Reddit mentions of DecoArt DS19-9 American DuraClear Varnishes, 8-Ounce, DuraClear Gloss Varnish

I tried this black pigment and this varnish and did a few tests with my ceramic pieces.

It took me while to do these tests and I also moved states since I graduated so everything got delayed in terms of reporting back my results with the pigment and varnish.

Here are my results:

I used a 1:3 ratio of pigment and varnish, but I think it I will use more pigment to have a mixture of half varnish and the other half pigment dye. It is important to do very thin layers of the mixture, which can be tedious to some people. I tried the mixture on different pieces with various degrees of thickness (in terms of the walls of the bowls/mugs). It is better if your mug/bowl/wall is thinner so the heat of the liquid permeates to the outer wall of the piece quicker and easier than thick pieces. I layered the mixture on thick to see what would happen. It does not work well. The mixture dries chunky and it could easily be scratched off by nails/fingers or water. Also the thicker the coat, when the dye becomes transparent, the black dye turns transparent but with a purple tint to it. It might be the dye, the varnish or the thickness of the coat I put on. I am not sure exactly what caused this purple tint to appear in the mixture batches.

The varnish did okay, but I might use a different varnish at a later date that has a glossy finish. This is simply my preference since the varnish I used this time had a clear, smooth finish almost matte, but my pieces came out usually glossy due to the glazes I used. I didn't like the matte look so I think using a glossier varnish might help blend the pigment and fit with the scheme I want for future pieces. If anyone has any other questions about it please let me know. I'm settled down now in my old home so I can respond quicker now than before.