A Beginner s Guide to Ceramic Pottery - Weebly

A Beginner’s Guide to Ceramic Pottery

Prepared for

Terry Smith

Prepared by

Maegan Garcia

Shomari Cotton

Teresa Gaitan

Zach Hair

2700.001

April, 16th, 2014

Table of Contents v

Table of Contents

Overview ...............................................................................................................................vii Who is this program for? .............................................................................................................. vii How this instruction manual is organized? .................................................................................... vii

Materials and Tools .............................................................................................................. viii Tools Needed .............................................................................................................................. viii Materials Needed ....................................................................................................................... viii

*Warning .............................................................................................................................. viii Kilns ........................................................................................................................................... viii Pottery Wheel ............................................................................................................................ viii

Chapter One – Shaping Your Ceramic ...................................................................................... 1

Shaping a Coil Vase ................................................................................................................. 1 Items Needed ................................................................................................................................1 Shaping Process for Section One - Vase Base ...................................................................................1 Shaping Process for Section Two - Outward Flare ............................................................................3 Shaping Section Three - Inward Movement .....................................................................................3 Shaping Section Four - Top .............................................................................................................3

Shaping a Ceramic Mug ........................................................................................................... 5 Items Needed ................................................................................................................................5 Shaping Process for a Ceramic Mug ................................................................................................6

Chapter Two - Bisque Firing .................................................................................................... 9 Bisque Firing Process ......................................................................................................................9

Chapter Three - Glazing Your Ceramic ................................................................................... 11

Choosing Your Glaze ............................................................................................................. 11 Dip Glaze ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Brush Glaze .................................................................................................................................. 11

Prepping Your Pottery .......................................................................................................... 12 Clean Pots Before Glazing ............................................................................................................. 12 Dampen Dry Pottery .................................................................................................................... 12 Use Clean Tools ............................................................................................................................ 12 Glazing Safety Tips ....................................................................................................................... 12

Making your glaze ................................................................................................................. 13 Materials and Tools Needed ......................................................................................................... 13 Mixing Process ............................................................................................................................. 13

Glazing Technique ................................................................................................................. 14 Dip Glaze Technique..................................................................................................................... 14

For a Solid Color ............................................................................................................................... 14 For a Drip Effect ............................................................................................................................... 14

vi A Beginner’s Guide to Ceramic Pottery

Brush Glaze Technique ................................................................................................................. 15 For a Solid Color with Texture .......................................................................................................... 15 For Detailed Designs ......................................................................................................................... 15

Chapter Four - Glaze Firing .................................................................................................... 17

Overview vii

Overview Pottery is the ceramic art of crafting wares from clay materials. Pottery expresses creativity and

can be used as a hobby, source of income, to vent through unspoken emotions, and so on.

Although pottery is a fun experience, caution should be taking when exploring newfound

territory. Heating materials up to 1000 to 2000°F is a dangerous task. If not informed of

dangers and precautions, severe or fatal accidents are bound to occur. For this reason, this

instruction manual was created to help beginners know the ends and outs of creating pottery.

Who is this program for? As stated above, pottery is an outlet for creativity to be expressed in a safe, closed environment.

Children and adults can find pottery very enjoyable. Children should be looked after when on

certain throwing wheels because children can be very accident-prone. Adults should only

operate heating the clay to create pottery.

How this instruction manual is organized? The manual includes the following:

Materials and Tools

This portion contains the materials and tools needed as a beginner pottery maker. Figures

are provided for unfamiliar materials to unsure beginners know what tools they need and

what they look like. A brief warning section has was placed for general safety

precautions when operating possibly dangerous tools.

Chapter 1 – Shaping Your Ceramic

This chapter covers shaping a clay mug and a clay pot. It gives detailed instructions for

crafting two different wares from clay material.

Chapter 2 – Bisque Firing

This portion covers firing clay. It gives detailed step-by-step information for firing clay

to create pottery.

Chapter 3 – Glazing Your Ceramic

This chapter covers general glazing. It discusses the different glazing options for

achieving different results. It covers prepping your pottery for glazing and different

glazing techniques. It also covers creating your own glaze. A separate optional Materials

section if placed in this chapter for tools need in creating your own glaze and all

interested in this section should refer to page 7.

Chapter 4 – Glaze Firing

This chapter covers glaze firing. Chapter 2 gave instructions on firing clay to make

pottery. This section details the second firing step for including glaze on your finished

pottery.

viii A Beginner’s Guide to Ceramic Pottery

Figure 1.6

Figure 1.4

Figure 1.5

Figure 1.3

Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2

Materials and Tools

Tools Needed

Pottery Wheel*(Fig. 1.1)

Kiln* (Fig. 1.2)

Clay Extruder

Pottery Cutting Wire (Fig. 1.3)

Lazy Susan Turntable (Fig. 1.4)

Clay Board

Polished Stone

Brushes

Fettling Knife (Fig. 1.5)

Rib (Fig. 1.6)

Materials Needed

Pottery Clay

Pottery Glazes

Sink Trap for Clay

Sponge

Bucket of Water

*Warning

Kilns

Kilns can give off gases when operated and can give respiration problems. It is

recommended you invest in a kiln ventilation system

Kiln mitts or gloves should be warn at all times when operating the kiln.

The kiln requires a reliable power supply. Hire a professional electrician to set up

electrical services for your kiln.

Pottery Wheel

Throwing on the pottery wheel for long periods of time can cause carpel tunnel

syndrome.

Back problems can occur from bending over the pottery wheel for long periods of time.

Chapter One – Shaping Your Ceramic 1

Chapter One – Shaping Your Ceramic

Shaping a Coil Vase Before working with the clay, first make sure that you know what the end product should look

like. Plan out how tall the vase will be and where the

vase will become wider and narrower. Figure 1 is the

finished product. Figure 1.2 shows the diagram with

measurements for the vase and has each of the 4

sections labeled.

Items Needed

Clay

Apron

Bowl of Water

Wire Clay Cutter

Extruder (if available)

Wooden Rib

Fork

Paint Brush

Clay Board

Lazy Susan

Ruler

Compass

Rolling Pi

Fettling Knife

Shaping Process for Section One - Vase Base

1. With the Wire Clay Cutter, cut a slab of clay

from the clay block of about 1-inch thick.

2. Place clay slab on Clay Board.

3. With Rolling Pin, roll the slab to ½ inch

thickness.

4. With Compass, trace and circle 3 inches in

diameter on the clay slab.

5. With Fettling Knife, cut out the circle slab out.

6. Place clay circle on the center of the Lazy Susan; this is now your base.

Figure 1.1: Example of a coil vase

Figure 1.2: Coil vase with dimensions

2 A Beginner’s Guide to Ceramic Pottery

7. With Extruder, extrude 3 coils that are ½

inch in diameter and 1 ½ feet long. (If you

do not have an Extruder, roll out coils by

hand.)

8. With the fork and paintbrush, 1score and

2slip outer rim of the top face of your base.

9. Score and slip the bottom of one of your

coils.

10. Align the scored areas of your base and

coil and connect to two together. (See

Figure 1.3)

11. Have the coil make one revolution around the base. (If there is excess coil, cut it off with

the fettling knife).

12. Attach one end of the coil to the other.

13. Starting from the inside of the vase base,

blend the coil to the base by using one

hand to support the outside wall, and then,

using the other hand, push clay down from

the coil to the base from the inside of the

wall. (See Figure 1.4)

14. Score and slip the top of the newly attached

coil.

15. Score and slip the bottom of your second

coil.

16. Just like before, align the scored areas and

then attach.

17. Make one revolution and cut off any excess

coil.


19. Blend the inside of the newly attached coil to the previously attached coil. (Remember to

support the outside wall with one hand while using the other hand to blend the coils.)

20. Repeat steps 14-19 for the third coil.

21. Once the inside of the vase base is blended,

blend the outside walls together the same

way. (Now use one hand to support the

inside of the wall while blending the outside of

the wall.) (See Figure 1.5)

22. Moisten the walls slightly.

23. With the Wooden Rib, smooth out any rough

areas of clay. (Be sure to support the opposite

wall with hand.)

24. With ruler, measure the height of the vase base,

approximately 2 inches tall.

1. Making hash marks on clay with a fork.

2. A mixture of clay and water in the consistency of mush that acts like glue.

Figure 1.3: Coil wrapping around top of

base

Figure 1.4: Blending the coil to the base


Shaping Process for Section Two - Outward Flare

1. Extrude or roll out 13 coils that are ½ inch in diameter and 2 feet long.

2. Score and slip the top layer of the vase base.

3. Score and slip the bottom of a coil.

4. When aligning the coil to the vase base, place the coil slightly outward to create an

outward flare. (You do not want the newly placed coil directly on top of the vase base.)

5. Make one revolution with the coil and cut off any excess coil.


7. Blend the newly attached coil to the vase base by using one hand to support the outside of

the wall and using the other to push down the clay from the coil to the vase base. (The

outside of the wall will maintain the coil pattern, so be careful not to morph it when

supporting the wall.)

8. Repeat steps 2-7 for all 13 coils. (As the vase gets taller, it should also become wider.)

9. With Wooden Rib, smooth out any rough areas on the inside of the vase. (Make sure to

support outside wall with your hand.)

10. With the ruler, measure the width of the opening of the vase and the height of the vase,

approximately 8 inches wide and 9 inches tall.

Shaping Section Three - Inward Movement

1. Extrude or roll out 9 coils ½ inch in diameter and 2 feet long.

2. Score and slip the top rim of the vase.

3. Score and slip the bottom of one of the coils.

4. When aligning the coil to the vase, place the coil slightly inward to create an inward

movement of the case walls.

5. Make one revolution with the coil and cut off any excess coil with the fettling knife.

6. Attach the ends of the coil together.





8. Repeat steps 2-7 for all 9 coils.

9. Smooth out any rough areas of the inside wall with the Wooden Rib. (Make sure to support

the outside wall with hand.)

10. With ruler measure the height and width of your vase; width of opening approximately 3

inches and height approximately 13 inches.

Shaping Section Four - Top

Figure 1.5: Blending coils together


1. Extrude or roll out 5 coils a ½ inch in diameter and 1½ foot long.

2. Score and slip the top rim of the vase.

3. Score and slip the bottom of one of the coils.

4. Align the scored areas directly on top of one another.

5. Make one revolution with the coil, and then cut off any excess coil with fettling knife.

6. Attach the ends of the coil together.





8. Repeat steps 2-7 for the next coil.

9. For the last 3 coils, score and slip as in previous steps.

10. Align the coil slightly outward on the vase rim.

11. Blend coil to vase as in previous steps.

12. Repeat for all 3 coils.

13. Smooth out any rough areas of the inside wall with the Wooden Rib. (Make sure to

support the outside wall with hand.)

14. With ruler, measure the height and width of the vase and its opening; height

approximately 16 inches and width approximately 3¼ -3½ inches.

With Wire Clay Cutter, remove the vase from the Lazy Susan by lining up the wire with the

top face of the Lazy Susan, start from the side opposite to you. Make sure the wire stays as

close as possible to the top face of the Lazy Susan. With both hands, slowly slide the Wire

Clay Cutter towards you. Carefully pick up the vase and place on the Clay Board. Let vase

dry for a 1-2 hours. It is now ready to be fired in the kiln.


Shaping a Ceramic Mug For this process, we will be using a throwing wheel. Before you begin to work with the clay,

envision what your finished mug will look like. Have measurements for the height and width of

the mug. Also, determine big you want the handle to be and where it will be place on the mug.

Figure 1 shows the finished mug. Figure 2.6 shows the diagram with measurements for the mug

Items Needed

Bowl of Water

Wire Clay Cutter

Sponge

Throwing Wheel

Throwing Plate

Apron

Loop Tool

Ruler

Fork

Paint Brush

Wooden Rib

Steel Rib

Clay Board

Figure 1.6: Example of a ceramic

mug


Shaping Process for a Ceramic Mug

1. With Wire Clay Cutter, cut 1 pound of

clay from the clay block

2. 1Wedge clay into a ball

3. Place clay ball onto the center of the

throwing wheel

4. Make sure that drip tray and other

components of the throwing wheel are

properly in place

5. Moisten hands in bowl of water

6. Moisten the sponge in the bowl of water

7. With wet sponge moisten the clay

8. To begin throwing, place one hand on the

left side and the other hand on the right

side of the clay ball (Allow hands to rest

on surface of throwing wheel plate)

1. Pushing and pressing on clay to expel all air

bubbles.

9. Support your arms by placing your elbows on

the inner part of your thighs

10. Slowly start the throwing wheel (Begin at slow

and work up to medium speed)

11. Apply pressure to the clay with hands in a

cupping motion (be sure to keep hands as

uniform as possible)

12. Change throwing wheel speed to fast speed (if hands or clay begin to get dry, use wet

sponge to moisten)

13. Center the clay by slowly adding more and more pressure to the clay (The clay should

begin to become narrower and taller until almost a cone shape)

14. With the palm of one hand, apply an even

downward pressure to the top of the cone while

using the other hand to continue cupping the clay.

15. Repeat steps 13 and 14 until your clay is centered

(You will know when it is centered by removing your hands from clay and seeing if clay

is spinning evenly)

16. Once the clay is centered, make sure that hands and clay are well moistened

17. To make opening, place index finger directly on the center of the clay

18. Slowly apply pressure straight down while slowly pulling your finger outward just

slightly until the desired width is attained; approximately 2 ½ inches (try the make the

walls as even as possible)

19. Keep applying pressure down ward until you

are almost ¾ to ½ inch away from the bottom of

Figure 1.7: Ceramic mug with dimensions

Figure 1.8: Centering clay into cone

shape

Figure 1.9: Centering clay with palm


the clay.

20. To raise the height of the mug use two fingers

from one hand to apply pressure on the inside

wall of the mug and use two fingers from the

other hand to apply pressure to the outside of

the wall (Fingers should be exactly on the

other side of the wall from one another)

21. Slowly pull fingers upward, this will slowly

make the clay walls rise up (Try to make the

walls rise up as straight as possible)

22. Keeping repeating the process in step 21 until

desired height is achieved; Approximately 4

inches

23. With Steel Rib, scrape any excess clay from

wheel plate (medium speed)

24. With ruler, measure the height and width (Wheel at complete stop)

25. Moisten the walls of the mug and smooth

out any rough areas with Wooden Rib

26. With wire clay cutter, hold each end with

one hand and place on other side of the

mug

27. Hold the wire clay cutter as close to the

plate surface as possible

28. Slowly pull the wire clay cutter towards

you while having the wheel on slow speed

29. Carefully pick up mug and place on Clay

Board (Wheel at complete stop)

30. Allow to dry for 30 to 1 hour

31. While you wait, begin to make the handle

for your mug

32. To make handle roll out a small coil about a ½ inch in

diameter and ½ a foot long

33. Lay coil on flat surface

34. With rolling pin, roll coil flat to about ¼ inch in

thickness throughout

35. Allow handle to dry for about 20 minutes

36. Get your mug and place it upside down on the center of

the throwing wheel

37. Get four small pieces of clay and use them to hold to

mug to the wheel plate

38. With loop tool, begin to trim the bottom of the mug as

shown in Figure 1.13; width 2 inches (slow speed)

39. Remove clay pieces and then put mug right side up

40. Grab your handle and align where you want it to be on the mug (cut off any excess

handle if too long)

41. Score and Slip the mug where the handle will be attached

Figure 1.10: Making the opening

Figure 1.11: Raising the height of the

mug

Figure 1.12: Smoothing the mug


42. Score and Slip the ends of the handle

43. Align the scored areas of the handle and mug (Make sure handle is stiff enough to hold

shape, if not let it dry for a few more minutes)

44. Carefully blend the handle to the mug with thumb

45. Set your mug out to dry for 2-3 hours

46. Once dry, you can fire the mug in a kiln

Figure 1.13: Trimming the base of the

mug

Chapter Two – Bisque Firing 9

Chapter Two - Bisque Firing Note that “bisque firing”, as explained below, takes place before applying to the ceramic. “Glaze

firing” takes place after initially firing, cleaning, and glazing the ceramic. You should practice

caution when using a kiln to fire your ceramic due to the high temperatures and fire hazards

associated with the firing process. It is also crucial that you leave the kiln door sealed during the

firing process, as changes in temperature could destroy the pottery inside. Always fire your

pieces in a well-ventilated area as heated pottery and glazes could give off dangerous fumes.

Bisque Firing Process This step in the kiln firing process is important because bisque firing changes the clay into

ceramic material, reducing the risk of damaging the piece while decorating or glazing. Bisque

firing involves heating at a much slower rate than glaze firing; Firing at a slower rate reduces the

likelihood of pieces cracking or breaking in the glaze firing.

1. Confirm pieces have completely dried after assembly. Generally your ceramic should dry

after resting on an open surface undisturbed for two days. The length of time needed to

dry will vary based on the size and thickness of the clay used to build your ceramic.

2. Group your dried ceramics together for firing according to similar height.

3. Place the primary posts inside the kiln according to your desired shelving layout. The

initial posts should be slightly taller than the height of the tallest piece of pottery per

layer.

4. Place your previously grouped pieces inside the kiln, around the supports. In this phase,

pieces may touch and stack on top of each other.

5. Place shelves on top of the support posts and above your pieces. Keep in mind, thicker

pieces should lie closer to the bottom of the kiln, as this area is the hottest. Repeat steps 3

and 4 until the kiln is sufficiently filled (see Figure 2.1).

6. Fire the kiln according to your piece’s required time and temperature. Generally, the

firing temperature is

approximately 1750 degrees

Fahrenheit for an average of

18 hours.

7. Remove the pieces from the

kiln once they have reached a

safe temperature to handle.

Allow the pieces to finish

cooling completely and

undisturbed.

8. Clean each piece with a

slightly wet sponge to remove

any dust or debris.

Figure 2.1: Kiln loaded with bisque ware

Chapter Three – Glazing Your Ceramic 11

Chapter Three - Glazing Your Ceramic

Choosing Your Glaze

Dip Glaze Dip glazing your pottery has several advantages.

Dip glazing is one of the fastest methods of glazing

pottery. Dipping pottery also give the pottery a nice,

even coat. You can even limit the glaze to the

outside of the pottery, allowing for a different glaze

to be used inside. Dip glazing allows you to create a

dripping effect on pottery, as shown in the top of

Figure 3.1. The dripping effect is a popular style of

glaze that allows you to use multiple colors to

decorate your pottery. You can also choose a solid

color to dip glaze your pottery in, as shown in the

bottom of Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1: Examples of dip-glazed ceramics

Brush Glaze Brush glazing is a slightly more advanced technique

when it comes to glazing pottery. However, it

allows you to apply details to your pottery that you

are unable to achieve with dip glazing. Brush

glazing takes more time and attention, but gives you

a wonderful finished product. Brush glazes are used

to give pottery ornate designs, as shown in the top

of Figure 3.2. Brush glazes can also be applied

more simply, as shown in the bottom of Figure 3.2.

Brush glazing allows you to create texture on your

pottery piece.

Figure 3.2: Examples of brush-glazed pots

12 A Beginner’s Guide to Pottery

Prepping Your Pottery Before glazing your pottery, you should follow these guidelines. These guidelines will help you

avoid glaze problems in the kiln and ensure that you achieve a good, even glaze coating on your

piece of pottery.

Clean Pots Before Glazing Glaze does not like dirty pottery. Before you begin glazing, clean each piece using a stiff brush

or a slightly damp sponge to remove any dust. If there is any chance of your piece of pottery

having grease on it, including grease from fingerprints, clean it thoroughly with mild dish soap to

remove the grease. Then, rinse the pottery thoroughly to remove the soap. Let the pot dry

completely before applying your glaze.

Dampen Dry Pottery Dry pottery can lead to

overly think glazes that can

run. Also, if your piece of

pottery is too dry, the raw

glaze will stick too quickly,

which will result in an

uneven glaze. Just before

glazing, dampen the

pottery’s surface with a

damp sponge. Make sure

the sponge is not dripping

wet. If possible, use

distilled water. Using

distilled water reduces the

amount of trace minerals

(such as ironand calcium)

to the pottery’s surface.

Use Clean Tools You want to use clean tools that are free from dust. Dust can become trapped beneath your glaze

and leave an unsightly bubble. Consider all tools you will be using during the glazing process,

such as mixing tools, brushes, bowls or cups to hold the glaze, and of course, your hands.

Glazing Safety Tips

Avoid having food or drinks anywhere near your workspace

Avoid allowing small children or pets to be near your workspace

Wear an apron or smock

Avoid putting your fingers on or near your face or any open wounds as glaze dust may

contain hazardous materials.

Keep your workspace clean and free of dust.

Figure 3.3: Example of a clean workspace

Chapter Three - Glazing Your Ceramic 13

Making your glaze

Materials and Tools Needed

Transparent glaze powder (available at ceramic supply shops)

Color pigment of your choice (available at ceramic supply shops)

A sieve with a small mesh

Water

Measuring cup

Bowl for mixing

Container with lid for storing

Protective mask (optional)

Small painting brush

Spoon

Paper

Gram scale

Mixing Process

1. Weigh 100g of transparent glaze

powder on paper.

2. Transfer the 100g of glaze powder into

the mixing bowl.

3. Measure 3 to 5 grams of pigment on

paper. Use more pigment for a darker

color. *rmg0128

4. Transfer pigment into the mixing

bowl.

5. Add 200mL of water to the mixing

bowl.

6. Mix ingredients.

7. Put glaze mixture through the sieve

into storage container.

8. Use brush to push glaze mixture

through sieve.

9. If necessary, run the mixture through the sieve a second time.

* For every 100g of glaze powder, add 3 to 5 grams of pigment

Figure 3.4: Materials needed to create glaze

Figure 3.5: The mixing process


Glazing Technique

Dip Glaze Technique There are two different effects you can achieve by using a dip glaze: the drip effect or the solid

color. For this type of glaze you will need a bowl or container large enough to fit your piece of

pottery without touching any of the edges and dipping tongs.

For a Solid Color

1. Pour glaze mixture into the bowl or container.

2. If you do not have enough glaze mixture to fill the bowl or container, make more.

3. Make sure not to fill the bowl or container to the top because when you put your piece of

pottery in, the level of glaze will rise.

4. Using dipping tongs, hold your piece of pottery with the opening facing up.

5. Using a single, fluid motion, lower the piece completely into the glaze, without allowing

the piece to touch the bowl.

6. Hold your piece in the glaze, keeping it level, for about 3 seconds.

7. If you wish to give your piece a more textured surface, leave the piece in the glaze for

about 7 seconds more.

8. Pull your piece straight up, out of the glaze mixture.

9. While still holding your piece opening down, quickly rotate it, as if you were opening a

screw-top lid, to remove any excess glaze.

10. Turn the piece right side up.

11. Set piece aside to dry.

12. Allow piece to dry for a day before firing.

For a Drip Effect

1. Choose the glaze mixture you wish to apply to the base or bottom of your piece of

pottery.

2. Pour the glaze mixture into a bowl or container large enough so that your piece fits nicely

inside of it.

3. If you do not have enough glaze mixture to fill the bowl or container, make more.

4. Make sure not to fill the bowl or container to the top because when you put your piece of

pottery in, the level of glaze will rise.

5. Using dipping tongs, hold your piece of pottery with the opening facing up.

6. Using a single, fluid motion, lower the piece two-thirds to three-quarters of the way into

the glaze, without allowing the piece to touch the bowl.


8. Pull your piece straight up, out of the glaze mixture.

Chapter Three - Glazing Your Ceramic 15

9. While still holding your piece opening down, quickly rotate it, as if you were opening a

screw-top lid, to remove any excess glaze.

10. Set piece aside so you can pour your second glaze mixture into a clean bowl or container.

11. Using dipping tongs, hold your piece of pottery with the opening facing down.

12. Using a single, fluid motion, lower the piece into the glaze until the first glaze touches the

new glaze.

13. It is okay if the glazes slightly overlap.


15. Pull our piece straight up, out of the glaze mixture.

16. Turn the piece upright quickly without removing any excess.

17. Set the piece of pottery on a clean surface so the glaze can run down the side.

18. Allow the piece of pottery to dry for a day before firing.

Brush Glaze Technique Brush glazing allows you to detail your piece of pottery. You can also use a single color and use

a brush to create texture on your piece of pottery. For this type of glaze, you will need a small

bowl to hold your glaze (your piece of pottery will not need to fit inside), pottery paint if you

want to detail your piece, a small bowl to hold your decorative pottery paint, and a couple of

brushes. You can choose any size of brush depending on what kind of texture you want. For

example, if you want a course texture, choose a larger brush. If you want a fine texture, use a

smaller brush. For detailing, use a small brush as well.

For a Solid Color with Texture

1. Pour glaze mixture into a small bowl.

2. Place your piece of pottery upright on a flat working surface.

3. Using your brush, coat the entire piece of pottery with the glaze mixture. The bottom of

the base will not be coated.

4. Give your piece of pottery a second coat.

5. Let your piece sit for about 5 minutes.

6. Choose the places on your piece that you would like to texture.

7. Brush the glaze onto the piece in the direction you would like your texture to run.

8. Repeat brushing your glaze in the same direction until there is a thick coat on your piece.

Avoid making the glaze too thick because it will run. You should be able to see your

texture.

9. Let your piece of pottery dry for a day before glaze firing.

For Detailed Designs

1. Pour glaze mixture into a small bowl.

2. Place your piece of pottery upright on a flat working surface.


3. Using your brush, coat the entire piece of pottery with the glaze mixture. The bottom of

the base will not be coated.

4. Give your piece of pottery a second coat.

5. Let your piece sit for about 5 minutes.

6. Pour a small amount of decorative pottery paint into a clean small bowl.

7. Use a small brush to decorate your piece of pottery.

8. Let your detailed designs dry for about 20 minutes.

9. Give your piece of pottery another even coat of glaze.

10. Let your piece of pottery dry for a day before glaze firing.

Chapter Four – Glaze Firing 17

Chapter Four - Glaze Firing This step in the firing process follows the glazing process, after your piece is completely dry. To

prevent problems in the glaze firing process, avoid allowing pieces to touch and avoid stacking

pieces as the glaze could run and fuse the pieces together.

1. Confirm pieces have completely dried after the glazing process.

2. Group your dried ceramics together for firing according to similar height and size.

3. Place the primary posts inside the kiln according to your desired shelving layout. The

initial posts should be slightly taller than the height of the tallest piece of pottery per

layer.

4. Place your previously grouped

pieces inside the kiln, around

the supports. In this phase,

pieces cannot be touching nor

stacked within each other or the

glaze will fuse pieces, bonding

them together.

5. Place shelves on top of the

support posts and above your

pieces. Keep in mind thicker

pieces and denser glaze types

should be closer to the bottom

of the kiln, as this is the hottest

area. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until

you have completed loading

the kiln with your pieces (see

Figure 2).

6. Fire the kiln according to the

required time and temperature

for the glaze. Generally, the

firing temperature is

approximately 2300 degrees

Fahrenheit for an average of 18

hours.

7. Leave the completed pieces

inside the kiln and allow the

kiln to cool for approximately

2-3 days before removing them.

Figure 4.1: Ceramic pieces in the kiln for glaze firing

A Beginner s Guide to Ceramic Pottery - Weebly

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