Pottery Class Singapore: Ceramics is arguably the longest lasting art form to date. Its discovery was recorded to be even earlier than the origins and development of agriculture!
In this article, we will briefly give a brief overview of the fundamental techniques that every aspiring ceramist should know.
Handbuilding
The foundation of one’s ceramic art form is in the relationship built between clay and the hands of the potter. Hand-building involves the usage of hands, fingers and simple tools and mainly consists of the following techniques- pinch pottery, coil building and slab construction.
1. Pinching
Prior to the invention of potter's wheel, pinching was one of the main ceramic techniques. In pinching, the potter wedges their thumb into the center of a smooth clay ball to about half its height and evens out the walls by rotating the ball using with one hand.
2. Slab Construction (Soft Slab, Hard Slab)
Start off soft slab construction by repeatedly rolling out slabs of moist clay on both sides and layer these slabs with smooth and wrinkle-free material. Feel free to express yourself by cutting or joining these pieces into the desired shape or form.
Hard slab construction works differently from soft slab construction due to the dried and firm nature of the clay. For this technique, simply cut out leather hard clay pieces and join them by scoring and slipping.
3. Coil Construction
Coil Construction involves rolling long and thick strips of soft clay and stacking these coils on top of a plate of clay. These strips will then be joined by scoring and slipping them together.
4. Wheel Throwing / Hand Throwing
Wheel throwing involves using the potter's wheel to make objects. This is the method that many functional potters use to make their work. It is the technique that most often comes to mind when one hears the word "pottery".
5. Slip Casting
Slip casting is the technique used by factories for the mass production of pottery and ceramics. This is especially so for those with shapes that are difficult to make using wheel throwing.
In slip-casting, a liquid clay body slip is poured into plaster moulds and allowed to form a layer, the cast, on the inside walls of the mould.
H/T Artsy