Post #768716 by danlovestikis on Fri, Sep 16, 2016 10:20 AM

The Hot Tub Hula Girls #61 - #90 are finished. I posted more photos of the process on facebook because that is much faster than here. I think there are enough here to give a good idea of the work to make one of these. First they were cast, then assembled, sanded and bisque fired. Then they were washed and the insides were glazed. Then the outside of the coconuts were glazed.

These are the colors of glaze that I use. Some took many jars some less than one.
Here are the rest of the steps in abbreviated fashion.

The skin is glazed with four layers and

each time they are either carried to the kitchen to dry or the backyard.

When all the skin coats were finished I moved them closer to my table.

I then did the flowers in red and yellow.

I let them dry and the next day I

added more glaze in the blue water color around the upper body.

Then back to drying.

Next day it was time to start on the hair. I outlined it first

and then filled it in.

One layer done. Every glaze takes 3 to 4 layers.

Once all the glazing on the hula girls is finished I do 2 layers of white underglaze on the top rim.

When that is dry, again they were carried outside I do 2 layers of clear over the underglaze.

Now they are drying outside until I can begin to load the kiln. I can do 16 at a time.

Here's one layer before and

after firing.

These mugs have never been easy. The glazes that I use are CN's and not completely compatible. So each mug is glazed and fired 2 or 3 times. Here's the kind of touch ups that I have to do. One glaze skip at the water line where it meets the hair.

A sample of the touchups.

These three went into the

kiln with some firing for the first time.
Here the firing is done but

one blond needed even more touch ups and another firing.

All the mugs have been fired at least once and now every load is filled with mugs that were touched up with more glaze.

Now it is time to use enamel paint and to do the faces one by one.

One by one I got them done.

I had one order for a swimsuit top and I got to choose how I painted it.

I did two blonds this time and

one with tattoos on a breast and

on one arm.

It took me three hours to do these tattoos.

Either a toothpick or this metal point is how I paint the faces.

The last of them to be completed.

Now I have to gather all the address and get these boxed (with Dan's help) so we can ship them.

The last time they are together. On no one blond is missing. I wonder where she's gone.

Thank you for the visit, Wendy