The Properties of Ceramic Clay Skilled potters know how to create a strong clay body that will hold up well during construction and firing. Use the tips below to understand the properties of clay and develop a versatile clay body that will be easy to work with. Bisque ceramic tiles are squares of clay which have been fired one time at a low temperature - i.e. white, unglazed, fired clay tiles. These are inexpensive to buy and can be decorated with under glazes, any type of paint (even watercolors), pencils, inks, crayons, even chalk. After decorating, several coats of a clear glaze can be painted over the design and the tiles fired to cone 04, which makes for a professional, finished appearance. Or, several coats of a white gloss low fire glaze can be used as the base and then designs can be drawn or painted with under glazes or ceramic paint and fired again to cone 04. This technique makes for a majolica (Renaissance-style) effect. The student-created tiles can be the basis of a tile mural. When students work together to create a tile mural for the school building itself or for other spaces in public, it teaches teamwork and collaboration, and instills a great deal of pride in the participants. Mural creation can bring the entire school community, students, their parents, the faculty and school administration together, and be a truly unique experience for the entire school.