The tulip and greenery decoration is made using a process called mishima. After the bowl has been completely formed and is hard leatherhard, I use a very thin needle point tool to scratch my desired design into the surface. Once I have drawn the whole design, I load up a brush with black underglaze and paint over the lines. After the underglaze dries, I use a damp sponge to wipe excess off the surface. This leaves underglaze laid only into the design I initially scratched into the surface. Then, I use underglazes to fill in color where I’d like and finish with a simple clear glaze.

I love how graphic the line work ends up after firing. The clear glaze moves the black underglaze a bit, leaving a surface that reads like a monotype print to me.