Wheel Throwing:

A motor skill
Who doesn’t like playing with
mud?
• Get dirty and have fun!
 Go small, go big.
• Starting small will be easier for the beginner but
eventually the idea of making something larger than
you can be quite a draw.
Motor skill as muscle memory
• Many people believe that you have to be a talented
artist to participate in art unfortunately.
• Wheel throwing is simply a motor skill that can be
mastered through practice creating muscle memory! I
promise!
Practice makes perfect.
 The first lesson: Centering
• Equal distribution of weight and pressure.
• Use your entire body to brace yourself, move the clay,
don’t allow the clay to move you. You’re the boss!
• The clay is in a ball on the middle of the wheel head.
Put one hand on the side and one hand on the top.
• Use cold water to decrease friction and start the wheel
moving.
• Starting with a centered
piece of clay will greatly
help to produce a proportional
piece of work.
 Formation of the walls:
• Once its centered put your thumb or finger in the
middle and push down into the ball, stopping about a
1/2” from the wheel head.
• Slowly pull outwards,stretching the hole until the
walls are about an inch thick.
 Bringing up the walls:
• Pinch the outside rim you’ve now created and with a
steady hand, brace yourself with your body, begin to
pull the walls up into a cylinder.
 Shaping your cylinder:
• Lightly brace the rim while you use a wooden rib to
apply even pressure to the inside, pushing the walls out
slowly.
 Finishing touches:
• Create the thickness of the walls to your satisfaction, remove
any extra clay around the bottom that may add unnecessary
weight.
• Smooth out your rim and remove from
wheel to dry or trim, you are now a
bad ass potter!
 Key terms:
• Throwing: working with clay that moves in circular
motion.
• Green ware: Piece that has not been fired yet.
• Bisque ware: Piece that has gone through first firing
process but not the second.
• Trimming: Shaping the foot of a pot on the wheel
after sufficient amount of drying time.