Ceramic Arts Daily Lesson Plan

Pottery Decoration
by Leon Roloff

As a high school ceramics teacher for more than 30

years, I found pottery decoration to be one of my
favorite assignments, and one the students enjoyed
as well. This simple project generates a lot of interest
and creativity for beginning students, while teaching the technical aspects of decorating clay in the
plastic and leather-hard states. Working on the small
medallions was considerably less intimidating than a
large project, and students later incorporated various
decoration methods into their pottery.

A Little Advice

The task of getting student work fired in a timely

manner requires considerable effort and planning.
Five classes, averaging 32 students each, produced
a huge amount of work, and kiln capacity was
often strained. Students were cautioned up front
that the tiles were practice and not to be fired
(except for some selected as display samples).
Second, some of the medallions (especially those
with textural surfaces) were bisque fired and saved
for future use in glaze testing. I propped them on
Step 1: Students create at least six stamps out of clay a reclined kiln post during firing, so we could see
and insulating fire brick scraps. After the clay stamps the fluidity of the glaze as well as how it looks on
a textured surface. Most of the clay used for this
become bone dry, they are used for the impressproject was then recycled.
ing part of this project, then theyre bisque-fired to
Students were encouraged to pick up their display
increase their life.
tiles at the end of the year. Some of the very best
Step 2: Each student rolls out a G-inch thick slab
were taken, but most were left, and hundreds accuof clay with a slab roller or rolling pin, cuts out at
least four circular medallions with a 3/4-inch-diam- mulated over the years. As you can see, Im finally
finding uses for some of them.
eter cookie cutter and makes 1/4-inch holes about
1/4 inch from the top and bottom edge of each tile.
Step 3: Time to decorate. Most of the techniques
Secondary school art teachers in California use,
used to decorate clay, whether it is soft and workin part, the California Visual and Performing Arts
able (plastic) or half dry or firm (leather hard), fit
Framework as a guide for the development of prointo one of the four categories listed below. I asgrams. One of the cornerstones of the framework
signed students the task of decorating four medallions using at least one technique from each catego- is the learning of our art and cultural heritage. The
history of world ceramics is replete with magnifiry. This gets them off to a good start. Tip: Do the
cent examples of ceramic decoration, so the lesson
techniques that require soft, workable clay first.

Preparations

Lessons Learned

Examples of small
bisque-fired stamps. I
like to use small stamps
with subtle variations
to build up designs.
Most of these stamps
were made using a
sharp pencil as a tool.

Leon Roloff taught ceramics for 35 years,

32 of them for the Grossmont Union
High School District. Retired since 1993,
he now enjoys working in his studio and
shows regularly with the Allied Craftsmen
of San Diego. Send comments to Leon at
lroloff@grossmont.k12.ca.us.
2010 Ceramic Publications Company

Close-up of medallions screwed onto my wooden pool fence.

on surface decoration was a great opportunity

for including information about our past. A
large collection of color slides I have accumulated over the years helped in my teaching, as
did an extensive reference book library, and the
work of Native Americans of this area in southern California photographed, with permission,
at the San Diego Museum of Man.

Techniques to Teach
Impressing (plastic)
1. Use the stamps created in Step 1.
2. Roll on designs from textured cylinders.
3. Create designs and textures with tools.
4. Create textures from rough surfaces.
5. Use found objects from pockets and purses.
Here is my pool fence with medallions screwed to the boards.
When teaching, I emphasized ancient cultures such as the Minoan, the Sung Dynasty in China, Greek figure painting, and
both historical and contemporary Native American pottery.

Adding Clay
1. Try modeling the clay while it is plastic.
2. Attach ornaments to leather-hard clay with
slip (sprigging).
Subtracting Clay (leather hard)
1. Incise a linear design by cutting into the clay.
2. Excise a design by cutting away the background.
3. Carve a bas-relief design.
4. Pierce the clay to create designs through the disc.

Examples of impressing clay (top row), adding clay (second row),

subtracting clay (third row), and using engobes (bottom row).

Engobes (colored slips) (leather hard)

1. Paint designs using brushes and sponges.
2. Trail slip a design using the slip trailer (ear
syringes work well).
3. Scratch through a slip coat to the base clay
(sgraffito).
4. Add slip to incised or stamped areas (mishima).
5. Use wax resist to create designs with hot wax
or wax emulsion to repel engobes.

2010 Ceramic Publications Company

2010 Ceramic Publications Company