Being Slow? It’s a Go!
The fastest way to learn something new is to put your hands on it, and one useful skill that’s been popular for many hundred of years is pottery. Yes, the actual making of a ceramic piece from scratch: from mixing the clay properly, to throwing the pieces together onto a wheel, to firing them in an oven. It might seem daunting — but remember how when you were learning how to ride a bike or tie your shoes? Consider this process as similar: building up skills and muscle memory along with confidence. The thing I find most helpful is to try and think “slowly” as I’m learning this technique. Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Grab a book on pottery. There are a lot of great ones out there, but for a beginner, Local Clay Pottery by Lee Meads is an excellent book that includes step-by-step photos, basic tools needed and each step in the process.
2. Figure out the right tools. You don’t need to buy all of the expensive tools, but I would suggest investing in a few basic things that you’ll use over and over: 1. A wheel (you can also use two or three wooden sticks or two plastic dowels) 2. a pot and some clay 3. an “instant” heat source (like an electric burner, gas stove, etc.) 4. rubber gloves
3. Set up the equipment properly: Get everything in the right place, with no clutter blocking your view of the objects you’re working with; there are several books on working with clay on library shelves at your local library
4. Get the right clay. There are different kinds of clay (high fire clay, low fire, etc.), and they can be purchased at your local art store (or pottery supply store). Most clays will come in a 3# bag; make sure that you’re not mixing them up! Each tile will require about 1/4 of a bag. After the first time working with clay, you’ll get used to how much you need to make each piece (it depends on how big it is).
5. Add water to your clay: You’ll want to mix in 1 cup (8 oz.) of water for every ¼ cup of clay you have. For example: if you have 2 cups of clay, add 16 oz. of water.
6. Add your slip (if you’re using it). For some beginners, this is optional, but if you’re going to experiment with it, add about 1/8 cup of your slip for every cup of clay (so for two cups of clay and a ¼ cup of slip: 8 tablespoons). The slip is just to help the piece slide a little easier off the wheel and onto the kiln shelf when firing.
7. Mix the clay and water together in a bowl — with gloved hands — until you get a consistent mixture that isn’t too wet or dry.
8. Roll out from the middle out: Place the wheel over your work bowl, then grab a piece of clay and pick it up by the edges (with your gloved hands). Now, flatten it out along the middle of the bowl.
Now you want to begin to encircle your piece with clay that you’ve flattened to about an inch in thickness along its center starting from a few inches up from the bottom edge.
9. Roll away! Make sure that you’re not rolling too quickly, which could make it difficult for you to still be able to tell what you’re doing after several minutes later (trust me on this one!). Roll it out until you’re about 3-5 inches away from the edge of the bowl.
10. Turn your piece: Now you want to rotate your piece around so that you have clay along its top and bottom, and only touching at one point (the center where it was rolled out). Continue to shape the piece as you go, flipping over each time until you’ve got a nice square shape.
11. Flatten out again: After shaping the piece, that part is done; now flatten it all out again along its sides (as if it were a giant pancake).
12. Add thickness if you’re using a wheel. Now that you have the basic shape, you’ll want to make more of it by adding pieces to the sides, again working from the bottom up. If this is your first time, don’t worry about getting think too soon, just focus on getting a piece that will fit nicely onto your wheel (you can always go back and add more later).
13. Rolling time: You can now move onto the wheel and start rolling out the piece (if you haven’t already done so). Your top priority right now is making sure that the clay is nice and smooth along its top so that it doesn’t tear. If you’re using a wheel, start at the center, roll out about half an inch, then turn it over and roll out the other half of an inch.
14. Adding thickness: Now that your piece is on the wheel, you will want to add pieces along its edges while still rolling out so that they’re flush with the edge of your piece. Work all along until both long sides are rolled one at a time — and you’ll probably have to flip over your piece in order to get them both done at once (you can always do this several times if it takes too long).
15. Start the fire! From the top of your piece, smooth the clay down and towards its center. Then place it inside your kiln and make sure it doesn’t get stuck on anything by putting something underneath it (such as a plywood board).
16. Start the kiln! Make sure that you have an electric burner that you know is safe or call someone at your local fire department or gas company so they can tell you whether or not they approve. On a gas stove, preheat to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
17. Add more fire: Now you’re ready to add more heat (if you have a gas stove, open your oven door to let the flames rise up), and then place the piece inside the kiln for about an hour.
18. After an hour: Take your piece out of the kiln and let it cool for a few minutes so that you can handle it without getting burned. If you want, you can dunk it in some water if its really hot or put a coat of slip on it.
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Conclusion
If you’re interested in learning more about ceramic tile, there are several books available on the subject, such as: Ceramic Art of North America : a Studio Guide by Philip Jodidio 1001 Tiled Showers & Bathrooms by Michael Dolan Ceramic Arts: A Hands-On Course in Form, Materials and Techniques by Ann Gastman The Complete Guide to Pochoir: Creating Decorative Images on Clay Tiles by Neil Leach When “Finally” Becomes “Now”: The Story of an Artist Working Through Depression and Anxiety to Create a Rich Life by Kathleen Walker
Source http://www.wikihow.