Black vs. Red Figure Pottery

Learn the difference between these two techniques that derive from the same clay, but result in completely different vessels.

Black-Figure Technique

In black-figure painting, figures and motifs were applied with a slip that turned black during firing, while the background was left the color of the clay. Painters articulated individual forms by incising the slip or by adding enhancements or accessory colors, such as white or a purplish red ochre. These paints were made of a refined clay; white, for example, was pure primary clay that fired white due to being composed of few or no iron oxides.

“White was used extensively for details of costume like wreaths and especially for the flesh of female figures. Purplish red was used for beards and hair. Reds, yellows, blues, and greens were also produced with added earth and vegetable colors (Padgett et al. 1993: 18)” (Oleson, 512).

White clay application had to be painted with care so that the white incised over the black, just faintly. This way, the lines revealed black underneath the white, which added greater clarity and contrast with the red clay underneath.

For the parts intending to be black, a broad brush is used, but for fine details or design, a small brush is used.

Incisions

Incision involved the removal of slip with a sharp tool or pointed instrument, like a stylus. Fine details and interior lines, such as coils of hair, were carved or scraped out, scratching through to the underlying color of the vase. The artist also incised around the complete outline to give a sharp edge to his figure.

It was very important for the clay body to retain the perfect amount of moisture; if it was too damp, a furrow would develop and if it were too dry, it would flake off. Sometimes, if the vase wasn’t dry enough or the artist pressed too hard, the stick left lines that remained after firing.

These processes were to be completed before firing in the kiln.

According to the MET, the red-figure technique gradually replaced the black-figure technique as innovators recognized the possibilities that came with drawing forms, rather than laboriously delineating them with incisions.

Red-Figure Technique

Red-figure pottery: Shortly after the sixth century B.C., around 535 BC, the red-figure technique was invented (possibly by Andokides and his workshop).

In contrast to black-figure pottery, the decorative motifs on red-figure pottery remained the color of the clay; but the background, filled in with a slip, turned black. Details were added using the relief line. Then, the entire background around figures were painted black, creating red-figures.

Figures could be articulated with lines of slip applied with a brush. The use of a brush in the red-figure technique enabled movements to be more fluid, thickness of lines could vary, color of lines of be different (if your slip is more diluted), offered more freedom and resulted in more realistic depictions of “anatomy, garments, and emotions” allowed the artist to depict bodies turning and twisting, unlike Black-figure pottery.

Procedure: Sketch lines were drawn, artist outlined figures with painted broad contour of band of black slip (sometimes called “eight-inch stripe). This helped prevent overlapping while painting the black areas.

Here are some video tutorials about the process around creating ancient Athenian Black and Red Figure Pottery and vases:

Getty Museum’s “Making Greek Vases”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPW50r07L8

Launch Pad’s “Ancient Greek Vase Production and the Black-Figure Technique”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpLPx_Akl7Y

Getty Museum’s “Modern Science Looks at Ancient Vases”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2rvV5bfpqs

(Very fascinating, especially if you’re interested in the chemical composition of pottery fragments or molecular analysis using tracing methods!)