Intro to Clay

1. Intro to Clay

2. Ancient Greek Pottery – 400 BC

3. What’s CLAY?! • Clay is a decomposed granite type rock with fine, flat shaped particles which make it plastic. Plastic means the clay will mold and retain its shape when it is dry. • Ceramics is the art of making pottery. It is an ancient form of transforming clay into beautiful forms and useful objects.

4. Clay Terms • Bisque – a first firing of clay without glazes • Bone Dry – unfired clay that is free of water and ready to fire • Burnish – to polish clay while it is in the greenware stage • Casting – to pour clay slip into plaster into plaster molds; allows mass reproduction of one form

5. Casting

6. Kilns

7. Ceramic – clay products that have been ffired for permanence • China – Translucent ware fired at 2,230 degrees F; porcelain • Clay – a moist earth of decomposed rock; used in products such as pottery, bricks, tiles and sculpture • Coiling – a method of creating pots by building bottom and walls with even, ropelike coils

9. Decal – designs that are transferred to ware before firing; often used in china decorating • Earthenware – low-fire pottery, usually red or tan, that has been fired to below 2,000 degrees F • Egyptian Paste – low-fire, self-glazing body fires to a gloss or crackle finish • Engobe – a glaze made of clay diluted with water that is painted on greenware

10. Earthenware

11. Egyptian Paste

12. Firing – making clay products permanent through baking at a high temperature in a kiln • Greenware – clay in an unfired state • Leather Hard – unfired clay that isn’t quite dry, yet firm enough to carve or burnish • Raku – a low fire often done outdoors that produces dark areas of iridescence • Reduction Firing – firing with insufficient oxygen; causes interesting color changes in glazing

13. Reduction Firing

14. Raku

15. Scoring – making marks on the edges of two pieces of clay before joining with slip • Sgraffito – scratching designs through colored slip to allow the body color to show through • Slab – clay evenly rolled and formed by draping or joining • Slip – clay diluted with water to the consistency of cream; used for joining or as an engobe

16. Sgraffito

17. Stoneware – gray, reddish, or tan clay that has been high fired • Talc – a compound added to white clay • Terra Cotta – reddish clay that contains grog, commonly used for ceramic sculpture • Throwing - creating vessels on a potter’s wheel • Turning – completing a piece of ware by rotating on a wheel and trimming with tools

18. Potter’s Wheel

19. Terra Cotta

20. Underglaze – colors that can be painted on greenware that will show through a clear glaze • Wax Resist – the application of melted wax to the foot or body of a clay object to resist the glaze • Wedging – kneading moist clay to eliminate air bubbles and produce a uniform texture

21. Basic Steps in Pottery Making • Preparing the clay – wedging and kneading • Designing, molding and decorating the piece • Bisque firing the greenware • Sanding and glazing • Glaze firing

22. Handbuilding Techniques • Pinching • Pulling and molding • Coiling • Slab building

23. Today’s Assignment • Draw three designs in your sketchbook for your functional clay face jug • You may choose to depict yourself (a self-portrait) or another person, but your vessel MUST contain a face that is showing some emotion • Remember, your vessel must be functional – consider making a mug, flower pot or vase • Your vessel must also contain a handle or lid

26. When you have finished your three sketches, show them to a partner and fill out the planning sheet • This will ask you to decide which design would be best for this project and also how you will construct the design • You MUST complete this sheet before you begin your clay facejug