How to Make Blue Pottery

Potters design pottery with various colors.

Potters create pottery of many different colors, including variations of red, blue, yellow, and intricate, multicolored designs. Despite the resulting design, all pottery starts with a basic throwing or hand-molding technique. Novice potters use the hand-molding technique to familiarize themselves with the qualities of the clay. Make blue pottery by molding the clay and painting it with the desired shade of blue.

Things You'll Need

• Clay
• Table covered in newspaper
• Sandpaper
• Sponge
• Container with water
• Paintbrush
• Blue acrylic paint
• Pencil

Instructions

Pinch Pot Technique

1. Pull off a hand-sized piece of clay and roll it in the palms of your hands. Make it into a smooth spherical shape.

2. Put the ball on the table and press it lightly to flatten the bottom. Press into the clay with one thumb placed in the middle of the clay's surface. Leave a hole near the bottom of the clay, but do not poke all the way through to the other side.

3. Place your left fingers around the side of the clay while keeping your right thumb in the hole. Put your left thumb in the hole and place your right fingers around the side. Hold the clay in place with one hand and press the clay outward with the other hand. Continuously rotate the clay to make it even.

Use the Coiling Technique to Add Height

1. Take a small piece of clay and roll it into a sphere. Place the clay on the table and roll it back and forth using your palms. Move your hands along the length of the clay as it elongates to make an even coil. Try to make the coil the same thickness as the sides of the pinch pot.

2. Put the coil along the rim of the pinch pot. Remove the extra length and put the ends together. Press the coil lightly onto the pinch pot.

3. Place your thumb on the inside of the pinch pot and your pointer finger on the outside. Push the clay of the coil into the clay of the pinch pot by pressing the clay with your fingers in a downward motion. Make the connection seamless and smooth.

4. Shape the pinch pot by adding coils of different lengths. Thin the shape by adding a shorter coil on the inside of the pinch pot rim. Widen the shape by adding a longer coil on the outside of the pinch pot rim. Make each layer seamless and smooth by using the same technique described in Step 3. Manipulate the shape in small increments so the pinch pot doesn't collapse. Let the pottery dry.

Paint the Pottery

1. Rub the pottery with sandpaper to smooth out bumps. Dampen a sponge and use it to clean the dust off the pottery. Wait for the pottery to dry.

2. Dip the paintbrush into blue acrylic paint and evenly brush the paint onto the pottery. Paint the sides and the inside, but not the bottom. Let the paint dry. Clean the paintbrush so the paint doesn't dry on the bristles.

3. Add another layer of paint or a design after the first layer of paint dries. Always clean the brush before using different colored paints. To make a design, use a pencil to lightly sketch the design on the pot and paint in the designated area.

References

• I Love India: How To Make Traditional Pottery
• Kiddie Gardens: Painting Clay Pots