Dianna asked:


for ceramics we can make our family and friends stuff and i dont know what to make them. any help?

oh and we don’t have pottery wheels.

Roland

Peter Gitundu asked:


Ceramic tile murals allow for many decorative designs. This is the reason why they are so popular. Another reason why they are so popular is because they are very versatile. Ceramic tile murals fall under several categories depending on the installation style. Not only are they interesting to learn about, but they are very inspiring.

They fall under the following categories.

* Dye sublimated

* Kiln fired

* Hand painted

Many ceramic tile murals are bought ready framed for display. Purchasing the murals is a very rewarding process. This is because you have the choice to go for the most inspiring pieces. You can also have them installed by a professional in your home. This will ensure that you get your specifications.

Ceramic tile murals are related to the following representations.

* Classic art

* Sports motifs

* Holiday themes

* Geometrical abstract

* Other contemporary representations

Ceramic tile murals have defined the new interior design mainstay. They have brought a revolution not only to private environment but also commercial ones. Tiles are the most commonly used material but, murals can also be made from other materials. Ceramic tiles are loved because of the advantages discussed earlier.

Additional advantages include the following.

* Smoothness

* Uniformity

* Light weight

* Low cost

Materials like marble, glass and porcelain can also be used to make murals. They are the main competitions but, they cannot compare to ceramic tiles. However, the consumer will purchase the product they prefer most in whichever material.

Sizes of the murals come in variety and this depends most on the manufacturer. You will have to consider your resources as you choose which piece to have. Consider the design you want on your wall so that the results can be suitable. Also, do not forget the size of murals. The kitchen will definitely have a smaller mural compared to the living room.

There are ways in which contractors make the work to look more modern. They are able to achieve this look by the application of gloss finish to the murals. The gloss ensures that the work looks more modern and vivid. Gloss works by reflecting light and it will make the work look more vivid.

The overall impression of the work is vital and you should choose the kind you prefer. Many choose the kind of finish by considering the location the mural is going to. In kitchens and bathrooms, you can match the tiles very well.

Installation of this murals is not hard or complicated. This is the reason why many homeowners undertake the work. However, there are those who prefer a team of professionals to undertake the work. This is because they feel more confident when the task is undertaken by specialists.

Therefore, if you have not yet considered this kind of art in your home, you are missing on a lot. You can get inspired by homes which have the murals on display. Remember that you can always view great designs in art stores. When you have them installed, you will get a chance to have a more personal ceramic mural.



Derrick

Peter Gitundu asked:


In the past, tiles were exclusively produced by hand and people had a hard time meeting the targets. The handmade ceramic tiles were carefully thought of, and were produced in a very personal way. With technological advancements, great progress has been achieved since then and, mass production is now in full swing.

Ceramic flooring had to come with great qualities like durability and resistance. This challenge is not faced by wall coverings. Because they are more personal, handmade ceramic tiles have managed to win the hearts of many who continue to hold them in very high esteem. It is no wonder that they come at a higher cost.

Therefore, the handmade ceramic tiles will cater for all your needs when you want to customize your home. They combine a lot of possibilities, reflecting that undisturbed beauty that can only come from them. You will have designs that simply cannot be achieved in any other way but through the tiles.

You can select from a comprehensive range of colors. This is mainly due to the glazed handmade ceramic tiles which provide this opportunity. You can choose a variant that is stain free. This variant will have to be non porous. An example of handmade ceramic tiles is porcelain. It is obviously more expensive than other models.

Its high durability makes it expensive compared to the other models that are inferior. You can enjoy thickness varieties that will enable you to achieve your desired designs. Organic and chemical pigments can be used to color this type of tiles. This is a process that will ensure that you achieve your desired color results.

If you want to know more about the colors used, you can ask the manufacturer. They will be more than willing to shed light on this. Also, you can simply check the label of the product. There are tiles which are referred to as terracotta. They are much denser than the other tiles.

They are quite popular because they resist frost and temperature variations. They are therefore perfect for outdoor pavements. However, the most popular brand of ceramic tiles that are hand made are the Mexican Saltio. They are quite special and their durability is undisputed.

They are never passed through fire and they solely depend on solar drying for their durability. To prevent staining and decay, they go through a waxing process. They must however be completely dry to achieve the desired results. Sometimes, Saltio tiles come with a natural animal print on them.

You will not easily find mosaic tiles on the market and this is due to their very small size. You must ensure that they will be very easy to install. To know this, they must come mounted on a special material. The mosaic ceramic handmade tiles are very flexible and you can provide a very wide range of designs from them.

Go through various sites which you will find very helpful and discover options that will simply make your head spin. You will find amazing designs which will make your decor look superb.



Karl

Sam Chan asked:


 

Shiwan Pottery - Trace back to five thousand years ago



Famous Shiwan Chinese Ceramic Lady Figurines

Many sand earthenware, soft and hard earthenware decorated pieces have been unearthed from the Beiqiu Relic of the New Stone Age excavation in Hedang, Shiwan. The decorating patterns include string, trellis design, leaf, ladder-shaped trellis, frogs, etc.. According to the carbon 14 dating by the Beijing Archaeological Studies Office, these pieces were made four thousand nine hundred to five thousand years ago. This archaeological finding has overturned the saying that Shiwan’s Pottery Industry was moved from the north in Song Dynasty. An historical perspective has a poetic appreciation of “Shiwan tile, the best in the world”. The surviving dragon kiln “Ancient Nanfeng Kiln”, symbolizes the outstanding technique of Shiwan pottery.



Ancient Nanfeng Kiln - Firing for five hundred years

To open the mysterious mask of an old dragon kiln, to show the legend of an ancient ceramic town, to extend the dragon’s life of five hundred years, the history of  Nanfeng ancient kiln is worth studying and researching.

Ancient Nanfeng kiln was built during the Zhengde years of Ming Dynasty (1506-1521), a rare dragon kiln with a history of almost 500 years that is still in use for making ceramics nowadays. It is now the Key Culture Relic Unit of Ancient Kiln in Guangdong Province.

For nearly five hundred years the flame has never died out, with constant production. Thus the kiln has been kept completely without any damage, which is rare in China. It is the oldest dragon kiln left in China and the important cultural protection site of Guangdong Province.

The opening of Nanfeng kiln faces the south. The far end is under the green shade of banyan trees, which brought cool breeze in summer, so the kiln was called “Nanfeng” as it meant as “south breeze”. During the long years, the production had never been stopped for repairs. The present chimney of the kiln was built in modern times. The kiln has a total length of 34.4 meters. There are 29 rows of fire holes (5 for every row) on the kiln. It is said that one fire for each row totals 29 fires. The fire hole is used to stoke with wood during the firing. There are 4 doors on the side of the kiln, for the loading and removal of products.

The Art of Flame - Mysterious and unpredictable

The composition and heat given out during the wood firing bring limitless changes to the clay and glaze.

The dragon kiln is divided into upper, middle and lower sections with three levels of temperature, low, medium and high, varying  from 900 to 1300 degrees Celsius, and operated and controlled solely by the kiln master, to fire different kind of earthenware.

To maintain the reducing atmosphere, the kiln master controls the duration and degree of heating and the changes during firing, making decisions only by his discerning eyes and operating according to changes of circumstance. After firing for 20 hours, and waiting until the kiln cools, it is then ready to open. The resulting produce is in dazzling colors including blue, red, white and green.

Review the whole course of pottery making, which reflects the hardship and intelligence of pottery makers.

Shiwan Ceramics

The old Shiwan Ceramic Town at the kilns twenty  miles south of  the city of Canton in Guangdong province. This is the most famous city in China in creating ceramic products nearly 500 years. Most of the National Master-pieces and Museum pieces created there have been being collected in the national museum and by collectors all over the world.

Shiwan Ceramics was shaped in Tang and Song Dynasty (618-906AD) and flourished in Ming and Qing Dynasty.

The main products such as artistic ceramics, ancient garden ceramics, Spanish-type roof tile, western-style roof tile, stone-resembled tile, stone-porcelain tile, artistic garden tile, etc. are famous worldwide, especially statues. There a professional team of  art masters has inherited and developed the outstanding tradition of Shiwan ceramic techniques ranging from lively earthen figures, statues and animals with thick and earthy ceramic glaze, to modern ceramics of plain, elegant and fresh patterns, thus forming its own unique artistic style and making Shiwan ceramic techniques extraordinarily splendid.

The artistic ceramics of Shiwan  are divided into four types of figures, animals, micro-sculpts and daily utensils, of which the figure ceramics is granted the national Golden Medal in three consecutive times, the animal ceramics is granted the Hundred Flowers Medal and Silver Cup Medal, micro-sculpt and daily utensils are granted Quality Product Medal of Guangdong Province. Following the principle of “quality product” is based upon elaboration, each piece of ceramics with “signs” of the art masters is produced via six complicated procedures (including design, plaster molding, pouring slurry for figuration, amending cog, glazing and burning).

 



Gloria

submit111@gmail.com asked:


Knowing how to install ceramic floor tile can be done in easy steps. What you need are the right tools or equipments and the right instruction book to follow. Follow these basic and straightforward steps, and you’ll be able to bring your desired floor design to life.

Get the right tools for the job.

For starters, if you want to know how to install ceramic floor tile by yourself, you should have the right tools and materials for the job. You can easily buy, or rent, most of the tools and materials you’ll need at you neighborhood hardware store, or home center. For equipment that would be too expensive like a tile cutter, or hand held micro cutter, you may be able to rent these tools from your local home center or a tool rental yard. Here are most of the basic tools you will need for your tiling job:

a) Put safety gear on. Use a pair of safety glasses, heavy leather gloves, and long-sleeved work clothes, especially if it involves taking out the existing ceramic tiles. Broken shards and other debris can cause nasty cuts, if you are not careful. b) A tape measure, tile spacers, carpenter’s square and a bubble level. c) A mallet and hammer, a putty knife and a trowel (preferably, the notched kind), and a rubber grout float and a putty knife. d) A tile cutter (which may be rented) and a pair of tile nippers. e) Mortar material like a thin set mortar, or any one of a wide selection of tile adhesives. f) Tiling grout and sealant. Tiling grout comes in many color tints that you can choose from to fit your desired look and floor design.

Prepare your subfloor before installing your tiles.

The tiling part of the project starts here. It would be a great experience for you to learn how to install ceramic floor tile by learning about the type of floors you will be putting your tiles on. Always check for cracks and debris when If you’re working on a concrete subfloor. Make it is smooth and clean. Repair as many of the cracks as you can. If you see cracks that are too large to repair, replace the floor section where they are found with new concrete. For plywood subfloors, be sure that the wood is at least 1 and 1/8 inches thick and is supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will dislodge easily, or worse, break and need replacing.

You’ll need to tear out the existing tiles in case the floor you’ll be installing tiles on has existing tiles. For starters, all you need to do is use a large flat-bladed chisel and a mallet, and just hammer away. Then, you’ll need to clean out the debris. If you to smoothen your subfloor — you may want to rent a sander to do the job. Be sure to keep yourself protected. Use heavy-duty leather work gloves, safety glasses, and long-sleeved work clothes.

Lay out your floor.

Measuring the length and width of your floor will help you determine how to install ceramic floor tile and help you know estimate the number of ceramic floor tiles you will need to purchase. Start by finding the center point of your floor area. You can do this by measuring across the room and marking the center. Do this in opposite direction and mark the center, as well. The intersection of the two lines is the center of the floor you will be tiling over. Run chalk lines over the intersection lines. These chalk lines will help you with how to install ceramic floor tile and with your tile positioning.

Let the tiling begin!

Make sure you position and place the first tile at the intersection of the two lines you made. Then, bond it to your subfloor by using a thin set mortar, or a tile adhesive of your choice. Using a notched trowel for applying the mortar is best on how to install ceramic floor tile. But you may actually use the more common trowel variety is you don’t have one. To secure the ceramic tile in its place, press down while twisting it back and forth till the tile no longer is set. If some of the mortar or adhesive oozes out, use your trowel (or a damp sponge) to scrape off the excess. Do this process over with the next tile, and so on and so forth, until you’ve finished your ceramic floor tiling.

Time to grout and seal.

After your ceramic floor tiles have set, it’s time to put the tiling grout in. Tiling grout is a material that you should know more about when you want to know how to install ceramic floor tile flooring. Tiling grout is a material made cement, sand and water, and a little color. It is used to fill in gaps and seal in the spaces between tiles. Tiling grout comes in a wide variety of color tints that may be matched to your tile color. Use a rubber grout float and work the tiling grout into the gaps between the tiles. Use your grout float at an angle so that you can fill in the joint gap with as much tiling grout as possible.

Use a damp sponge to wipe off the excess grout from gaps between tiles. Rinse the sponge frequently to get as much of the excess grout off, and keep each tile clean. You have the option of applying a sealant to the grout lines after they dry.

And there you have it! Learning about how to install ceramic floor tile is easy! By following these basic steps, you too can realize your ceramic floor design. Learning how to install ceramic floor tile properly will give you a sense of satisfaction at a job well done, and a beautiful ceramic tiled floor.



Lloyd

Breaking Dawn asked:


I want a fun, interesting class in my day so vent out my stress I can’t choose between Theatre Arts, Acting, or ceramics!
Thanks

Edwin