The Ombré Look: How to Create Smooth Color Blends with Colored Clay
The “Ombré” trend is pretty huge right now. Search the term on Pinterest and you’ll find everything from ombré cakes to ombré hair color. In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to color graduated from light to dark. In today’s post, Chris Campbell explains an easy way to create smooth ombre-like color blends (or Skinner Blends) with colored clay. There’s no reason we clay artists can’t be up on all the trends and get the ombre look with colored clay. To see the rest of the article and learn how to make beautiful objects (see above image!) with your color-blended clay, download your free copy of our new Workshop Handbook: Clay Projects and Studio Resources.
Superior Slip: How to Make a Paper Joining Slip to Help Attachments Stay Put
From decorative handles to functional spouts, attachments are featured in much of Martha Grover’s pottery. Since she works in porcelain, she has to be extra careful to make sure her attachments are stuck on tight. What she came up with to alleviate attachment headaches is a super sticky joining slip made of paper clay and vinegar. In today’s excerpt from her new DVD Creating Curves with Clay (which ships next week), Martha shows us how she makes her joining slip and attaches a handle. – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.
Making Paper Clay Storage Easier and Less Stinky
Paper clay is an ideal solution for building complex or delicate ceramic sculpture. Made by mixing any type of clay body — earthenware, stoneware, raku or porcelain — with paper pulp, paper clay improves joining capabilities and decreases warping and shrinkage, all the while reducing the heft of the work. But when it sits around, it can get rather stinky. In today’s post, Diane Gee explains her solution for avoiding the stink and making paper clay easy and convenient to store.
Using Colored Clay and Etching Techniques to Explore Patterns and Textures on Functional Pottery
Debra Oliva’s work is inspired by a Samurai warrior’s suit of armor, which she saw on a visit to a museum. Impressed by the combinations of grays, blacks, and browns, as well as the patterns, textures, and fine details, Debra knew she had to work these elements into her clay work. She does this by throwing in sections with different colored clays, painstakingly etching surface designs, and adding more color with underglazes and terra sig. In today’s post, an excerpt from the September 2012 issue of Ceramics Monthly (coming soon to a newsstand or mailbox near you!), Debra explains her process.
Bonus Video: Tips and Techniques for Making your Own Colored Clay
Today I am sharing a clip from Curt Benzle’s DVD Expanding Your Creative Palette with Colored Clay. In this clip, he gives tips on making colored clays from scratch. I have to admit, I haven’t dabbled much in this technique because it seemed like an such an effort to make the colored clay. But, as Curt explains, it is really not that bad, especially if you set yourself up with a segmented plaster drying bat. Easy Peasy!
Elevating Earthenware: Dressing up Earthenware with Painted Slips and Sgraffito
Today, Ben Carter tells us all about a cool platter forming technique in which he uses tar paper, slump molds made from insulating foam and hand sewn cloth forms filled with grog. Ben also shares his sgraffito and painted colored slip decorating process.
Texture from Within: Mixing Coarse Materials into a Smooth Clay Body
Gillian Parke shares her technique for getting a very coarse surface texture from a clay body typically chosen for its creamy smooth consistency.
Video of the Week: How to Determine Clay Shrinkage and Make a Shrink Rule
In today’s video, an excerpt from our latest Ceramic Arts Daily Presents DVD Studio Scale Architectural Ceramics,
Stephani Stephenson explains how to calculate shrinkage and make a
shrink rule. I thought this would be a good clip to share because, even
if you’re not working on an architectural scale, knowing how to
calculate shrinkage is a good skill to have.
How to Create Agateware Pottery Using Colored Clays and a Plaster Press Mold
Agateware pottery features swirling marbleized colors and was
probably first developed to imitate the qualities of agate, a
semiprecious stone with striated patterning. These swirling effects can
be created either by throwing with a prepared mixture of colored clays,
or by working with thin slabs of colored clay that has been layered to
create patterns. In today’s post, Michelle Erickson and Robert
Hunter demonstrate how to create agateware using the latter of these
techniques. Glazing isn’t the only way to create sweet surfaces!
Pottery Video of the Week: Layering and Carving Colored Slips on a Slab-Built Vessel
Today’s video is an excerpt from Curt Benzle’s forthcoming DVD Expanding your Creative Palette with Colored Clay (due out next month). Actually, it is a technique that
we really really liked, but just couldn’t fit on the disc! In the clip,
Curt demonstrates a simple way to create texture and pattern on a
vessel by layering and carving colored slips. Watch the video!
