Appropriate bisque item
White underglazes
One-stroke underglazes (teal, aqua, yellow, orange, red orange, black, sea green, pea green)
Glazed ceramic tile or palette
Soft bristled fan brush
Stiff bristled fan brush
Detail/liner brush
#6 round sable brush
Square shader brush
Banding wheel
Sponge
Bowl of clean water
Food safe clear glaze

Step One: Select bisque that has been fired to cone 03. Wipe your bisque with a damp sponge to remove all dust particles. Using a soft bristled fan brush, apply two smooth coats of white underglaze that has been slightly thinned allowing each coat to dry thoroughly between applications. Cover all sides of the item. Allow to dry for about 8 hours or more.

Step Two: Place your item on a banding wheel making sure it is centered.

Step Three: Place a generous puddle of sea green and teal underglazes on the ceramic tile/palette and thin each slightly. Using a wet stiff bristled fan brush, double-load the brush with the underglazes, squiggle the flat side of the brush lightly on the tile to work it into the bristles. Turning the banding wheel with one hand, apply the paint to the rim of the item creating long streaking strokes. Reload the brush frequently and add more water to the brush as it dries out to keep a smooth flow of paint. Overlap the application to make the band as wide as needed. Top off the band with intermittent streaks of the thinned white underglaze. Let dry thoroughly about 8 hours or over night.

Step Four: Using a pencil and tracing paper, sketch or trace fish patterns around the banded area. Reverse directions of fish to create interest.

Step Five: Place small amounts of each one-stroke color in separate areas of the tile or palette and thin each slightly. Using the #6 round brush, apply paints to the fish. Base coat alternating stripes on the fish. One fish each color, use orange, yellow, teal and pea green. Corner load a square shader and shade the yellow fish with the red-orange and the pea green with the teal.

Step Six: Paint alternating stripes with thinned white underglaze.

Step Seven: Using a thin liner, outline all stripes and fins. Paint eyes black.

Step 8: Using the #6 round brush, stipple random dots of thinned white underglaze around the band to effect bubbles. You do not want opaque dots, so make sure the paint has been thinned slightly and only one layer application. Let dry thoroughly, at least over night.

Step 9: Fire the item to cone 05-04 unless you are using a dipping glaze. With a food safe dipping glaze, you can skip this firing. Dip the item and let dry thoroughly then fire to cone 06-05

Step Ten: If you did not use a dipping glaze, use a soft bristled fan brush or glaze mop and apply two or three coats of clear food safe glaze, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before applying next coat. Allow item to dry 8 hours or over night. Stilt and fire to cone 06-05