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MGBase8 - Waxwing Brown Cone 6 (Mastering Glazes)

Modified: 2025-12-30 03:34:18

From page 104 in Mastering Glazes book

Notes

A glaze from the book "Mastering Cone 6 Glazes" by John Hesselberth and Ron Roy.

While "Waterfall Brown" is the flashy, fluid star of the book, "Waxwing Brown" is often considered its sophisticated, more stable cousin. It is named after the Cedar Waxwing bird, mimicking the smooth, silky transition of browns and tans found in the bird’s plumage.

Key Properties
• Visual Appearance: Unlike the dramatic streaks of Waterfall Brown, Waxwing Brown is a satin-matte to semi-gloss glaze. It is characterized by a smooth, buttery surface with "breaks" that move from a warm, medium brown to a soft tan or honey color on edges.
• Surface Texture: It has a distinctively waxy feel to the touch (hence the name). It is less glassy than Waterfall Brown, providing a more contemporary, understated finish.
• Mechanism: It is a zinc-opacified glaze. While it also uses iron for color, the interaction between the zinc and the iron creates a micro-crystalline surface that scatters light, resulting in that "satin" look rather than a high-gloss shine.
• Stability: It is a very stable glaze with high viscosity, meaning it stays exactly where you put it.

Likes (Pros)
• Reliability: This is a "workhorse" glaze. It is much less temperamental than Waterfall Brown; it doesn't crawl easily, rarely pinholes, and is consistent across different kiln loads.
• Stays Put: Because it isn't runny, you can glaze all the way down to the foot of a pot without worrying about it fusing the piece to your kiln shelf.
• Tactile Quality: Potters and customers often love the "feel" of this glaze. It feels soft and high-end, making it a favorite for handheld functional items like mugs and bowls.
• Excellent for Layering: Because it is stable and semi-opaque, it makes a fantastic base for decorative accents. You can "dot" or "trail" other glazes over it, and they will hold their shape rather than melting into a blur.

Dislikes (Cons)
• Less "Exciting": If you are looking for the wild, variegated movement of Waterfall Brown, Waxwing Brown might feel a bit boring. It is a subtle glaze that rewards close inspection rather than grabbing attention from across the room.
• Shows Fingerprints (Rarely): Some potters find that the satin-matte surface can occasionally show "metal marking" (scratches from silverware) or oils from fingers more easily than a high-gloss glaze, though the Hesselberth/Roy version is formulated to minimize this.
• Thickness Matters: While it doesn't run, if it is applied too thinly, it can look a bit "dry" or "parched." It needs a medium-heavy application to achieve that iconic waxy glow.

Related Information

Links

XML to Paste Into Insight-live

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