Let me introduce myself. My name is Lucia Fort and I have been painting tiles professionally for almost 25 years. Now that I have my work on the Web, I am receiving many requests about instructions on learning how to paint on tiles, what kind of paint I use, etc. While I am trying to keep up with all your questions, I thought about preparing this page to introduce you to the wonderful world of art on tiles.

If your are interested in reviewing my work first, please visit my home page at: http://www.artontiles.com/index.html
I recommend you print this page for further reference.

Introduction:
There are many techniques to paint on tiles. You can use underglazes, glazes and overglazes to decorate tiles with a permanent finish. All of these paints need to be fired in a kiln. Do not be discouraged if you do not own a kiln. There may be many ceramic shops near you that own a kiln that will fire your work for a fee. Just ask around. I know that stores such as MJ Designs offer that service. I advise not using paints such acrylics for painting on tiles. We need to remember that with all the hours we spend on our projects, they deserve to have a permanent finish. Any other kind of paint will just waste our time.
I personally use overglazes. I feel I get a better result on my designs. With overglazes, I can do washes such as watercolors. When I use an open medium with overglazes, it allows me to work for many hours (sometimes days) without the worry that my paint will dry. I can also paint more realistically.
There is another practical reason: I can paint on any commercial tile sold in the open market and re-fire it in the kiln. This means that you can decorate some tiles but leave the filling tiles blank, saving you a lot of time and money.
I will now focus on overglaze techniques, which is where my expertise lies.

Materials:
Overglaze colors of your choice
Open medium
Closed medium (a fat oil or copaiba oil)
Lavender oil (do not buy the synthetic kind)
Brushes: square # 8, # 12; point #00; liner #1 (I use “Scharff" brushes from
France)
Palette knife (spatula)
Fine calligraphy pen
Soft pencil for glass
Turpentine (you can use a synthetic kind if you are allergic)

What are overglaze colors?
One of the misunderstandings about overglazes is on the name itself.
Overglaze paints are vitrifiable paints made from oxides from different metals that are applied over a glazed surface (i.e. the tile), which has been fired in a kiln twice- the first time for the “biscuit” and the second for the glaze. The paints are transferred to part of the glaze after cooling inside the kiln. This process makes the paints retain a permanent finish.
In some countries, overglazes are called "third fired paints," and in the United States, many call them "china painting colors" due to the popularity of China Painting years ago.
The correct name is "overglazes," which can be used to paint on any ceramic, china or porcelain body.
Overglaze colors are made from oxides from different metals. The most commonly used are:
Chrome, for green colors.
Cobalt, for blue colors.
Iron, for red and brown colors.
Cadmium, for yellow colors.
Gold, for pink, ruby, violet and purple colors.

Overglazes are sold as a fine powder ready to mix with a medium.
It is very important to fire a color chart sample tile, since most of the colors will change after they are fired.
Colors like yellows and reds do not mix well. They might look really pretty before they are fired, but after firing. they will sometimes fade until there is very little color left. The yellow could also “eat off” all the red and brown colors. With this exception, almost all the colors can be mixed with others. However, there are cadmium colors that will not mix with other colors. These are not ordinary colors and the manufacturer will tell you that. I do not use these colors. I try to keep on my palette colors that I have tested and that I know how they work. The best approach is to begin with four colors and add one at the time. The worst mistake is to have too many colors in your palette and not know how they work together.

Most colors come from the kiln a shade lighter than they go in. The colors do not always look the same after firing as they do before. The best way to know exactly what the colors will look like after firing is to make a color test.

Painting Media:
There are several kinds of media, and they vary from thin to heavy and fast drying to slow drying. The medium one uses depends a great deal on the technique one plans to use.

A thin medium, or open medium, usually dries slowly or never dries. This medium allows you to work for many hours and sometimes even days without the worry that the paint will dry. An open medium is wonderful for working free hand and for painting shadows of several colors. You can paint many layers and create backgrounds of different depths without the need of firing between layers. You can fire the tiles before applying other colors. I know artists that use mineral oil and motor oil as an open medium. Personally, I use my own formula and oils from Brazil. The only suggestion I have is experiment!

If you want to apply the paint heavily, I would suggest to add some closed medium (fat oil or heavy copaiba oil) to the mineral or motor oil (something like one to two ounces of the closed medium to a pint of the other oil. If it dries too fast, you can use less copaiba oil or add some clove or lavender oil).

You need to understand that any medium used is only a vehicle to transport the paint to the surface. It will evaporate in the first 20 minutes of the firing process.

A heavy medium or closed medium will dry quickly. These media will give you more line control. It is great for outlining and writing.
Sometimes I use both techniques in one project.
For preparation with an open medium, place a small amount of dry colors on a ceramic tile. Start putting a few drops of the medium on top of the pile and add just a little bit of oil at a time. Using the spatula, grind the color until smooth. When it reaches the consistency of a thick toothpaste, it is ready to be transferred to the palette. Do not be afraid to apply pressure to the spatula when you are grinding the color. The overglazes mixed with an open medium can be stored for months.
Some colors are harder to grind as smooth as others, and they are usually some of the colors that contain gold.
Wet your brush with oil and dry the brush on a paper towel (too much oil will ruin the color in the kiln). Clean your brush with turpentine each time you change colors.
It is very important to make sure that the surface to be painted is very clean. I clean the tiles with alcohol before painting any piece. Make sure the alcohol is dry before you begin painting.

When you apply the paint to the surface, try to do it in small strokes and in thin layers. These are not regular oil painting. If you apply the paint too heavily, it will not work. After the firing, it will fall off. The only way is to EXPERIMENT!

For mixing overglazes with a closed medium, use the same process used for an open medium, but use fat oil or copaiba oil and get the paint to a heavy consistency. Then, add a few drops of lavender oil. You can write with this medium. If you need to thin it, you can add a few drops of turpentine. This paint cannot be stored, so prepare just enough to use in one day.

Choosing your project:
Begin with a small test and choose a simple project. I know this may sound boring, but the worst mistake is to jump to a complicated design. Because you are not ready, you will think that this medium is too difficult, and give it up. Begin slowly, maybe doing some leaves until you gain some confidence.
Buy only 4 colors (red, mixing yellow, black and blue). Do not buy any pink or purple colors first because they are more difficult to work with and four times more expensive.

About firing:
Most of the overglazes are fired between 1350 degrees F to 1500 degrees F. Use 1350 degrees for green, red, brown and black colors (cone 017).
The colors that contain gold need to be fired at temperatures between 1400 degrees F to 1500 degrees F (or cones 016 to 015).
Follow the manufacturer's guide.

This covers only the basics and some techniques that you can use to paint on tiles.
Good luck, and have fun experimenting.
Lucia Fort