Gemini® Heat Set Paint · for bisque & pottery
Paint it like oils.
Cure it in your oven.
Gemini® Heat Set Paint for bisque and pottery: artist-quality colour that stays wet until you heat it, then cures in a kitchen oven at 265–270°F. No kiln, no drying clock — plus the varnishes, thinners, brushes and heat guns to finish the job.
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How it works
Paint, bake, finish. No kiln anywhere in the process.
Heat set paint doesn’t air-dry. It waits until you put heat to it, and 265–270°F is a number every kitchen oven can reach — which is what makes it the paint for people who own pots, not kilns.
Paint
Brush Gemini® colour onto bisque or glazed ware straight from the jar, or thin it with Thinning Medium for washes. It won't dry on the palette or on the piece until you decide it's finished.
Bake
Set it in a kitchen oven at 265–270°F — 10–12 minutes for colours. A heat gun works for small pieces and for anything that won't fit in an oven. Ovens vary, so run a test piece first.
Finish
Once it's cool, add Matte or Satin Varnish straight from the jar for the surface you want, then cure again for 12–15 minutes. Decorative pieces only — keep painted areas off surfaces that touch food.
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Sets for a first piece
A handful of colours that mix into most of the rest. Buy small, then scale up the ones you keep reaching for.
Most ordered
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Titanium White - Gemini® Heat Set Paint
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Satin Varnish - Gemini® Heat Set
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Look Alive - Gemini® Heat Set
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Red - Gemini® Heat Set Paint
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Mars Black - Gemini® Heat Set Paint
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Burnt Umber - Gemini® Heat Set Paint
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Set of 8 Custom Gemini® Heat Set Paint
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Premium Clear Glass Beads 600-850 Microns Size #3
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When the oven isn’t the answer
A heat gun spot-cures small pieces and anything too big or too awkward for a kitchen oven. Palettes, brushes and mixing gear are in the same aisle.
Good to know
Before your first bake
Do I need a kiln?
No. Gemini® cures at 265–270°F, which a kitchen oven reaches easily. A heat gun also works, and is handy for pieces that won't fit in an oven.
Will it dry while I'm working?
Not on a non-porous surface — it stays wet until it's heated, so you can blend for as long as you like. Bisque is porous and behaves differently from glazed ware; a test tile will tell you more than we can.
What temperature, for how long?
265–270°F. Colours: 10–12 minutes. Varnishes and mediums: 12–15 minutes. Ovens differ, so test on a spare piece and adjust.
Is it safe to use in my kitchen?
Gemini® colours and varnishes are made with non-toxic ingredients, and Gemini® Thinner is non-solvent and non-flammable. Cure with the room ventilated, and keep painted areas off surfaces that touch food.
How do I thin it and clean brushes?
Thin with Gemini® Thinning Medium or Gemini® Thinner. The thinner cleans brushes as well, and comes off hands and surfaces with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. If you prefer a solvent, Gemini® Solvent is an odorless, low-toxicity mineral spirit made for the line.
Which colours should I start with?
The basic five-colour set covers mixing; add a white and a black for tints and shades. Every colour comes in three sizes, so buy small first and scale up the ones you reach for.
For studios
Run a paint-your-own-pottery studio?
Pratt Paints manufactures the Gemini® line, so volume pricing comes without a middleman. Read the program, then request access from your customer account.