Slips

Casting Slips for Detailed Mould Work

Casting slips let you reproduce shapes in plaster moulds, making them useful for producing repeat forms, small decorative objects and designs with intricate detail. Their fluid consistency allows you to work with forms that might be difficult to make by hand.

Our range includes white earthenware slip for kiln-fired ceramics and a self-hardening alternative for projects without kiln access. The self-hardening option suits models and miniatures, with a smooth surface you can decorate with acrylic or water-based paints once dry.

Decorating Slips for Pattern and Contrast

Decorating slips bring a different approach to surface design. Applied to leather-hard clay, they can provide a pale background, flowing brush marks or raised lines of trailed decoration. Scratching through a contrasting layer to reveal the clay beneath, a technique known as sgraffito, offers another way to create patterns and detail.

Our ready-to-use decorating slip offers a soft, off-white finish for work in earthenware or stoneware. Use it to cover broad areas or add finer details, from a simple band around a pot to loosely drawn motifs across a platter.

Why Choose Potclays?

From forming a piece in a mould to decorating its surface, we offer materials and accessories for different approaches to slip work. Our selection helps you find supplies around the technique you enjoy, whether that involves casting or adding patterns by hand.

If you have questions about matching a casting or decorating slip to your clay or choosing between fired and self-hardening materials, contact our team. We’re happy to help you find an option for your project.