Portuguese tiles are a cultural heritage and a continued tradition.
They are used to waterproff walls giving more durability to constructions but the main importance is taht they were, and are, works of art outside and inside the houses, churches, palaces and even as street art.
Instead of Fresco (like in Intaly) we have azulejo (tile) and we are lucky because they are still in his place and don't need so much interventions.
Aldo they are more easy to steal and have been seatled and sold.

Artisans still do handpainted tiles. Some factories too. Factories also continue to make stenciled tiles and creating new patterns.

Find more about portugese tiles history:
http://www.golisbon.com/culture/azulejos.html
http://www.portugaldailyview.com/05-culture/the-national-tile-museum-rediscovers-a-piece-of-history

Recently I began painting tiles. Using the antique technique I recreate old patterns and figures.
First I use a photo from old tiles in place and trace them with transparent paper.
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The paper is them perforated along the lines with a pin.
Laying the paper carefully over the raw tile I cover the paper with charcoal powder making doted lines apear on the surface.
The inks are metal oxides powder mixed into water. They are not soluble so his density deppends on being allways mixed every time we use the brush.
teh brush strokes are instantly aborved by the surface, so is the colour whar makes tile painting almost impossible to erase or paint over to change a mistake. It also makes the brush strokes visible even after turned into glaze.
The tiles needs to be burned (second time) in a kiln to turn the metal oxides in a glass like cover.
They are resistant to time, weather, rain, cold, warm, etc. They just need to be transported carefully befor being applied on a wall or frame.
Find some of my works at my etsy store https://www.etsy.com/pt/shop/Atocks?section_id=18324893&ref=shopsection_leftnav_6
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Portugal as a big and long tradition on tiles. They may have Arabic origins but in the 18th century they became an art form so important that the most important palaces were decorated with them.
Do you want to know more about? Read this.
The process I used to create my papers maintain the hand painted original traces. They were made using some fotos, and manipulated them so I could get the best pattern with seamless consistence. The process tooked me a few days to achieve.
I don't forget that the real tiles (object) are intellectual property off my people. The creators of the ones I used probably died long, long ago but still is the real creator of the original work of art. I believe that the copyrights are now  free but if some one find that I am infringing the law please contact me.
In Atocks Etsy shop I sell the patterns applied on jpeg 12"x12" and 300 dpi resolution, in a pack of 6 papers.
Here you can see them one by one and if you want only one, not the all pack you just have to convo me.

Do you like some of my patterns but don't want to buy them as a pack? Or would you prefer to create a pack choosing the individual papers? Well...now you can. Contact me and tell me what you want. Or go to my shop on Etsy and make a costum order.
The papers on this post are from my paper pack - Soap Bubles.