Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Make Pottery: How To
Make Pottery: How To
how to
movement. side finger slowly moving y
handS When making a vertical pu
clay
make pottery
inward to create the volcan
our
Repeat the pulling process u
form in thickness from top t
for
clay profile
wheel head
illustration showing fingertip to clay pressure
points and direction of vertical pull.
il no
be
ill.
clay profile
nd
volcano profile
©2009 Ceramic Publication Company
When you put your hands into clay, there’s a good chance you’ll never want to stop. Just go by any ceramics class or
community craft center and look at the people working with clay and you’ll see one happy group of involved people of all
ages enjoying the thrill of creating with their hands. Unlike a smart phone app, music download or video game, once you
possess a pottery technique, it’s yours for life.
Pinched Pitchers
Tips for success large
Pinch pots are often the first thing taught in a beginning pottery class because they require Never allow water to collect in the bot-
tom of the piece.
very few tools and are a great way to get familiar with the properties of pottery clay. But
that doesn’t mean you can’t make sophisticated forms with this method. In fact, the beauty Slow the wheel down in each step of
the process.
of this technique is that the only limiting factor is your imagination. In this project, coil potter
Be persistent in your efforts.
Emily Schroeder Willis shows how to make a beautiful pinched pitcher.
Slowly
equal
By Annie Chrietzberg move
For a lot of people, glazing can be the party pooper for an otherwise extremely fun time. clay profile When
spinni
It doesn’t have to be. When glazing is done right, the piece you’ve spent so much time on wheel head
Once
can really be outstanding. Annie Chrietzberg offers 14 steps for successful glazing. slowly
©2009 Ceramic Publication Comp
Mixing clay in the studio is a relatively ated during the mixing process. For this (500 to 20,000 Grams)
simple process. Small batches can be reason many contemporary ceramists
mixed by hand and do not require any do not mix their own clay but rely on There may come a time when you wish
special equipment for mixing. Larger a commercial clay supplier. This makes to test a new clay body recipe or to make
batches of clay will require a clay mixer, sense in terms of saving studio space a small amount of a special clay body,
a machine designed to churn the com- needed for mixing equipment, as well as such as a porcelain or a grit-loaded clay
ponents of a clay body with water until safety and convenience. It is, however, body. The mixing process described here
it reaches a consistency suitable for use. useful to know how to make clay bodies is not difficult. It is fairly quick, not ter-
Clay mixers are large heavy machines in both large and small batches. ribly demanding, and does not require
which also require some form of ventila- expensive, complex, or dangerous ma-
tion around them to remove dust gener- Mixing Small to Medium Batches chinery.
1 2 3
Measuring the specific amount of each Measured ingredients get placed in Once all ingredients have been added
ingredient. another bowl. they are dry mixed by hand.
7 8 9
Mix water into the dry materials by Wedge the clay to thoroughly mix the A completed test batch of a red stone-
hand. dry materials and water. ware body.
1. Weigh all the clay body materials. 6. Pour the water into the moat-like before making any adjustments.
2. Mix the dry materials carefully trench and let it sit for a few min- Only then will you know if you need
together. utes. If water leaks through the wall to make them. If the clay is too dry,
3. Place the materials on a large water- of the structure, press some extra use a spray bottle to slowly add a bit
resistant surface such as a large piece powdered clay against that section. more water, distributing the water
of linoleum or a stainless steel table. evenly. If the clay is too wet, let it air
7. Push the dry clay at the top of the
4. Form the powdered clay into a dry until it reaches the consistency
doughnut-shaped wall into the water
mound in the center of the mixing you desire. Make notations so you
in the moat. Do the same with the
area. can adjust appropriately next time.
clay in the central mound. After a
5. Form the mound into an atoll struc- Place the clay body in a plastic con-
few minutes of this action, the clay
ture; a central mound surrounded tainer. If possible let the mixture rest
and the water should be fairly well
by a circular doughnut-shaped wall. for a week or so before using it. This
mixed.
This creates a moat-like trench aging allows the bacteria in the clay
8. Allow this mixture to sit for a few body to multiply. These bacteria are
around the central mound. You are
minutes, then begin wedging the clay not harmful—in fact they encourage
now ready to add water. To get a
body. a workable clay body. Clay bodies
workable consistency clay body you
will need on average about 30% (+/- 9. Make adjustments if necessary. Wait which have aged are usually much
5%) of the weight of the clay. until the end of the mixing process more plastic than ones that have not.
A Soldner clay mixer ready for use. About 25–30% of your overall recipe Add water to the clay mixer.
weight should equal the weight of
water you will need. Measure the
water out first.
Measure out the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to a larger con- Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly.
tainer designated for dry mix.
5. It is better to slowly add your dry mix in an airtight container. If possible let Notes on mixing large batches: Clay
to the water as opposed to adding all the clay rest for a week or so before mixers can be dangerous if not used
the dry mix at once. Slowly introduc- using it. This allows the clay to age properly. Follow the manufacturer’s di-
ing the dry materials allows you to becoming more plastic and work- rections and never bypass safety switch-
control the consistency. Depending able. es or place yourself in close proximity to
on what you are intending to build 8. Clean the clay mixer. This may be the mixer when it is running.
with the clay you may want a wetter one of more time consuming parts of If clay is too dry when mixing add
or dryer mixture. the mixing experience, but it is im- water very slowly into the mix. Clay
6. Once you have used all your dry ma- portant to thoroughly clean the mix- particles are so fine that they tend to ab-
terial and achieved the correct con- er so if you mix a different kind of sorb additional moisture in the first 24
sistency allow the mixer to run for an clay next time the new body will not hours after being mixed.
additional 15–30 minutes. This will be contaminated in any way. For this reason I usually suggest mix-
insure all the materials are thorough- 9. After using the clay take notations so ing slightly on the wetter side knowing
ly mixed. you can adjust proportions of water that the clay will stiffen up a bit after
7. Unload the mixer. Place the clay body to clay if needed next time. mixing.
Making slab plates is a great way to develop basic slab techniques, and using Chinet® plates for forms makes this an
affordable class project. They also make perfect surfaces for exploring decorating techniques.
Decorating Plates
These plates are adaptable to all sorts of decorative tech-
niques at the leather-hard, greenware and bisque stages.
The flat surface lends itself to painterly and expressive
underglaze or glaze work. These slab plates are simple
3 enough for very young students and satisfying for the
adult student.
Slip decoration gives dimension to the plates and
students draw on their own creative design ideas for the
work. Textured dessert plates with slip inlay use found
and inexpensive materials (see box) to create a design
and a slip in contrasting color to further highlight the
design. Paper stencils used with decorative slip can make
bold, graphic borders or motifs for your set of plates
(figure 5). With a little experimentation and practice,
students come up with wonderful results.
Making Sets
When we handbuild a set of plates, the student and
The ceramic artist Greg Payce once said to me, “If you can’t ally build it in clay. The other reason I now see the impor-
draw it, you can’t make it.” If I had heard this as a student, I tance of sketching is that my hands and fingertips need to be
would have scoffed and kept on working as I had been, which in tune with the physical and/or mental image I’m creating.
was to simply imagine the work I wanted to make in my head I use very few tools to shape my work (figure 1). My fin-
and struggle through trial and error to execute my mental im- gers and my lap are my biggest tools and I sometimes even
age. Now, however, as someone who builds pots primarily by use the slack of my apron in my lap to help shape larger
pinching clay, I’ve come to see how important and true this slabs that I’m pinching into a form. So, I always start with a
statement actually is. drawing of the form, and I always have that image present
In many ways, making pots is drawing three dimension- when I’m making objects.
ally; creating a handle, a spout, or a profile of a pot, is like
creating a line in space. Drawing on paper trains your eye Beginnings
to see more thoughtfully and be more critical of your work. To begin the form, I pinch out a small curved disk to use as
I found that after sketching things like spouts and handles the bottom to create a foot. I enjoy surprising users when
repeatedly, I saw a significant difference in the ease with they pick up my pots and find that the bottom is convex
which I could create them. The simple gesture of putting rather than flat. To pinch a curved disk, start with a round
pencil on paper several times to get a form right made an ball of clay about the size of a plum, pushing your thumb
immense impact, solidifying how my hands needed to move into the middle of it, leaving about half of an inch of clay
to create that element in my work when it was time to actu- between your thumb and the outer wall (figure 2). Then,
3 4
Slowly work your thumbs to the outer edges of the pinch Lay a coil on top of the inverted pinch pot after scoring the
pot, until each are uniform in thickness. attachment area and adding slip.
create the proper thickness by pressing a thumb into the working your way out to the ends. If at any time the coil
clay, proceeding to rotate the ball in small, ½-inch, counter- starts to become uneven, simply pick it up, reshape it, and
clockwise increments, slowly working to the outside edges squeeze it into shape. Be careful not to let your coils get too
until each area is uniform in thickness (figure 3). thin—coils should always be thicker than the wall thickness
you want on your work. This is the biggest misconception
Creating Coils in creating coils. Some clay will be removed in the processes
It would be difficult to create an entire form by simply of attaching the coil and creating height. So, to achieve a
pinching, so I add thick coils to help shape and add height wall that’s ¼ inch thick and roughly 1½ inches high, use a
to the work. To make coils nice and round, start shaping coil that is approximately 1 inch thick.
the coil while wedging the clay. Begin wedging and slowly
shift from wedging to rolling the clay into a thick log shape Attachments
about 3 inches in diameter. From there, pick up the log, Place the pinched base onto a banding wheel. Heavily
squeezing and twisting it into a slightly thinner log, roughly score the base (I use a tool made from needles stuck into
2 inches in diameter, which also helps to compress the clay a wine cork, see figure 1), put a layer of slip on top of the
further. Make sure it’s uniform in thickness, then slowly base, and rescore the slip-coated area. Take a coil, lay it on
start to roll out the coil, using your entire hand, held flat, top of the slip and cut each end at a 45° angle, pushing the
rather than just your palms. ends together and smoothing them over (figure 4). Then
Gently but firmly apply even pressure onto the surface of use a round- or straight-edged wooden modeling tool to
the coil, keeping your hands as flat as possible, yet relaxed, attach the clay on the interior of the vessel, slowly rotat-
gliding them over the surface, starting in the middle and ing the vessel with one hand and using your other hand as
7 8
Level and score the surface, then place another coil on top. After joining the inside and outside of the coil, use thumbs and
Join it to the pot using a criss-cross motion with your thumb. index fingers to pinch the coil up, turning the pot as you work.
your working hand (figure 5). Using an X, or criss-cross, subtle vertical or diagonal spine shape on the vessel every 4
motion with your left thumb, push the clay down, starting inches around the circumference, which you can later smooth
at the top right, pushing down to the bottom left, and then over with your fingers. If you want the shape to roll outward,
lifting your thumb and pushing from the top left down to use more pressure on both index fingers and almost roll your
the bottom right (see figure 7). Repeat this motion around thumbs backwards to create an arc in the form. If you want
the entire vessel. Once the coil is properly attached, rede- the form to curve in, your thumbs become more dominant
fine the interior space with the wooden modeling tool. and push the clay over both index fingers (see figure 10).
Next, work on attaching the coil to the exterior using
the same X motion on the exterior. After the coil is fully at- Adding Layers, Creating Form
tached, flip the piece over and push out the bottom, which The most important element in making pinched work is pa-
usually loses some of its shape when attaching the coil on the tience. It takes several days to create larger forms, so it’s best
inside. Lastly, pinch the coil into its final shape so it fits the to work on multiple pieces at once. To add another coil of
profile you want. I set my work on a taller banding wheel so I clay, the work must be sufficiently dry, but slightly softer than
can see the profile of the vessel more easily. Place your hands leather hard. This can take anywhere from three hours to a
in front of you with both thumbs on the exterior of the ves- whole day depending on the humidity/temperature/sunlight/
sel and both index fingers on the interior of the vessel. You’ll air circulation in your work space. If you try adding a coil too
use both your thumbs and index fingers together to dictate early, it will be difficult to control the shape because the bot-
the shape of the wall (figure 6). Pinch up, almost creating a tom can’t support the weight and the pressure of the new coil.
11 12 13
Create a handle by rolling out a coil to Begin creating a spout by rolling out a Gently shape an arch to the lip as you
the appropriate diameter, then pinch short, tapered coil, scoring the rim of pinch the coil up to create the spout.
up along the length to flatten and cre- the pot, and adding the coil.
ate a spine.
If you wait too long, the clay will be too dry to manipulate the exterior of the added coil first, that way while I’m smooth-
into shape. Make sure that everything is as close to the same ing out the interior coil, I can begin to push the shape out.
level of dampness before adding more coils. As long as I work with soft clay, I don’t have problems with
Before adding on more coils, trim off a thin layer of clay, cracking. If I want the vessel to curve in, I instead attach the
leveling off the pot (see figure 9). This removes the area that added coil on the interior first and pinch up while applying
is usually drier than the rest of the vessel, creating a slightly more pressure with my thumbs on the exterior (figure 10). By
more malleable area to add a coil to. Additionally, it allows doing this, when smoothing out the exterior coil, I can begin to
the vessel’s height to increase at the same rate all around. Add push the vessel in and not worry about ruining what I have just
a layer of slip on the exposed edge and score it with a serrated shaped. To dramatically bring something in, I really compress
rib. I use a serrated rib rather than the cork needle tool because the clay as I’m pinching, almost as if I’m trying to squeeze it
the coil’s edge is thin, and the serrated rib creates a finer scored together. I find that if I overcompensate on flaring or constrict-
area. Placing the coil on top, continue to attach the coil as in ing the form, it usually ends up spot on.
the first layer using the X motion with your thumb (figure 7),
then pinching up to gain height. When you are ready to add Making a Handle
another coil, level of the pot using an X-Acto knife (figure 9) Making a handle is very similar to making a coil. The thick-
and then repeat the process. ness of the coil depends on the size of the object it will be
Tip: Once the base of the vessel has been established, I find attached to. Cups and pitchers require handles of different
it easier to shape a vessel that is going to flare out by attaching thicknesses. For a tall or medium-sized pitcher, make the
Choosing a Claybody
I prefer to work with porcelain, finding the smooth-
ness excellent for capturing each mark my fingertips
impress into the clay. I love the fresh bright palette I
achieve through glazing when I use porcelain. I now
use Porcelain For The People by Matt and Dave’s Clays
(www.mattanddavesclays.com) because it’s a great
color and they can ship 30 pounds of clay in USPS Ex-
press boxes, so I sometimes can get the clay delivered
to my door within three days of placing an order.
tached and place the coil on the slipped area (figure 12).
When attaching the coil, gently shape an arch into the lip im-
mediately (figure 13). Using a X-Acto knife, cut the lip down
to the desired height (figure 14), and shape and smooth it over
with your fingers, creating a gradual and soft curve.
The finished, fired pitcher with multiple layers of glaze deco-
ration and resist decoration, ready to be put to use. Finishing Up
Attach the handle by first placing a ruler across the top of
the pitcher so that one edge bisects the spout and rests on the
coil about 1 inch in diameter. Start at the bottom of the opposite rim. Mark the rim of the pitcher where the handle
coil and pinch up, creating a spine up the middle of the coil should be attached, then score and slip the top and bottom at-
(figure 11). Then, place the coil between your thumb and tachment points. Attach the top part of the handle first, then,
forefinger, flattening out the coil a bit more. Cut the ends making sure that the arc of the handle and its length are appro-
of the coil at a 45° angle, tapping the ends to thicken them, priate, recut the bottom of the handle and proceed to attach
making them easier to attach later. Hold the handle up to it (figure 15).
the vessel, checking the proportions and cutting it down to Once finished, let the piece dry under plastic for at least
size. Then, bend it into the desired curve and lay it on the three days and slowly open the plastic up over a series of days
table to dry sufficiently so you can attach it later without until it’s completely dry.
ruining the shape.
Creating a Spout Emily Schroeder Willis is an artist and instructor living in Chicago,
Illinois. To see more of her work, visit www.emilyschroeder.com.
To create a spout, roll out a short coil that is tapered Darcy Demmel is a photographer living and working in Chicago:
on each end. Score and slip the area where it will be at- www.darcydemmel.com.
Stage 3: Hands-on #4 Leave the “tricks” out and let that be a point of interest with the
practical demonstration.
Experience
When I finally make it to Stage #3,
everyone is ready to get started. I
ask for one more exercise of pa-
tience on the student’s part. Every-
one goes through the steps of center-
ing and opening simultaneously and
no one moves to the next step until
Tips for success large arrow indicates hand to clay contact area when
Always apply and release pressure to throwing. Small arrow indicates wheel direction.
the clay slowly.
left
handed
clay profile
wheel head
illustration showing fingertip to clay pressure
points and direction of vertical pull.
clay profile
volcano profile
©2009 Ceramic Publication Company
1 2
www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2016, Ceramic Publications Company | How to Make Pottery | 18
3 4 5
6 7 8
too saturated with water, it won’t accept glaze correctly, • Use a damp sponge instead of rinsing, which should be
so use the least amount of water possible when glazing, kept to a minimum. Wring the sponge thoroughly and
including when you are making corrections. And as for rotate it so each area is only used once. I tend to use half
gravity, I doubt there’s anyone who hasn’t experienced a dozen or so of those orange round synthetic sponges
the wayward drip of one glaze flowing toward the earth during any given glazing session (figure 4).
across the perfect application of the previous glaze. • Glazes must be well mixed. I use an electric drill with
a Jiffy Mixer attached (figure 5). If there is dry glaze
Tips for Success caked on the sides of the bucket, sieve the glaze, then
• Keep bisqueware clean. Lotions, or even the oils from return it to a clean bucket.
your hands, can create resist spots where glaze adheres • Glaze all the interiors of your pots first by pouring the
unevenly or not at all. Throughout all phases of the glaz- glaze in, then rolling it around for complete coverage.
ing process, including loading and unloading the kiln, For complex pieces requiring a number of glazing steps,
handle bisqueware with a clean pair of disposable gloves glaze the insides the day before to give you a drier
(figure 1). If you think your bisqueware has been compro- surface to work with, especially for brushing (figure 6).
mised—splashed with something, covered with grime, or • When removing unwanted glaze, scrape off as much of
maybe handled by a visitor—bisque it again rather than it as you can with a dental tool or a similar small metal
risk a crawling glaze. scraper to keep a sharp line. A damp sponge removes
• Remove all dust before glazing including bisque dust, the remaining glaze with a few strokes, keeping water
studio dust and even household or street dust. Use an usage to a minimum (figure 7).
air compressor for foolproof results, but work outside • Use a stiff brush to help clean glaze drips out of
or in a well-ventilated area away from your primary texture (figure 8).
workspace, as bisque dust is extremely abrasive to your • For dipping glazes, select an appropriately sized
lungs (figure 2). container for the work at hand. I have lots of different
• Use silicon carbide paper to remove any rough spots you sizes of shallow bowls that are perfect for dipping the
missed before bisque firing. Place your work on a piece of sides of my pieces. Wide shallow bowls allow me to see
foam to prevent chipping. After sanding, wipe with a damp what I’m doing, so I even use them for smaller things
sponge to remove all traces of sanding dust (figure 3). that fit into the glaze bucket (figure 9).
12 13 14
• When you can’t dip or pour, it’s small compact brush to wipe away
Brushes
I use sumi brushes, which have
time for brushing. Watch your
bisque as you brush—glaze is shiny
glaze in areas you can’t reach with a
sponge (figure 12).
long bristles that come to a and wet when first applied, then • Don’t brush glaze from the big
point, but in the past, I have also becomes matt as the bisque absorbs glaze bucket. Pour a small amount
used hake and multi-stemmed the water. If you recoat too soon into a cup, then briskly stir it oc-
hake brushes for large areas. over a damp coat, you’ll move casionally to ensure that it stays
Experiment with all the long, the foundation layer rather than properly mixed. Keep a large, damp
springy-bristled brushes. Mop
imparting a second coat (figure 10). sponge nearby to keep the brush
brushes might work for you,
but don’t buy expensive water- • Consider gravity when brushing handle clean. Stray drips often
color brushes. Applying glaze is and hold the pot both to encourage start with a handle full of glaze
a cruder application than wa- the glaze to go where you want it to (figure 13).
tercolor, and an expensive, fine and to keep it from running where If you’re glazing pots that don’t
water-color brush won’t work as
you don’t want it (figure 11). have a defined foot, push them
well for a glaze as a cheap hake
from the ceramic supply store. A • If a drip flows onto a previously across a piece of 220-grit silicon
brush with long, springy bristles glazed surface, stop, set the pot carbide sandpaper. The sandpaper
that come to a point is best. Suc- down and wait. Resist the urge to removes some of the glaze from the
cessful brushing not only relies wipe the drip with a sponge. Let the contact areas, indicating where you
on technique of application, but drip dry, then carefully scrape it off need to wipe off the remaining glaze
also the glazes you’re using and
the temperature you’re firing
with a dental tool or metal rib. Use a (figure 14). •
to. Some glazes lend themselves
well to brushing, while others
are more finicky. Make wide tiles
representative of your surfaces
and use them to test how well
your glazes take to brushing.
p Subscriptions to
Industry-leading Magazines Artist Portfolios
A Studiook
Handbo
p Mentorship Program
p Juried Show Vince Pitelk
a
COLLECTION
How-to Books,
Videos, and
Much More
International
CALENDAR Member: Leah Kaplan
CERAMIC
ARTISTS
N E T W O R K Learn more at ceramicartsnetwork.org/ican