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Wheel Throwing Video: Throwing and Faceting Colored Clay Vessels

By Robin Hopper, July 16, 2010 Read Comments (31)

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We’ve featured a number of different posts on Ceramic Arts Daily about mixing colored clays to create interesting surfaces, but, so far, we’ve haven’t featured any videos. Until now, that is.

Today, Robin Hopper graces the Ceramic Arts Daily small screen with a video on making thrown and faceted vessels with colored clays. Have a look, and then mess around with these fun surfaces yourselves! – Jennifer Harnetty, editor.

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This clip was excerpted from Making Marks: Ceramic Surface Decoration,
which is available in the Ceramic Arts Daily Bookstore.

31 Comments on "Wheel Throwing Video: Throwing and Faceting Colored Clay Vessels"

Robin December 31, 2011 at 1:51 pm -

MANY THANKS TO THE CAD TEAM, YOU DO AN AWESOME JOB. IAM JUST ABOUT TO LAUNCH A VERY DIFFERENT BLOG TITLED PHOENIX WHICH I PLAN TO POST DAILY. I HAVE HAD A VERY BAD YEAR HEALTHWISE. THE ENERGIZING EFFECT OF POSITIVE THOUGHT BY LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF WELL-WISHERS AND FANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD MADE ME REALIZE THE POSSIBILITIES OFA BLOG. ALTHOUGH IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL PROBLEMS ARE, WITH MANY MORE TESTS TO FIND THE OFFENDING PROBLEM AND RECTIFY IT. THE POWER OF POSITIVE THOUGHT TOOK ME ON A JOURNEY FROM NEAR SUICIDAL TO ON TOP OF THE WORLD IN FIVE DAYS. I HAVE TO MAKE MANY CHANGES TO MY LIFE INCLUDING MOST DIRECT TEACHING AND ALL WORKSHOPS AND KEEP MY ENERGY FOR MORE IMPORTANT THINGS. THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO SHOW TODAY’S VIDEO OF SOME OF MY WORK SOMEHOW SEEMS APOCRYPHAL. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERY ONE WHO PROPPED ME UP WITH WELLNESS WISHES, SB AND TC BEING THE FIRST TO COME TO MY AID. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT I WOULD HAVE MADE IT WITHOUT YOU ALL. ALL THE VERY BEST FOR A MORE PLEASANT AND PROFITABLE 2012. ROBIN. PS. BEST WEDDING WISHES TO C2 FOR HER WEDDING TONIGHT
ibrahim December 31, 2011 at 1:03 pm -

you must read this in Arabic……..انت فنان عظيم لدرجه الجنون …رائع اشكرك جدا
April February 13, 2011 at 7:43 pm -

Just beautiful, did anyone else think about Saturn’s rings as he was fluting the bowl? :)
sharon December 20, 2010 at 1:47 am -

I am going to try this method, it looks so cool… thanks so much..
Maria July 30, 2010 at 1:56 pm -

Fantastic!!! so simple yet so beautiful!
shideh July 21, 2010 at 9:26 am -

I am so very inspired! Thank you for sharing your technique! thanks a lot.
sandee July 19, 2010 at 9:16 pm -

Thanks. I’ll give it a try. Sandee
Robin July 19, 2010 at 7:52 pm -

Hi again Sandee, With commercially prepared plastic clay, it is easiest to wedge the colour in by slicing the basic clay in discs, wetting the surfaces, then sprinkling dry colourant, then wedging until the color is evenly dispersed. The best way to get evenly dispersed color is to make your own clay as a dry batch, add colourants and water and blunge into a slip. Dry out on a plaster batt until stiff, then wedge. Robin
sandee July 19, 2010 at 5:55 pm -

Thank you for replying to my question about what porcelain clay body you use. Now, I am wondering how you work the colorants into the clay. I know some artist wedge them in dry, others wet both colorants and clay and some use large mixers. What have you found to be the easiest? Sandee
Catherine July 19, 2010 at 2:50 pm -

This is my absolute favorite video! Trudy, you took the words right out of my mouth. Lets hold each other accountable and encourage each other. Interested?
Trudy July 19, 2010 at 5:45 am -

Thanks you so much for sharing! As a new potter I just love watching these video’s and dreaming about what could be in my future!
Robin July 19, 2010 at 12:19 am -

Hi Sandee, Over the last 40 years I have always made my own porcelains, both coloured and white. Recently I have been trying various commercially produced bodies. The two that I like best are Tom Turner Porcelain from Standard Clay in Pittsburgh and Tom Coleman Porcelain of Aardvaark Clay in California. They both take colourants really well and behave well in both oxidation and reduction, with surfaces like marble.
sandee July 18, 2010 at 7:23 pm -

Do you find that a certain porcelain is better for this kind of work than another? Does the material make-up in one type of porcelain take colors better, handle the additon of large amounts of dry stains or oxides better without drying out the clay, or fire colors truer? I guess I am wanting to know if you have a porcelain of choice that you use for this technique. Or do you have porcelains that you don’t feel work. Thank you for explaining the faceting process. I have never tried it with colored clays and am excited to do so. Sandee
Robin July 18, 2010 at 11:40 am -

Hi Ann.E., Agateware is basically a very simple process, layering different coloured clays and throwing them on a wheel. Exposing pattern by cutting across the “grain” is easy as long as you leave the clay thick enough. Two-part throwing is somewhat trickier requiring good basic clayworking skills of accurate measuring and joining. It is not difficult; it just takes time and consistent practice.
Ann E. July 18, 2010 at 6:31 am -

I am fascinated with neriage and other forms of working with colored clays but have limited experience. Robin, thanks for showing the faceting technique; you make it look sooooo simple. I notice that you often have a single-colored portion of the finished work with a section of the colored pattern. As in the solid colored necks of your faceted bottles or the basin of your faceted bowl. How do you combine the 2 sections? Ann E. V. sisterspotterystudio.com
Neha July 17, 2010 at 10:44 pm -

its awesome. i loved it
janet July 17, 2010 at 10:17 pm -

I love Robin, he does so many cool things. Now i want to try this, and teach my students also. thanks sooooo much.
Robin July 17, 2010 at 1:17 pm -

Hi Lynn The reason that most of the time I don’t glaze over the coloured clays is that I like them that way. I use coloured porcelains and fire to cone 8 – 10 depending on the colours I want to get, so they are impervious to water and will not leak. They are usually glazed inside just for sure. The white porcelain that I start with is coloured with mineral oxides, carbonates, or a huge variety of stains. I want the surface to look like sedimentary rock or polished marble. However, there are many finishing options that can be used. You can put any type of glazes over it – clear, shiny, opaque, matt, dry or coloured that suit the temperature range of the clays being used. You can fire it in any type of kiln and firing method, electric, gas, wood, salt, soda and the variety of result is limitless. So, when you have an idea of a direction that you want to explore – TRY IT AND SEE! – the last four words of my first book, The Ceramic Spectrum. Have fun exploring Agateware.
Magda July 17, 2010 at 12:55 pm -

Wonderfull technique, easy and beautifull. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us. You are just Great!!
arti July 17, 2010 at 10:51 am -

it was really great demo.its really a great technique to explore more textures in clay.wonderful.
Kim July 17, 2010 at 1:35 am -

Thanks heaps for this demonstration. I have been handbuilding with coloured clay http://frogpondsrock.com/2010/05/neriage-porcelain-dragon-eggs-a-step-by-step-process/ and I had been thinking of throwing with it as well. Now I will give it a go. Cheers.
JOHN July 16, 2010 at 6:12 pm -

WONDERFUL… I am at the moment doing a series of pots using different color clays. I will try some of your techniques. great inspiration… Thanks!
Lynn July 16, 2010 at 5:13 pm -

Is there a reason you don’t want to glaze the exposed marbled clay?
kassim July 16, 2010 at 4:32 pm -

Thank you for sharing your technique!
Sam July 16, 2010 at 3:25 pm -

Nice job Robin. Thanks
clara July 16, 2010 at 3:22 pm -

Koszonom! szep es erdekes tehnika!
monsebroten July 16, 2010 at 12:27 pm -

I’m forwarding this on to my students! Thank you so much!
Christine July 16, 2010 at 12:13 pm -

I tried this before without much success… I learned from that experience that it’s very important to choose clays with similar textures and shrinkage rates. Mine all came apart because I didn’t know to do this. Thanks again for another wonderful vid!!
Monica July 16, 2010 at 11:58 am -

Muy buenos los trabajos que me envian, muchas gracias. Monica Perazzo http://www.mgpdeco.com.ar
nigel July 16, 2010 at 11:18 am -

I’ve used marbelling before to great effect, but never considered flutting to further enhance the patterns, great technique, thanks for shareing it.
Mercedes July 16, 2010 at 11:05 am -

It is GREAT!… Thank you for sharing it with us… I really LOVE it!
Gina July 16, 2010 at 10:56 am -

I am so very inspired! Thank you for sharing your technique!
Liz July 16, 2010 at 10:49 am -

Robin, You are just too awesome. I can’t wait to take one of your workshops. Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful infomation and expertise.

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Wheel Throwing Video: Throwing and Faceting Colored Clay Vessels

31 Comments on "Wheel Throwing Video: Throwing and Faceting Colored Clay Vessels"

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