Pottery 1
Carved Tile Vignette
You will make a 6”X9” or 8”X8” (your choice) clay bas-relief tile with under glaze decoration.
Make your tiles 1 inch bigger than the size you want. Your tile should have a border of at least ½
inch. You will start with a ¾ inch slab, cut your tile, and allow it to dry overnight. Your carved
design will illustrate a “vignette”. You will design your own, NO CARTOONS!!! You must make
an original picture. You may choose a picture that is your own but it must be your own
photograph.
You will illustrate a single vignette, being sure to include a foreground, middle ground, and
background.
Vocab
Vignette - A decorative design or small illustration used on the title page of a book or at the
beginning or end of a chapter.
Foreground - the part of a scene or representation that is nearest to and in front of the spectator
Middle ground - a standpoint or area midway between extreme or opposing positions, options,
or objectives
Background - the part of a painting representing what lies behind objects in the foreground
When your design sketch is completed, you will transfer your design to your leather hard clay tile.
After bisque firing, you will decorate your tile with liquid under glaze colors. You may apply a
clear gloss glaze or leave the matte finish of the under glazes.
Step 1 – Roll a ¾ inch slab and cut to size; Store, covered, on a board. If you want your tile to
hang on a wall, you will need to drill holes or create a slot on the back to capture a wall hanger.
Step 2 – Design your illustration, being sure to allow for a border of at least ½ inch. Shade to
differentiate the foreground, middle ground, and background areas. Include interesting patterns
within the design, to be carved as textures in your clay slab.
Step 3 – Transfer your design to your leather hard slab. You can lay your design directly on the
slab and pierce through the paper with a needle tool, making very shallow evenly spaced dots to
guide you in drawing your design on the clay.
Step 4 – Refer to your sketch as you carve, keeping in mind the three distinct levels of foreground,
middle ground, and background. Keep each level in a single plane. Differentiate areas of your
design using varied textures on the clay surface. BE CAREFUL TO NOT CARVE TO DEEP INTO
YOUR TILE!!!
Step 5 – Allow your tile to dry on your open wire shelf to allow air to circulate and prevent
warping.
Step 6 – After firing, you will paint your tile with under glaze colors.
Pottery 1
Carved Tile Vignette