How to Use Underglazes for Slip Trailed and Silk Screened Applique
There is no shortage of application techniques using ceramic underglazes. Laura Kukkee creates her decoration with underglazes on newspaper then transfers it to a freshly rolled clay slab. She also builds up layers of different colored slips and underglaze decoration on newsprint to create a very thin slab. Then she cuts the slab into pieces and uses an appliqué technique to apply the decorated pieces to pots. She also demonstrates silk screened and inlaid appliqué.
Clay Wedging 101: A Great Way to Teach and Learn to Wedge Clay Properly
I began teaching a beginning pottery class this week and I was
reminded that wedging clay can be tricky to learn…and to teach. But I
came across this video from potter Dorian Beaulieu that does a great
job of demonstrating and explaining the wedging process. I am planning
to model my instruction on Dorian’s from now on!
Going Local: How to Dig and Process Your Own Clay
There is an abundance of clay in my area, and I have occasionally
thought about making work out of local clay. But the process seemed
intimidating, so I never actually tried it (or maybe it was a matter of
laziness!). But as Graham Sheehan demonstrates in today’s video clip,
the process is not all that difficult. It might not be practical for
everyone, but if you’re willing to do a little bit of manual labor,
digging your own clay can be a great way to create an even closer
connection to the work you make, and help lessen your carbon footprint
in the process. Watch the video!
Multi-hued Murrinis: Working With Colored Clay to Create Vibrant Tactile Pots
Chris Campbell has been working with the colored clay for twenty years and, as she puts it, has not “come close to trying everything I want to do…there always seems to be another question, another idea. It’s just so much fun.” Today Chris joins us to help spread the fun with a simple colored clay project. Even though the project only starts with two different colors of clay, by mixing different proportions of the two colors, and arranging the results in different patterns in a loaf, surprisingly intricate patterns can be developed.
How to Transform Your Clay Body into a Casting Slip
Combine cast and handbuilt parts without the fear of different shrinkage rates. Paul Wandless demonstrates how to make a casting slip from your everyday clay body.
Persnickety Porcelain: How to Minimize Your Loss Rate With this Gorgeous, Yet Difficult, Material
Today, Gwendolyn Yoppolo explains what porcelain will put up with
from the wet phase to the bone dry phase. Plus, don’t miss the
March/April issue of Pottery Making Illustrated in which Gwendolyn
explains how to make her sweet little juicers (like the one shown
here!).
Stack and Slam Wire Wedging: An Efficient and Easy-on-the-Wrists Way to Wedge Clay
Today, in an excerpt from our newest free download Successful Tips for Buying and Using Pottery Clay: How to Select the Right Clay, Estimate Your Clay Needs, and Test Clays for Better Results, Michael Wendt gives step-by-step instructions on how to effectively use the stack and slam method for wedging clay.
Testing 1…2…3: How to Test Clay Bodies to Find the Right Sculpture or Pottery Clay for Your Work
Today, Paul Wandless explains how a combination of simple tests can give you plenty of information that will make choosing and learning about pottery and sculpture clays a little easier.
Tips for Successful Raku Firing: A Look at Raku Clay Bodies and Kilns
When potter John Ramer Sherrill first started out using the raku technique, he was frustrated by the lack of technical information on raku in books. He found that there was plenty on raku philosophy, but little on technique. So he set out to do some technical writing of his own on the technique. Here, he gives helpful advice on raku clay bodies and raku kilns.
The Printed Pot
Three dimensional printing can be used to create ceramic-art objects, out of three different types of slip bodies, and can be finished using standard ceramic equipment and processes.
