, experimenting with different additions and proportions to see how they influence the finished colour and surface.
It's an opportunity to get hands-on, see how small adjustments can make a difference, and start understanding how to develop a glaze that suits your own ideas.
Session 3 – Sharing Our Results
Sunday 21 February 2027 | From 9am, finishing around 10–11am
For our final session, we'll come together over tea, coffee and biscuits to look at all the finished test tiles from the course.
We'll compare everyone's results, talk through the different colours and effects we've achieved, and discuss what we've learnt from the testing process. There'll be time to ask questions, share ideas and chat about how you might take your new knowledge into your own pottery practice.
We'll keep this final session relaxed, allowing time for discussion and curiosity to lead the way. The finish time will depend on how much the group would like to chat about the results.
What You'll Take Away
By the end of the workshop, you'll have a stronger understanding of the materials used in glaze making, the role they play in a recipe, and how to begin developing, testing and adjusting your own glazes.
You'll have practical experience of creating test blends and experimenting with colour, alongside fired test results to refer back to. Most importantly, you'll have a starting point for exploring glaze recipes with more confidence, knowing how to approach your experiments safely and methodically.
All materials, tools, personal protective equipment (PPE) and test tiles will be provided. You're welcome to bring a notebook, along with your own test tiles for Session 2 if you'd like to test glazes on your preferred clay body.
Dates, Times & Price
Sunday 7 February 2027: 9am–1pm
Sunday 14 February 2027: 9am–1pm
Sunday 21 February 2027: From 9am, finishing around 10–11am
Price: £380 per person
Limited to 10 participants. The course is open to Clayful Hands studio members and students, as well as anyone interested in learning more about glaze chemistry.
Your booking covers all three sessions, glaze materials, test tiles, tools, PPE and the associated test firings.
Missed Out? Join the Waitlist
With just 10 spaces available, this course may sell out. If all the spaces are booked, we'd still love to hear from you!
Get in touch to join the waitlist for a future date, or to hear from us if a space becomes available on this course.
If the button doesn't open an email, you can contact us directly at [email protected].
What to Bring
📝 A notebook and pen for notes and glaze recipes
🏺 Your own test tiles for Session 2, if you'd like to test glazes on your preferred clay body
👕 Comfortable clothes suitable for working with ceramic materials
Location
Clayful Hands Studio, Offham Farm, Lewes, East Sussex — BN7 3QE
Free parking onsite, with the farm shop and café next door.
Bookings, Refunds & Attendance
Due to the small group size, specialist guest tutor and progressive nature of this course, bookings must be paid in full at the time of booking.
If you need to cancel, please let us know as soon as possible. Our cancellation policy is as follows:
- More than 14 days before the course starts: You may cancel your booking for a full refund.
- Within 14 days of the course starting: Bookings are non-refundable. If a waitlist is available, we may try to offer your space to someone else, but this is not guaranteed. If we cannot fill your space, we will be unable to offer a refund.
- Once the course has started: Missed sessions cannot be replaced or refunded. As this course is led by a guest potter and each session builds on the previous one, we are unable to offer alternative sessions for missed dates.
If you know you cannot attend before the course begins, please contact us as soon as possible. Any transfer of a booking to another person must be agreed with Clayful Hands in advance.
If we need to cancel the course, an alternative date or a full refund will be offered.
Continue Your Pottery Journey
Looking to keep developing your pottery practice? Our Open Studio Membership offers experienced makers the freedom to work independently, explore their own projects and make time for creativity in our shared studio space.