Carving designs into the clay is what I most enjoy about making pottery (next to throwing, of course). I use an ancient technique called sgrafitto, where I paint an area or band of colored slip and carve freehand into it to expose the color of the clay beneath it. If the glaze is opaque, it will pool in the recesses of the carving.

The calligraphy is also carved in the same way (thank you University of Maryland for requiring a full semester class in Calligraphy!).

There are also pieces that are only carved without using the colored slips. These are great fun and give me a chance to try out all sorts of designs.