How Do You Monogram 235 Porcelain Bowls?
When I first received this email from Lauren of Melissa Baum Events, there is a barrage of questions that run through my mind. The truth is I can letter on anything but the more important questions is, how long will each one take, how permanent do you want the artwork to be (a week before I would be lettering on plates as well where the lettering must be removable) and if it is permanent, is it food safe?
How long each one will take really depends on how intricate the design of the monogram is, for this commission the was two intersecting capital letters of E and B in a serifed style, and so I was able to calculate the lead time required to execute 200+ pcs!
Onto the next question, how permanent do they want the lettering to be? In my mind, I naturally gravitate towards two options: engraving the calligraphy into the surface and filling with gilding, or using a permanent oil pen. Engraving would have a longer lasting quality as it is etched into the surface, however an oil pen would be a faster and easier way to complete the commission and would be permanent to an extent. So I asked one last question that led me to realize BOTH options were not ideal: What will the bowl be used for? To which the answer was… cereal bowls!
Ok, how creative and cute is that? I am assuming is a take home gift for all the guests, a monogrammed bowl with a mini box of cereal maybe? So both options of engraving or oil pen are not ideal as the guests would need to eat out of and wash the bowls. My initial thoughts of maybe they would be a vessel for a candle, or a decorative piece of sorts was inaccurate so I had to come up with a solution and the tool used would be a Pebeo porcelain pen!
This porcelain pen was great because it was fine enough to let me draw crisp lines and small details, it dried in about 10 minutes and after 24 hours if you bake in the oven, the lettering becomes permanent, hot, steamy dishwasher permanent! I tested it myself and it is the best pen I have used for ceramic hand down. Now I am obsessed. What other porcelain things can I letter?
It took me about 20 hours to monogram 235 bowls but this did not include the baking, packing and unpacking time! This is why studio set up fees are important to small studios, there is so much more than just the lettering that happens for every commission.
