There is a difference between water and liquid/ powder enamel. Water color uses a finer grade silica sand clay and is meant to be applied with a brush or an air brush. Powder/ liquid enamel. You can make it as thick as you want. ceramic pigments are basically more clay. The projects are meant to be dunked into the slurry, dried and fired. You do need to counter enamel, or ground coat prier to applying. I don't work with copper, but I know those who do. You have to counter enamel, and apply a base coat on front. I hope this will give you a start.  

In the book, "The Art of Enameling," by Linda Darty, she speaks about using liquid enamel on bare copper.  If you are interested in the effects of firescale at all, you do not need to utilize a base coat.  You do have to counter enamel first though.  She doesn't go into this, but it just makes sense.  I have made several pieces in this manner and utilized a transparent over the liquid enamel.  You can get some great, unexpected effects with this sequence of application.  Dunking or pouring can also give some great effects on etched metal because the design will cause the enamel to pool in places.  Where the enamel is thickest, it will appear more opaque (white).  Where it is thinner, you will have a blue or green hue (the oxides coming through).  It's really very beautiful!

Tammi Sloan

Help!!!   I am confused.  Most of my enameling has been in sifting, cloisonne', champleve.  I am trying to understand "liquid enamels".  Is this different from the watercolors and acrylics?  And then there's enamel powder, liquid form enamel, ceramic pigments.

I would like to do some watercolors or acrylics on etched copper.  I believe that is the first step to understanding this.  My piece is about 4x6.  Do I have to counterenamel before I start painting on the front and do I have to enamel a color on the frost before I can begin to use the watercolors or acrylics?

Thank you,

Mary Rose