Smoke Firing

It is a very ancient technique to use smoke as an agent to blacken or carbonise the porous surface of a pot. The natural clay surface can be decorated without the use of a glaze. A glaze protects and seals the surface, but it also covers the natural tactile quality of the clay surface.

A pot can be made to resist the smoke by means of a coating of clay slip which is washed off after smoking. With this simple technique potters can create their individual styles and ideas.

I personally smoke each pot individually. I build a loose brick structure to suit the size and shape of the pot, this confines the pot so the dense smoke is concentrated on the pot surface. News paper is my main source of fuel. It is surprising the small amount of paper needed to get a dense black.