Does Clay Shrink when Fired

Does Clay Shrink When Fired?

If you are new to pottery and you have just had your first piece or pieces of pottery fired, you may have noticed that they are quite a bit smaller when they come out of the kiln than when they went in.  You may have found yourself wondering why does clay shrink when fired? For…
What are Cones in Pottery

What are Cones in Pottery?

When you hear people referring to the temperature that they are firing their kiln to, you will probably hear them talking about using cones, or perhaps firing ‘to a cone’, of a particular number.  This may have left you wondering, what are cones in Pottery?  In this article, I look at that question… Cones are…
What is Bisque in Pottery

What is Bisque in Pottery?

During the process of producing a piece of pottery, the clay goes through different stages, and in one of those stages, the clay is called bisqueware.  So, what is bisque in pottery? And why is it important? Bisque pottery has been fired once but has not been glazed.  Usually, pottery is fired twice.  The first…
what is slip in pottery

What is Slip in Pottery? – More Versatile Than You Think!

I have used clay slip often before whilst making sculptures to stick pieces of clay together, but a potter mentioned to me recently that slip has many uses.  So, I did a little research and this is what I have found out about the other uses of slip in pottery. Slip consists of clay particles…
The difference between ceramics and pottery

What is the Difference Between Pottery and Ceramics?

The number of different terms in the pottery world can feel overwhelming, so I wanted to start out by looking at the question what is the difference between pottery and ceramics? Ceramics are made out of inorganic and non-metallic substances that become insoluble when heated.  Unlike pottery, not all ceramics are made of clay.  Also,…