How to Learn Pottery Making
Learning to make pottery doesn't have to be difficult. There are many ways a person can learn the craft. To start, you could teach yourself ways to turn your lump of clay into functional pottery bowls, mugs or vases of any size in just a few steps. And potters don't need a spinning wheel to create these pieces. Instead, all they require is pottery clay and their own two hands. Additionally, there might be resources in your community that can show you the ropes of pottery making. Universities and city recreation programs are places to start.
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Instructions
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Teach Yourself
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Mix a little water into the clay. Knead it together until its slimy. This mixture is called "slip" and will be easy to form. (ref 3)
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2
Take a chunk of clay and pound it between your hands until it's round and flat like a hamburger patty. (ref 2) It should be about as thick as a pencil and at least three inches wide. (ref 3) This will be the base of your pottery.
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3
Take another chunk of clay and form it into a coil. This can be done squeezing it or rolling it between your hands. (ref 1) Smooth out the coil by rolling it back and forth on a table or working surface. Apply even pressure. (ref 1) Keep rolling until it is about as thick as your little finger. (ref 3)
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4
Use the tip of a sharp pencil to "score" the edge of your base. Scoring means to make scratch marks along the boarder of the base. Be careful not to press through to the bottom. (ref 3) Make scratch marks (also known as scores) along the bottom of your coil. (ref 3)
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5
Wrap the coiled piece of clay around the edge of the base. This begins to form the wall of your pottery. Curve the coil around the base until it overlaps itself. Continue coiling the clay around. Add more coiled clay as desired by connecting a new coil where the other one stopped. Continue adding new coils until your pottery has reach its desired height and shape.
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When the shape of the pottery is complete, connect the coils on the inside of the piece. Use a finger to smudge one coil into the next without breaking through to the outer surface of the pottery. Hold your other hand on the outside so you don't damage the shape.
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Set your piece aside and let it dry before use.
Take a Class Through the City
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Contact your town or city to see if it offers recreational classes, in particular pottery making classes.
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If offered, choose a pottery making class that fits your schedule and teaches what you hope to learn. For example, the City of Fort Collins in Colorado offers pottery classes in Fall 2010 for beginners, including pottery basic classes, beginning wheel techniques and even classes for Boy Scouts to earn their pottery-making badges. (ref 4)
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Enroll in the class. Be sure to check the required lab materials and have them with you during the first lesson.
Contact a College
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Find a college, community college or university in your area.
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Inquire about its course catalog, in particular pottery classes for beginners. Moorpark Community College in California includes beginning ceramics and ceramic design in its course catalog. (ref 5)
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Enroll in the class. Make sure you have the necessary materials on-hand before attending the first class.
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References
- Photo Credit hand made pottery mug image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
