Pate de Verre Clay to Refractory Mold Part 1 Test Tiles

To get the colors I want for my pate de verre I need to test the various percentages of color to use concentration of colors for high and low highlights. As with painting in other media you have light and dark values of of colors. The difference in pate de verre is the process is reversed painted. As you build your layers you cover up sections and have to the intended look of drawing where you can list what to lay down as color first and then the following progression of color by layers. Option 1 is to use the clay and make a single use refractory mold of 1:1:1 (#1 pottery plaster, 200 mesh silica, water). Always add the plaster to the water. I have hundreds of colors that require the various percentages so doing an original model in clay (option 1) would be exceedingly time consuming so I opted to do a kiln load full of test tiles and used Option 2 To the clay positive, I add a base of clay under the positive then coddle pour a #1 pottery mold. Once the plaster as set up, usually 30-40 minutes the clay can be removed and the mold cleaned up then left to cure 24-48 hours depending on humidity levels.

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