David Costen David prefers hand-building techniques for construction, using various clay bodies. Whilst making use of commercially available clays, he has also developed a number of his own slips and bodies, often incorporating fibrous materials such as paper or celulose, and colouring oxides.

Axe-head Pot Vitreous blue engobe and onglaze colour over red earthenware Blue Vase Blue sodium silicate glaze over white earthenware Candlesticks Raku

The glaze shown on the blue vase above is a sodium silicate (waterglass) glaze. It forms grey crystals on cooling. This glaze can exert tremendous strain on the pot during the firing cycle. David overcomes this by using a high temperature biscuit firing.