How were black-figure and red-figure Greek pottery made differently?

The primary difference between black-figure and red-figure pottery lies in the technique used to render figures against the clay surface.12

Black-Figure Pottery

In this style, which originated in Corinth around 700 BCE, artists painted figures and ornamentation in a glossy black pigment directly onto the natural orange-red clay surface. To add internal details such as musculature or facial features, the artist used a sharp tool to incise lines through the black pigment, revealing the lighter clay beneath.341

Red-Figure Pottery

Invented in Athens around 530 BCE, this technique is essentially the reverse of the black-figure style. Instead of painting the figures in black, the artist outlined the figures and then filled in the surrounding background with black pigment, leaving the figures "reserved" in the natural red color of the clay. Because details were painted on with a brush rather than incised, artists gained greater flexibility, allowing for more naturalistic renderings, subtle expressions, and improved perspective.421