“Pate sur Pate” Fawn Zeller discovered a technique
called “Pate sur Pate” which
changed the way she sculpted in porcelain forever.
Tiny detail in her small work was often applied with wet slip,
to which white vinegar
had been added to thicken it to a buildup consistency.
Note: Fawn Zeller used very little vinegar to thicken slip
that she was applying to
her sculpt in liquid form. Other artists needing larger pieces
of clay while working in more traditional additive processes
might pour a bit of
slip onto a plate of hard, dry plaster to draw excess water out.
Fawn started sculpting in the customary manner by manipulating
porcelain clay in a moist,
leather hard stage – always keeping it moist throughout
the sculpting process but was
frustrated by the difficulties of keeping her small
sculpts consistently wet.
Porcelain doll maker technique:
Direct sculpting can be started before the greenware is even leather hard!
While doll artists are taught to be EXTRA careful when handling greenware
for larger dolls, miniature doll artists have found that
they can really abuse their greenware and get a startlingly good finished
product! To keep greenware from splitting and cracking in the kiln,
you often have to prop larger pieces and handle the wet greenware
VERY carefully … this isn’t a problem with miniatures (those dolls 7″ and under).
They regularly take miniature hands, cut the fingers apart and reposition
to articulate the hands before the greenware is even leather hard!!!
With a sharp scalpel (be careful), cut apart the fingers …
don’t try to cut all at once, but gently score through.
Then, using a sable brush dipped in distilled water, you can refine
the cut edges and even move the digits to make a pointed finger,
curled hand, fist, or anything that your heart desires. Set aside
the greenware, let dry as usual, clean and fire to bisque!
The same method can also be used to reposition heads! Experiment!
All information on this post is a direct copy from the website found below:
https://kathyoconnellsart.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/porcelain-clay/
Technical Research 