When Creating your Ceramic Designs Keep these tips in mind……

Trouble shooting -Base support If making a figure with tiny toes or lots of legs-birds, bugs, octopus-make a slab base for the pot. Do this so the legs, toes etc. wont break.

Trouble shooting- pull appendages close to the body Setting work down on a table in the bone dry state can break off feet, tails, legs etc. if you aren’t extremely careful.

Trouble shooting Combine form with function Try to use the parts of the animal as parts of the pot. If you have handles, use wings, tails… if you have spouts, necks and mouths. Use Feet as feet.

Trouble Shooting Stylization You can stylize a figure. Do not mistake stylization for crappy workmanship or laziness. Stylization must also include an awareness of anatomy and structure.

Trouble Shooting Anatomy Study the anatomy of your subject. •Look for bones and muscles. •Work from a photo or picture of the subject. Find images that show all points of view of the subject

Trouble Shooting- Add Personality Give figures some personality, personify them.

All About Clay By Mrs. M. McDyre

Different styles of Creating with clay

Processes You can use: Additional types: Pinch Coil Slab Assemblage Thrown Drape Press mold Reduction

Pinch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlSeEBGHCFY&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Coil Pots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRPookbxzhI&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active http://www.jhpottery.com/tutorial/coil.htm

Slab Rolling out a slab of clay Adding Texture to your slab http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12Q2z61azPg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active Adding Texture to your slab http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plkz3OPqUcI&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Economic and social development Influencing Culture and Socialization Assemblage Slip and Score is the GLUE that hold clay pieces together. Slip is very watered down clay Score is when you rough up the surface of the clay You MUST slip and score all clay when attaching one piece to another. Economic and social development Influencing Culture and Socialization

Economic and social development Influencing Culture and Socialization

Producing Quality Work How to know if you are producing quality work with your clay piece…….

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Construction How to make this thing!

How to Start- Effigy Vessel

Trouble Shooting- Shrinking and warping Clay will shrink and warp as it dries and in the firings. Will your pieces still fit and be balanced? Thinner pieces will not support the weight of heavier pieces in the firing. Is the position of the lid stable? Will it slide off? Trouble Shooting- Shrinking and warping

Trouble Shooting- Balance Think of how the piece will be balanced. Will the piece tip over? •If creating an object that is standing consider using a base for a support structure. Otherwise it will fall over easily.

Trouble shooting Differences in thickness-Drying and Braking Add smallest parts/details LAST-because they will dry the quickest. These are the defining features of the pot so we want to put them on first. Wait until the major work is done, then put them on.

Trouble shooting Inner structural support If needed use an inner support structure to support the weight above it.

Trouble Shooting Air holes All hollow pieces must have an air hole. If this isn’t done the kiln gods will be angry and will sacrifice the arms and legs of your pot. Meaning, your stuff will blow up!

Trouble shooting Storing your work Remove air and seal up zip lock bag everything when not working on it. If too big for zip lock, double bag it and but a damp rag in with it. Keep work on a wood bat (or whatever Mrs. McDyre gives you. Be careful when taking work in and out of storage. Please do not be careless with someone else’s work.

What to Know

History to know Ceramics- any clay work that has been permanently changed through the process of heating. Has a history dating back to 3000-4000 years It is the reason we know of many other cultures Mostly used to store things, as in pots Fundamental in the development of cultures

Terms to Know Wet- clay is wet when we work with it and use it to create new shapes and forms Leather Hard- Is when clay is starting to dry out, it hard and cool to the touch, but it isn’t dry. You can carefully carve into these pieces Bone Dry- All the moisture is out of the clay. It is ready for its first firing Firing- when the clay gets ‘baked’ and chemically is changed into ceramics. Kiln- the oven that the clay gets fired in. Bisk Firing- the first firing of the clay

Processes & Techniques to Know Pinch Coil Slab Assemblage Slip and Score is the GLUE that hold clay pieces together. Slip is very watered down clay Score is when you rough up the surface of the clay You MUST slip and score all clay when attaching one piece to another.

Know the difference….. Glaze- Under-glaze- 3 coats is used Goes on the ceramic piece after the bisk firing It has pieces of glass in it that melt and make it look shiny If glaze gets on the kiln shelf your piece can be permanently stuck to it Under-glaze- Is not shiny It does not have glass in it Can be painted on Can be used as a layering effect Can be used either in the bone dry stage or after the bisk firing Wax Resist- Is used to prevent the glaze or under-glaze from going on your ceramic piece

3 Different types of clay

Lowfire= Earthenware Fired at +/- 1860 degrees This is the kind of clay we will use in class

Lowfire= Earthenware Highfire= Stoneware Fired at +/- 1860 degrees This is the kind of clay we will use in class Highfire= Stoneware Fired at +/- 2000 degrees This is the kind of clay most common among potters

Lowfire= Earthenware Highfire= Stoneware Porcelain= China Fired at +/- 1860 degrees This is the kind of clay we will use in class Highfire= Stoneware Fired at +/- 2000 degrees This is the kind of clay most common among potters Porcelain= China Fired at +/- 2200 degrees Used to create delicate, thin and fine works More transluscent