The Shape of Test Tiles

About 7 years ago, Dennis and I took a class in Asheville, NC called "Amazing Glaze". The instructor was Gabriel Kline. He showed us how to make the typical test tile on the potter's wheel. It was a large ring, which he sliced into sections to create test tiles.
I had always wondered how the shape was formed. 
Then Gabriel said something in regard to making your test tiles actual pottery, so you can sell them afterwards, if you wanted to.
This is what stuck in my mind - MINIS.
Miniature pottery is NOT easy to make, as one might think. It is so small and CUTE.
If you're used to wheel-throwing 2 pounds of clay, then readjusting to 2 ounces of clay is definitely an adjustment. Some people create miniatures on a miniature potter's wheel, and some potters wheel-throw "off the hump" to produce miniature pottery. 
Personally, I just use my normal sized potter's wheel and work with a tiny bit of clay on the wheel head. I don't make enough minis to justify a miniature wheel, and working off the hump is . . . NOT a good idea for me.
I don't even sell my minis.
Usually, they are given away as gifts to return customers.

I use miniature pottery to test layering combinations, or a new glaze to see if it's a runner. Better to "test" these things before they are brushed on a large piece of pottery. Once brushed on a larger piece of pottery, the outcome is sometimes slightly dissimilar, but USUALLY the results are very similar to the test tile, if the same clay is used, and fired to the same temperature.
It is rare for me to use the same layering technique twice, as we are not production potters, and do not make the same exact pots twice.
If we like the outcome of a layered effect, we write it in our pottery journals, so we can forget about it when we need it again!
It's the truth!
Oh! "Now, what were those colors I used?"
For these little pots (pictured in this blog post), I DID write the layering order and number of layers in my journal. A good layering combination result gets a little heart next to it.
The drawing is of the exact shape of the actual bowl.
The colors we layer are USUALLY Amaco Potter's Choice glazes, which we have been using since we began our wheel-throwing journey, so the colors are recognizable to us.

Now, as far as colored porcelain test tiles are concerned, the process is much more exact.
Every colored porcelain color gets an oval test tile with some texture on the bottom third of the tile. (Example on our homepage Blog photo).
I punch a small hole near the top, so I can hang all the tiles up, SOMEDAY - MAYBE!
It's more fun to dump all of our colored test tile colors on the table, and rearrange them to our liking. Yep! Number 46 goes with number 25. Let's mix up a batch of both colors!
A number is pressed into the back of these tiles, which corresponds to the number in my porcelain colored clay mixing book. The exact percentages of Mason Stain color added to the clay are written down, so when I need to mix another batch, it is exact. This technique is very accurate, providing I don't throw the book away, which I did - ONCE! Once was enough!
After these test tiles are bisque fired (first firing to Cone 04 - 1945º Fahrenheit), a clear gloss is applied to the front, just as I would to a piece of pottery.
The test tile is glossy on one side, and without a glaze on the back, so I can compare the two finished looks - glossy / matte.

If you like the element of surprise, test tiles are not necessary.
However, I've discovered, the element of surprise is not for me.
Too many unpleasant surprises.
Even if I don't take accurate notes in my journal about what clay color I used (test tile color), I forget what colors I can use to decorate the pottery after bisque firing. 
With colored porcelain, you can not accurately see the color until the final, high fire. In the raw state and the bisque state, the color is pale in comparison to the final high fire, as the color intensifies, the higher the heat.
The reason miniature pots are not made for the colored porcelain test tiles is they can't be given away. They are used all the time to choose porcelain clay colors. It is more difficult to store little pots, than it is to store, or even hang flat ovals.

Tiny test tiles are a huge part of our Colored Porcelain Clay Journey.
They are an essential ingredient for successful pottery.