My sgraffito pots use one of the darkest black slips I have found. I enjoy the challenge of getting the pots to just the right dryness - not too dry so that the cuts are clean but not so wet that the slip is marked by the handling. My designs originate from sources as diverse as an African drum to a stand of bamboo (but not a printed circuit board, as my brother suggested!).

The sgraffito by its nature is very tactile and after reading an article about Yo Thom's domestic ware where she uses a glaze over a slip to give the subtle colours and highlights, I wanted to see, how this slip would perform. So I tried using a white stoneware glaze over the top of the design for a limited number of mugs and jugs. No pinks or blues but it does give a mottled grey surface which I think works well with the white design.