Wax resist is the small pot of milky liquid that sits at one end of every table in the studio. Many visitors ignore it for their first session and then become slightly obsessed with it in their second. It is worth understanding what it does before you start, because it expands what you can paint considerably.

How wax resist works

Wax resist is an emulsion that, when applied to bisqueware and left to dry for a few minutes, forms a barrier that underglaze pigment cannot penetrate. You paint the wax where you do not want colour, and then paint the underglaze over the top. The underglaze sits only on the unwaxed areas. After firing, the wax burns away completely, leaving the bisqueware surface exposed beneath the glaze layer.

The most common use: protecting the base

Every piece that comes through our kiln has its base waxed before firing. This is because the fired glaze is sticky at high temperature, and if glaze reaches the kiln shelf it fuses there. Waxing the base is a standard studio task and one of the first things we show new visitors. You do not need to do this yourself in a regular drop-in session; a studio assistant waxes all bases before pieces go to the kiln.

Wax as a design tool

Beyond the base, wax resist is useful for creating hard-edged negative space within a design. If you want a white stripe across a coloured background, paint the stripe in wax first, then paint the background colour over the whole surface. When the wax is removed during firing, the stripe is clean. The limitation is that wax is opaque and slightly yellow, which means it is difficult to see fine detail once applied. Work with bold, simple shapes when using wax as a design tool.

Layering wax with underglaze

A more advanced technique is to layer wax and underglaze in sequence: paint a first colour, wax over part of it, then paint a second colour over the whole surface. After firing, the first colour shows through the waxed areas and the second colour covers the rest. This is the basis for the layered pattern work that Natsuki demonstrates in the Thursday private sessions, and it is the technique behind most of the more complex pieces in the studio gallery.

Wax resist is included in every session at Willow Panel Gate and is available at the table alongside the underglaze palette. If you have questions about technique before you visit, the most common questions are answered in our FAQ, or you can write to us directly.