More Raku Questions

[Carolyn M]

When working with raku I can get the colours - purple, pink etc, but they are so dark! They look OK under bright light or flash photography, but in daylight the colours just don't show well. Blues and greens are fine.

Any tips? I've seen some lovely raku beads with lighter pinks and purples and I would love to know how they got those colours without Photoshop! I've tried any number of base colours with similar results.

[Feldt's Glass]

Some of mine have turned really dark to. Are you pressing them or just using a marver to shape them? I have found if pressing I use a lighter background and then get the glass ready but let it cool once before I reheat and press. If I get it on the first press I seem to get the best color that way but dosen't happen often for me. Would love to hear what others have to say.

[Kevan]

What color background are you using? I think when you use black you get darker looking colors. Though I think with the black it really pops the colors out.

[Carolyn M]

I've used every colour of base, dark, light, transparent and opaque. I am pressing them, and like I said, I'm getting nice colours I'd just like to lighten them up! Perhaps I'm just being too picky.

[Shawn T]

This one was taken outside on my back deck. The base color is actually Moretti Brown, don't remember which one I think it was 452. As you can tell I rolled it to get the shape, but I used my brass stump shaper.

I also like to take my pic on a black background, with raku. I always try and take my pic outside I prefer the sunlight I do have the light box, but my lights are the best.

[Carolyn M]

That's gorgeous Shawn, amazing colours.
I can take pretty good pictures of my raku beads and the pictures look OK, but I always feel I'm misleading the customer a little, as the colours always look darker in person than in the pictures. I even Photoshop them darker to try and represent them better. There probably isn't really anything I can do, I should probably be pleased to get the colours anyway. I've just made a ton on different colours of light transparent bases, so we'll see tomorrow how they turn out

[Shawn T]

Carolyn, I didn't photoshop this pic, Well, I did to crop it and resize it. Just took it outside and took a quick and dirty pic of it, I remember I want to post it right away as I was so happy with the results.

Hope your new ones turn out beautiful and the pic show the true colors your getting it can be so frustrating.
It is better to have your beads look better than your pic, than your pic look better than your beads. Or at least that has always been my theory.

[Jude Rose]

I have noticed that a brown base will help coax purples out a little easier than some other base colors.

I know what you mean about the misleading customer thing. I had a habit of mentioning the colors popped best in sunlight when I would hold my auctions.

I also noticed my colors got darker and more saturated once I changed torches. The Pirahra is so much hotter than the Minor and it would cook the raku really dark. Sometimes you can go back in and lighten things up by turning your oxy up and bringing the bead really close to the torch tip. The air pressure and cool flame will pull out lighter blues.
Another trick is to work more in the back flame when melting the raku in initially, using a neutral-to slightly oxy flame.
But if I were to be totally honest, I actually just use my Minor when i have a request for a raku bead and pound the glass with oxy. HTH!

[Jude Rose]

Here's a decent example of a bead where I went back in to lighten it up. The orange and lighter blue in the center is where I worked it. If I remember right, it was quite dark in that spot before I reworked it. (pardon the dust-it was a snapshot)

[Shawn T]

Jude, You are the Raku Princess As far I am concerned. Your beads are just stunning.

Miss Ya Sweetie,

~S~

[Carolyn M]

That's gorgeous Jude!!
The colours at the top are what I've been getting, and as I said, they look great in bright light, but very dark otherwise. I'll try your suggestions, they are very helpful. This is the result of my experimenting yesterday. Sorry for posting these all over the place!