Sept. 26 - October 3

Learning Delft Blue Painting Techniques

Level: No drawing or painting experience is required.

The lessons begin with painting flat tiles. These tiles are already bisque-fired and will be fired again after decorating.

You choose a design from the available examples. This design is transferred onto your tile — or another bisque-fired ceramic piece available in the studio — by pouncing it with charcoal dust. This creates clear outlines on the surface.
After that, the decorations are applied by hand using very fine brushes, each shape requiring its own specific technique.

Water-based paint is used, allowing you to create different shades of blue by mixing and layering. This is how the characteristic Delft Blue look is achieved. The paint is a pigment mixture based on cobalt oxide, made according to centuries-old recipes. During the firing process, a chemical reaction transforms the paint into the deep, iconic Delft Blue tones.

More

Wheel-Throwing Lessons for Beginners

In week one, you learn the basics: wedging clay, centering, pulling walls, trimming, and drying.
In week two, you learn to throw higher forms with thinner, more even walls. This is where you make real progress — far more than you would with just a few weekly lessons.

At the end of the retreat, you select which pieces you want to have finished. Everything dries slowly, is then glazed, fired, and later shipped to you.
Because some pieces will already be ready for glazing, you can also choose to glaze a selection yourself, using any glaze available in the studio. Finished pieces can, of course, be taken home in your luggage.

The Goal / Expected Outcome

We work on throwing cylinders, forming bowls, and adding simple shapes and details — the foundation for making cups, bowls, and even a small vase.

After two weeks of intensive wheel-throwing, a beginner should have:

• A solid understanding of the key techniques: centering, opening, and pulling walls

• Practical experience with basic forms such as cylinders and bowls

• Familiarity with trimming and attaching handles (for cups/mugs)

• An introduction to simple decorative techniques

Your pieces won’t be perfect — that’s not the goal — but you will leave with real hands-on experience, a growing feel for the clay, and the confidence to continue practicing at home.

Bio

The Teachers

Lia van Muijen

Delft Blue is, of course, typical Dutch, and I have been teaching it for over 40 years. I learned this beautiful craft from a professional painter at De Porceleyne Fles, the most famous Delft Blue factory in the Netherlands.

I teach my students the complete technique step by step, following the original traditional method. We start with a simple tile, and after five lessons my students are already able to paint a full decorative design on a plate — in classic blue or in polychrome (multi-coloured).

For this workshop, you don’t need any drawing skills. We work with pounced designs: a pierced drawing through which charcoal is dusted, leaving dotted outlines on your piece. All designs are made by me. After painting, the work is glazed and fired in a ceramic kiln at 1040°C.

The best part for me is the moment of surprise: students who begin by saying “this is far too difficult for me” and, after five lessons, excitedly take their finished piece out of the kiln.

Especially for the workshop in Greece, we end the sixth lesson with a design inspired by “typical Greek” Ikaros pottery.

To book

Below you can book this retreat and secure your spot. Please indicate which room you'd like to book. You can view the various rooms, their prices, and the cancellation policies under " Prices & Terms ." I hope to see you soon at Ceramicaza in the Dream House.