Creating the illusion of translucency in thick porcelain sculptures is a delicate art that combines material science with artistic vision. Artists achieve this ethereal effect through several specialized techniques:

1. Material Selection: High-quality porcelain with low impurities is essential. The finest kaolin clay, fired at precise temperatures, allows light to penetrate deeper without scattering.

2. Controlled Thickness: Strategic thinning of sections creates gradations in opacity. Areas meant to glow are carefully pared down to 2-3mm while maintaining structural integrity through reinforced joins.

3. Multiple Firing: Up to three bisque firings at increasing temperatures (1250°C-1400°C) vitrify the clay, removing microscopic air pockets that block light transmission.

4. Optical Engineering: Sculptors often carve internal channels or honeycomb structures that refract light. The 17th-century "eggshell porcelain" technique inspires modern adaptations using CNC-milled lattices.

5. Glazing Alchemy: Special translucent glazes containing feldspar or nepheline syenite are applied in ultra-thin layers (0.1-0.3mm) to avoid light distortion. Some artists omit glaze entirely, polishing raw porcelain to a luminous finish.

Contemporary artists like Zheng Ningyuan push boundaries by embedding LED fibers during construction, creating dynamic light effects. The magic lies in balancing physical thickness with perceived weightlessness - a 30cm sculpture may weigh 5kg yet appear to float like mist when backlit. This technical mastery transforms dense mineral into captured light.