1. Sgraffito

2. Italian: “scratched”

3. Has a bit to do with positive/negative space
Has a bit to do with positive/negative space. Good way to think about it: Remove what you DO NOT want.
Some designs: Leave shadows (instead of shading them like you would with a pencil; you will work AROUND shadows here), carve highlights
How is it done?
1. Allow clay to become a moist leather-hard
2. Paint glaze over the entire piece or over an area of the piece
3. Scratch away glaze in areas you wish to remain white

4. examples—textural and geometric
Textural patterns—leave glaze where you would like shadows to appear.
examples—textural and geometric
Textural
Leave glaze where shadows appear; remove glaze for highlights

5. Line/geometric designs Variation of line thickness
Textural and geometric
Line/geometric designs
Variation of line thickness

6. Complex/intricate geometric

7. Organic. This particular piece is an example where you would probably paint certain areas of the piece instead of the whole thing, because so much of this is the blank clay.
Examples—organic
Example of painting an area of a piece vs. the whole thing. Lots of blank clay
Positive/negative space
Positive space = occupied space (glazed)
Negative space = unoccupied (white)

8. Large vase and crane plate: Carve out negative space; leave glaze where the figures are
Fish vase: carve lines of figure; leave rest of glaze as background color
Line drawing
Positive space is glazed; negative space glaze has been removed

9. Owl mug: example of a lot of removal of glaze for light texture
Owl mug: example of a lot of removal of glaze for light texture. ALSO: change in direction AND thickness of line to set figure apart from background. Same with the branch on which he stands.
Vase: good mix of thin and thick line; adds a lot of visual interest

11. Your Assignment
Coasters can be any shape, as long as they will be functional. Box should match.
Coasters and box walls should be approx. 1/4” thick. Coasters OK thinner
Completely flat for stability
Smooth surfaces and softened edges on coasters AND box
Set of 4 sgraffito coasters, with a sgraffito container
Steps:
Use design sheet to plan your coasters and box
Start building

12. Storage and timing for paint
Keep clay ON a wood board, in contact with the wood
Keep pieces covered well with plastic (plastic should be stuck to coaster surfaces)
Keep them sprayed well
You CANNOT paint the same day that you build for sgraffito to work. Must wait at least 1 day.

13. Coaster examples

18. Tips Once glaze is dry, lightly draw or trace design on using a pencil
Keep carved lines VERY clean and precise
Remember: leave what you want to be on the piece behind; take away what you want gone
Try not to carve too deeply into the clay, but make sure carved areas are clean
Use small loop tools and needle tools
This is a glazing technique you can use on other projects!