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Building up Cloisonne

  • Trish White
    • Moderator
    • 114 posts
    December 9, 2014 8:00 AM EST

    Your colors should not darken if you are using very light transparent but enrich in color depth - I don't know what type of Flux you are using but it should not darken the piece but be clear and allow the silver to shine through - are you enameling on fine silver or sterling silver?  Are you using lead bearing flux or transparent and what brand?  If using opaques under transparent enamels, you will not have the depth of color that the metal will give you when just using flux - Take a piece of white paper, and lay some different colored sheets of transparencies over it - that will tell you what your piece will look like when using opaques under transparent. 

  • Mary Rose
    • 35 posts
    December 9, 2014 8:53 PM EST

    Hi Trish, thank you for your advice.  I am enameling on copper.  I have been using non-lead flux numbers 2015 and 2030.  When using for instance, 2015, it must be fired for about 3 mins to get to clear.  If I use it for cloisonne, that will be too long for the fine silver in the piece. 

    When using copper and doing cloisonne, I use a white undercoat, and then transparents.  Reds and oranges darken more than blues and greens when fired a few times.  So that's why I thought why not use opaques until I am ready for the top layer and the transparents will not darken if only fired once.

    On fine silver I use flux 2020 under warm colors, and I understand I can use 2020 as the top enamel to even a piece.

    I am using Thompson non lead enamels.

    What would be a very light transparent red?  I use Woodrow Red and Ruby Pink for reds.  Would you advise combining together a light pink and a red to lighten the color?

    Thank you,

    Mary Rose

  • Mary Rose
    • 35 posts
    December 8, 2014 4:05 PM EST

    In trying to keep colors from darkening during multi firings in a cloisonne', would putting very light opaques as first, second colors, to build up the cells of the cloisonne', and then putting down  bright transparent colors be the best way to do this?

    I am not too crazy about "transparent" fluxes, as they darken the piece and change the color, in my experience.  I would start out with a base of white and then add the very light opaques.

    Thank you,

    Mary Rose