Choosing the Perfect Finish   Glazing can make or break a ceramic piece, but choosing the right one doesn’t have to be confusing. With so many options, glossy, matte, transparent, or textured, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. In this guide, we’ll break down the most popular ceramic glazes, explain their unique qualities, and help you ...

    Finding the right clay:   Confused about which clay and glaze to use? The information below will help you make the right choice for the type of work you are doing and the finish you want to achieve.    Considerations prior to clay and glaze selection:   - Some clays have very wide firing ranges, enabling ...

Choosing the Right Kiln for Your Creative Journey   Whether you’re a passionate potter, a ceramics teacher, or a professional sculptor, the kiln you choose can make all the difference in your craft. At Specialist Crafts, we understand that every studio has unique needs, from compact, top-loading models ideal for small spaces to robust ...

Is it safe?   Clays and glazes are delivered from natural pigments and materials. These days, commercially produced wet glazes and clay bodies tend to use fritted components, this means that any toxic elements have been encapsulated to greatly reduced hazards.   We have Safety Data Sheets for all our clays and glazes which include ...

  From cave paintings to street murals, art has always been a way of speaking when words fall short. For today’s students, facing the realities of climate change, inequality and identity, creative activism offers both a safe space and a powerful platform. When art becomes activism, lessons move beyond skill to meaning, giving young ...

Mod Roc, short for modelling rock, is a versatile sculptural material widely used in art, design, and education. Made from gauze coated with plaster of Paris, it becomes pliable when dipped in water, then hardens as it dries. This unique quality allows artists to quickly build form, texture, and structure, making it ideal for creating masks, ...

  Sunlight pouring through the glasshouses, sketchbooks in hand, as Timmy Mallett led the way. Our September workshop at Kew Gardens was a day of colour and creativity from the very start with Timmy trading his famous Mallett for a painter’s palette.     Contents Introduction from TimmyExploring Kew GardensPlen air ...

Make Your Own Paper - IntroductionYou handle paper in all sorts of different forms every day. You probably know that it has been made on huge and complicated machinery, yet you can make it yourself by hand in your own kitchen, back yard or classroom, using waste paper as raw material. What’s more, you can do it successfully from the outset ...

  Most students meet colour in art through the wheel. They learn their primaries, secondaries, complementaries and it’s a useful tool, but a blunt one. Colour in the classroom too often becomes a set of formulas rather than a vehicle for expression. For students who live in a world saturated with digital colour palettes, teaching colour ...

  The Most Comprehensive Range of Brushes Ever!   We offer a great selection of high-quality brushes all manufactured using the finest materials. You get more brush for your money with Specialist Crafts. Turn the page for our actual brush size chart. Our huge range of synthetic and natural hair brushes are all available in various ...