The Basics of Making Pottery

Pottery is a craft that began around the same time as humans discovered fire. People were able to transform raw clay into functional, durable, and beautiful ceramics that made life more pleasant.

Using the clay in the most efficient way possible is important for any potter. It’s also important to try different things and experiment with the materials. Some techniques are very labor-intensive, while others require specialized equipment. Trying new methods, tools and glazes can help a pottery maker to refine their skills over time.

One of the most basic steps in making pottery is called centering. This is done by kneading the clay, which allows the moisture within the clay to spread evenly and get rid of air bubbles. Those air bubbles can cause the clay to crack during firing. There are several different ways to knead clay, including wedging and spiral kneading.

The next step is preparing the clay for molding. It’s done by adding various additives to the clay body that will produce desired effects when it is fired. Coarse additives like sand and grog are added to increase the strength of the clay while fine additives such as colorants and metal oxides are used to produce a variety of colors.

After a potter has formed their piece they’ll put it into the kiln for the first round of firing, called a bisque firing. This is to turn the clay into ceramic material, and it’s very important that the kiln is fired at the proper temperature and for the right amount of time. This will ensure that the pieces are properly fired and will not crack during the drying process or in use.

Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=The+Basics+of+Making+Pottery|Pottery+Stuff&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_1de45886f4919ddea599936e8fee09a2