Intro to CLAY Unit

GOALS:
Students will be able to identify the relationship
between tools, materials and/or techniques.

Student will be able to identify and experiment with

materials, tools, and techniques appropriately and
expressively in his or her own artwork.

Students will be able to create an artwork.

How will we know if we met our
goals?
PowerPoint: Clay techniques (take notes)

Project: mask, glazing

Clay Quiz

Critique

Evaluation
 CLAY VOCAB:
• Clay- moist earth made of decomposed rock
• Firing- baking clay at a high temperature
• Kiln- An oven for firing clay
• Plastic- wet workable clay
• Leatherhard- unfired clay, not quite dry but firm enough to carve
• Green Ware / Bone Dry- clay that is dry but has not be fired
• Bisque Ware- clay that has been fired
• Glaze fire- the second firing in which the glaze turns to glass
• Slip- a mixture of clay and water. Looks like pudding (but doesn’t taste
like it)
• Knead / Wedge: To remove the air bubbles
• Scoring- Roughing up the surface of the clay. Combined with slip,
scoring creates a firm bond between two pieces of clay.
 Sponge

Metal
Rib/Scraper

Needle
Tool
Wood
Modeling
Tool

Wire Cutter

Ribbon Tool Loop Tool

Wooden Rib
Hand-building Technique-
PINCH
Using your
fingers to
pinch and
shape the
clay.
Hand Building Technique-
COIL
Rolled out, snake like, pieces of clay that are added to each
other to create a larger clay form.
Hand building Technique-
SLAB
Using flat sheets of clay to build with clay. Either thrown
or rolled out.
 Decorative Techniques
Incising: carving or cutting the surface with a sharp
tool.

Impressing: using an object to press or stamp a design

into the clay.

Combing: marking the surface of the clay with

uniform lines.

Burnishing: rubbing and polishing the surface with a

smooth stone or hard wood.
CONTROL the speed of drying and
the thickness your project
If your clay dries to fast it may crack and break.

Some parts of your clay may be thinner than others

and may dry at different rates. This can also cause
your clay to separate or crack.

If your clay dries too fast it is not workable any more.

You may also need to let some of your pieces harden

a little to make them more substantial while you build
your form.

If pieces are too thick or have air bubbles in them they

will explode in the kiln.
 Moisture and Clay
All clay contains water
You can add water to rehydrate the clay and make it more plastic again.
Too much water makes the clay loose plasticity and turn into a liquid.
You may need to rehydrate your clay as you work.
When you are not working you need to cover your clay with a plastic
bag to keep the moisture in.
The only way to get all of the water out of your clay is to fire it.
Thick walls may hold moisture pockets in them. The trapped moisture
will turn to steam and expand. This expansion will cause the pocket to
explode in the kiln.
Once the clay is fired it is permanently hardened and can not be made
plastic again.
 Kneading and Wedging
Kneading:
oForm a loaf shape - tear or cut in half

Slam back together

Stand above and use your body weight to push down.

Wedging:

Use both hands at the same time to lift, rotate and press
the clay.
Slip and Score – to join pieces
Score- Using a tool to
scratch and hatch over
clay

Slip- A liquid form of

clay.

Slip and Score- Using

slip as a “clay cement”
between two scored
pieces of clay.
Use paper to create a drape
mold
Drape mold Slump mold
Green Ware
Clay that has
not yet been
fired
 Bisque Ware
A ceramic piece
that has gone
through a firing
and has no
moisture left.
Glaze
A glass like
coating. Used
to cover a clay
form. They are
made from
various
chemicals.
 Kiln

A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which

a controlled temperature regime is produced
 Pottery

Ceramic ware that serves a functional purpose

 CLAY PROJECT
Create a mask design using your personal writing. The
instructor will guide you through this process. Keep your writing
and sketches. Expect to write a reflection.

Incorporate textures on the mask utilizing different tools and

techniques.

The mask will start at 9 ¾” x 7 ¾” (it will shrink about 12%)

Glaze the mask using neutral glazes

Participate in class critiques

Evaluation

If you finish early you may be able to make an additional piece.

 CLEAN UP IS A MUST
After each clay session:

Wash and dry tables

Wash and dry all tools

Wash and dry counters and sinks

Clay project is inside the plastic bag with your name

on it and in the cabinet

Rags rinsed

Floors cleaned

ALL STUDENTS ARE TO HELP CLEAN OR NO

CLAY!!