This is a step by step presentation on how to make stylized clay birds and the use of Terra Sigillata to color them. How to burnish them, and after a cone 019 bisque how to smoke them in a can. The bisque can go to cone 06 if the ware needs to be stronger.
The most important points when building a sculpture that you are going to burnish are: 1. score the clay very well, 2. make sure there are not many nooks and crannies, 3. make surface as smooth as possible
Terra Sigillata is a thin slip used to coat dry green ware to get a high satin gloss without a glaze, by using either a soft cloth to polish or a rock depending on the kind of sigillata you use.

This is a good project for everyone. I have taught this to grades K-8, and I have used this process in my own work.
If you do not want to smoke the pieces, you can: 1.leave them with the sigillata, 2. put them in a saw dust can fire, 3. oxidation pit fire, 4. reduction pit fire, or you can skip the whole terra sigillata part and just glaze them after a cone 04 bisque.
This is a picture of some of my Terra Sigllata Bowls.
These bowls were made with a very basic terra Sig of ball clay and talc, and lots of elbow grease with a polished rock. What I like about this finish is that the rock gives the clay a texture from the direction in which the rock is rubbed. Creating a pattern that can enhance the piece.
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