5 Great Handbuilding Techniques

ceramic artsdaily.org ceramic artsdaily.org five! Five Great threex great Handbuildinghandbuilding techniquesTechniques variations onvariations classic techniques on classic for techniquesmaking contemporary for making contemporary handbuilt pottery www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2014, Ceramic Publications Company | Five Great Handbuilding Techniques | i five! www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2011, Ceramic Publications Company | ThreeX Great Handbuilding Techniques | i Five Great Handbuilding Techniques: Variations on Classic Techniques for Making Contemporary Handbuilt Pottery When you put a ball of clay in your hands, you just want to start making something—it’s so natural it’s uncanny. And while equipment is used to make a lot of the pottery in the world, using just your hands or a simple paddle and rolling pin can produce awesome results! Discover how to make pottery using three simple techniques, but with a twist. MakeHow a pinch to Make pot really big, make coil pottery from flat coils, save a step and make leather hard hump molds instead of ceramic bisque molds, use a paper plate as a press mold, or make square slab pots with great textures. All you need is a ballMolded of clay in Plates your hands. It’s all here in a free download – Five Great Handbuilding Techniques: Variations on Classic TechniquesUsing fora Paper Plate as a Press Mold Making Contemporary Handbuilt Pottery. by Amanda Wilton-Green How to Make Molded Plates Using a Paper Plate as a Press Mold by Amanda Wilton-Green How to Make Chinet® plates make excellent press molds that provide great surfaces. a Slab Bowl Using a Leatherhard Clay Mold How to Make a Slab Bowl Using a by Lauren Sandler Making slab plates is a great way to develop basic slab techniques, and using Chinet® plates for forms makes this an Leatherhard Clay Mold easy project. They also make perfect surfaces for exploring decorating techniques. by Lauren Sandler aking a set of ceram- this project to include experiments ic plates can be fun with paper stencils and slip decora- How to Make a forPinch the beginner, butPot tion, but that’s just the beginning. Try an alternative to ceramic bisque molds using a leatherhard form. Using a Pinch and Paddle MMethod tois Create also easily Large adapted Forms Try underglaze design work and by Kristinfor the Doner more-experienced student. glazing methods with this project This project presents a direct and as well. When the project is com- owl forms are particularlyfresh coils. slab-formingThe mold is made upside approach re- pleted, you’ll have a set of plates to interesting for decorating down and solid—later it will be because they provide sultingan turned uprightin plates and hollowed that out. I become great use in you home or to give as gifts. How to Make a Large Pinch Pot Bexpansive landscape to ex- start by drawing a boundary line to plore. A generous open object whencanvases follow by firstfor cutting surfaceout a paper decoration. functioning, a bowl acts as an offer- pattern for what will be the top of ing yet also as an object of containMaterials- the mold (when are upright) simple, and outlin- inexpensive, ment—a reservoir of reverie and re- ing that on the bat (figure 1). I be- flection. It’s this paradox of offeringand gin readily the mold with available. a large thick slab, by Kristin Doner and containment that I find most al- cut around the drawn line then add Forming Plates luring and attempt to expand upon Afterand remove only clay as aneeded few to cre hours- of work, Roll out a slab to a desired thick- with my surface work. ate the desired form (figure 2). Take youyour can time in learnshaping the mold;how even to roll out a ness of ¼ to ½ inch. When roll- Making the Mold out and smooth the surface with a Begin by making a clay mold thatgood, Surform even tool or rasp,slab, then refineand can experi- ing out a slab, start by throwing it Kristin Doner produces pinch pots on a larger-than-usual scale. will be used to drape a slab over. the shape and the surface with met- The mold will be used to make theence al anddifferent rubber ribs. Place stages a bat and of plastic clay across the table in different direc- bottom quarter of the final bowl a torpedo level on top of the form form that will then be built up to and make any adjustments needed tions until it is somewhere close to the finished shape and height withand until what it is level the(figure clay3). is capable of at each stage. You become familiar 3-inches thick. Roll the clay with five! A Quintessential Handbuilt Vase www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2011, Ceramicwith Publications Companysimple | ThreeX Greatslump Handbuilding Techniquesmolds | 6 and start the rolling pin, taking care not to MAGE to consider the form and function rollI over the edges. Roll two or of your work. Most importantly, three times on one side. If you’re by Brenda Quinn you learn how to handle clay in a working on canvas, you’ll notice direct and intentional way. that the clay stops stretching af- Red and Black Amphora, 11 in. (28 cm) in height, rakuThese fired withplates terra sigillata become and reduction a wonder stencil effects.- ter MAX DAWSON, JAMES PATRICK PHOTOS: the first few times because the How to handbuild pottery using molded sections. ful surface for finishing, embellish- clay holds onto the texture of the ing, and glazing. I have expanded canvas. Carefully lift the slab creat- y journey with clay has been a process of influence on my work, as witnessed by my choice of glaze discovery and rediscovery. At times, the treatments and my classical use of form. five! process has been forced, leadingwww.ceramicartsdaily.org me to pro- The “less | is Copyright more” aesthetic © 2011, has Ceramicalso had anPublications effect on my Company | ThreeX Great Handbuilding Techniques | 2 Using Textured Slabs to Create SquareM duce works that I consider over-engineered, work. I try to reduce an expression to the pure essentials, forms that stand apart from those that emerge from a to focus clearly on the main point of my work—form. My more intuitive process. When I disengaged my conscious goal is pure simplicity of form achieved through gently thought and allowed my work to develop through a more sloping lines and as few distractions as possible. Nesting Bowls intuitive process, the result was a more satisfying expres- To develop my sensitivity for form, I sketch half silhou- sion, one that speaks from a deeper part of myself. ettes. These half forms trick the eye in a wonderful way. I am often surprised how intuitive responses interact By building upon the visual information of one half of the with conscious inspirations to produce unexpected out- form, the mind completes the other half. The result is an comes. For example, ancientHow history has beento anMake inspira- instant a critique Slab of the essentialPot elements. by Annie Chrietzberg by Brenda Quinn tion for me. I feel connected Usingwith the Textured past when Slabs examin to Create- Zeroing Square in Nestingon an intriguing Bowls form, I used to sketch out ing an ancient artifact, realizing that the item in my hand every aspect of the completed piece in full detail, then ap- Developing forms that have a utilitarian functionby andAnnie a dynam Chrietzberg- The designs for my work come out of a number of prac- was likely an integral part of someone’sic design is like tryinglife to centuriessolve an evolving equation ago. with an plytices. the I begin appropriatewith sketches of forms and techniquespatterns, and often to bring the expression to elusive answer. For me, this equation becomes more complicat- pull ideas from various historical sources. My current body of I am also fascinated by the impacted with theof addition time of an ever-expandingand environ range of functions,- life.work startedThese with an conscious assignment I had given exercises to my students, were interesting to a point, techniques, and glazes to my working vocabulary. The chase for challenging them to combine handbuilding and wheel throw- There are a lot of tools and gadgets in the kitchen you can use for your handbuiltment on the surface of these artifacts.a solution is Frequently,engaging; so much so that organicI’m often interjecting buting with they consideration lacked for the unique the visual spirit qualities eachand of vitality that I hungered for more variables into my process in order to keep the chase go- those techniques carry with them. This idea evolved as I be- textures and earthy colors appearing. This isin why I randomlove learning new techniquesfashion, and processes. ingan my incorporating work. a slumping Eventually, process into my work I using put an down the pencil and started It’s like building an inventory of possibilities in my mind. I ap- octagonal mold to create a vase. The mold was originally used having developed from centuriespreciate of how exposure making the same form to using the different ele techniques- workingto make a platter. intuitively. After creating the platter, Letting it was easy to see go in this way allowed me to yields distinctly different results. the potential in the form to become other vessels. pottery. ments. There’s little doubt that these artifacts have had an develop beyond the limitations of over-engineered ideas. PotteryMaking Illustrated | March/April 2013 23 five! www.ceramicartsdaily.org | Copyright © 2011, Ceramic Publications Company | ThreeX Great Handbuilding Techniques | 11 Nesting bowls provide an opportunity for using a variety of textures and glazes. know I’m not the only overly-involved-with- pendicular diameters, so that the folds made a perfect 1 clay-person out there who brings more things cross.

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