EZ023 - Midnight Blue Cone 06-10, 1oz

** Brushwork – Even though E-Z Strokes® are premixed to a light-cream consistency, at times 
it may be necessary to add water or Thin ‘n Shade to reach the desired consistency – wash, milk 
or light cream – for the specific effect you want to achieve. Place some E-Z Stroke® on a glazed 
tile or palette, which allows more control of the amount and location for color picked up by 
your brush. Apply one coat to greenware or cone 04 bisque. Use as large a brush as is practical 
and keep it well saturated for smooth, even brushstrokes. If your brush seems to drag when 
applying color to ware, this will indicate that the color is too thick and that a drop or two of 
water or Thin ‘n Shade is needed to thin the color to the proper working consistency. For 
shaded brushwork, load the brush with color, then tip or side load the brush 
with a second color.

** Over Other Underglazes – E-Z Stroke® colors are very effective when applied over each 
other or over opaque underglazes. They can be used in design over a background of sponged 
or stippled color as well as over solid-color backgrounds. Whether they are used as the design 
or as a shading for other underglazes, keep in mind that they are translucent and might be altered 
in color by the color used underneath them.

** Airbrushing – The concentrated color strength of E-Z Stroke® colors is ideal for use in airbrush
 decoration. Thin the color with Thin ‘n Shade or water, using two parts of Thin ‘n Shade to one 
part color. Airbrush the thinned color onto the greenware, passing over the desired area(s) until 
the intensity of the color on the ware is the equivalent of the color in the jar.

** Banding – The one-stroke E-Z Stroke® colors are ideal for banding on color. 
Thin the color with water or Thin ‘n Shade to a milk or light-cream consistency, 
and band on one coat to greenware or over a base-coat color.  Be sure to 
center piece on banding wheel.

** Spattering – Thin the E-Z Stroke® color with water or Thin ‘n Shade to a milk 
consistency and use a stiff brush to spatter the color onto the base-coated 
or decorated ware.

** Sponging – Place some E-Z Stroke® color on a glazed tile, add water or Thin ‘n Shade 
and mix to the consistency specified by the technique you are using (often milk or thin cream). 
Spread the color shallowing over the tile with a palette knife. Use a slightly dampened 
sponge to apply one coat of color directly to ware or over a base-coat color in patterns 
or to create background areas, letting the underlying surface show through here and there. 
More than one color can be sponged on a single item.

** Stenciling – Thin the E-Z Stroke® color with water or Thin ‘n Shade to the consistency of 
thin cream. Apply one coat of the thinned color through the stencil opening with a sponge or 
brush onto the ware or over a background color.

** Stippling – Place some E-Z Stroke® color on a glazed tile and thin with water or 
Thin ‘n Shade to a milk or light-cream consistency. Use your Deerfoot Stippler brush to 
stipple on one coat of color with quick up-and-down pouncing strokes to 
ware or over  background color.

** Antiquing – To use E-Z Stroke® as an antiquing medium, mix the color with water to 
make a thin wash. Use a small unwaxed cup and a palette knife to mix the color. 
Do not thin the entire jar. Apply the color wash the cone 04 bisque, using as large a 
brush as is practical. Wipe the piece down with a dampened sponge to remove the 
excess color from the raised areas. Clean the sponge frequently. When the 
piece is thoroughly dry, glaze with a clear or transparent glaze and fire to cone 06.

** Over a Glaze (Majolica Technique)  – E-Z Stroke® colors can be used effectively over 
unfired non-moving glazes and then fired to witness cone 06. Designs, patterns or 
scenes can be painted over nonmoving glazes. The E-Z Stroke® colors should be 
thinned with water or Thin ‘n Shade to a consistency no heavier than light cream and 
applied in one or two light coats rather than a heavy coat. Too heavy or too think 
an application may produce a textured effect or blisters on the color area. Unusual 
effects can also be obtained when E-Z Strokes® are applied over flowing glazes 
such as glosses. The colors will change somewhat in tone depending on the 
choice of color glaze used, the shape of the bisque piece, and the cone to which it 
is fired. As the glaze flows during the firing, the E-Z Strokes® will also 
flow, creating one-of-a-kind effects.

** Bisque Application – Although E-Z Strokes® were primarily designed for 
application on greenware, E-Z Stroke® colors are used on cone 04 bisque when an 
antiqued finish is desired and can be used successfully on bisque just as you would use 
them on greenware if you lightly dampen the bisque with clean water before 
applying the E-Z Stroke® color. 
Bisque is very porous and unless it is pre-dampened, it will absorb the moisture from the 
color too quickly, making a smooth stroke impossible to obtain. If E-Z Stroke®
 is used for design on bisque, it is not necessary to fire the piece before applying a glaze, 
providing the E-Z Stroke® is thoroughly dry and the glaze is applied with a fully loaded 
brush so the underlying colors are not disturbed. There will be slight color variations 
between pieces fired to only cone 06 compared to those colors applied to 
greenware and bisque fired hotter to cone 04.

** As a Colorant – E-Z Stroke® colors can be blended or mixed together to create additional 
color hues. They can also be used to tint French Dimensions and Fired Snow. 
The usual mixing proportions are no more than 50% E-Z Stroke®. They are also 
ideally suited for coloring or marbleizing ceramic, porcelain or stoneware casting slip 
because they are strong, highly concentrated colors. When mixing or color blending, 
we recommend that a small fired test sample be made to determine the proper mixture 
for the desired effect.
** Can be mixed and used with French Dimensions.
** Generally when decorating, apply a darker color over a lighter color.

** On Porcelain and Stoneware – E-Z Stroke® colors have been designed to perform 
through a wide firing range. Most of the colors fire true to color up to a cone 6 firing, 
but some colors may fade or change color at such a high temperature, due to their 
chemical nature. Test-firing is recommended. Thin with water or Thin ‘n Shade 
to the consistency specified by the particular decorating technique you are using 
and apply to dampened porcelain or stoneware greenware, or dampened cone 018-016 
bisque. Fire to the maturing cone recommended by the clay manufacturer.  

     ** General firing temperature is cone 06; however, E-Z Stroke® can be fired to 
cone 10. They may be applied to stoneware and porcelain clay bodies. 
When high-firing some colors, appearance may vary and change in 
color, value and tone.