Applying Brush on Glaze for Beginners:

5 Common Pottery Glazing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Glazing can feel like one of the most exciting parts of ceramics… and one of the most frustrating.

You spend hours making a piece, only to open the kiln and find crawling, patchiness, streaks, or unexpected glaze flaws.

The good news? Most glaze defects come down to a few common application mistakes—and once you understand them, your glaze results improve dramatically.

Here are five glazing mistakes we see all the time, especially with beginners.

1. Applying glaze too thin

One of the most common mistakes is simply not applying enough glaze.

If glaze is too thin, it may fire dry, patchy, underdeveloped, or lacking depth. You can lose the richness of colour, gloss, movement, and any special effects within the glaze.

This is especially important with layered or reactive glazes, where thickness often plays a big role in the final result.

Common defects:

• Dry surface

• Patchy coverage

• Weak colour response

Tip: Follow the manufacturer’s recommended number of coats and apply consistently.

2. Applying glaze too thick

Too much glaze can cause the opposite problem.

Thick glaze often looks heavy or “gluggy” during application and can lead to running, pooling, loss of detail, or crawling during firing.

Some glazes are more forgiving than others, but excessive thickness is one of the biggest causes of glaze faults.

Common defects:

• Running

• Pooling

• Crawling

• Loss of detail

Tip: Build glaze in even coats rather than heavy, overloaded layers.

3. Messy glaze application

Good glazing requires care and attention.

Uneven brush strokes, drips, rough edges, or sloppy overlaps can all affect your fired result.

Clean, intentional glaze lines usually create much stronger finished pieces.

Common defects:

• Rough edges

• Visible brush marks

• Uneven finish

Tip: Slow down and treat glazing as part of the making process—not just the final step.

4. Not allowing each coat to dry properly

This is a big one.

If you apply multiple coats too quickly, the wet brush can reactivate and lift the glaze underneath. This creates uneven thickness and poor adhesion to the clay surface.

Common defects:

• Crawling

• Peeling

• Uneven coverage

Tip: Let each coat lose its sheen and dry properly before applying the next.

5. Using the wrong brush

The brush you use matters more than most people realise.

A poor-quality brush, or one that is too small, often causes streaky application and uneven thickness.

A soft, full brush that holds a generous amount of glaze will usually give much smoother results.

Common defects:

• Streaky glaze

• Brush lines

• Uneven application

Tip: Invest in good-quality glaze brushes—it makes a real difference.

Final thoughts

Successful glazing comes down to consistency.

Consistent thickness.
Consistent drying time.
Consistent application.

The more attention you give to the glazing process, the better and more reliable your results will be.

At Northern Rivers Pottery Supplies, we stock a carefully curated range of pottery glazes designed for beautiful, reliable results.

Our River Rock Midfire Glazes are developed in our Northern Rivers studio and designed to be easy to use, beginner-friendly, and beautiful both on their own or layered. Available in matte, gloss, and speckled finishes, they’re suitable for cone 6–8 firings and work beautifully on Australian clay bodies.

Explore the range here:
River Rock Glazes at Northern Rivers Pottery Supplies