Clay is one of nature’s most incredible building blocks. You can make almost anything out of clay. It is very versatile and once you grasp a few key ceramic techniques, you can make almost anything. If you are learning how to work with clay, here are some of the most important ceramic techniques to try…
The potter’s wheel as we know it today has been on a long journey over 1000’s of years. It has developed from the most basic form of rotating device to the electrical pottery wheels, most potters use now. But exactly how and where did these changes take place, and what exactly is the potter’s wheel…
An experienced potter can make throwing pottery on a wheel look effortless. But what is going on when pottery is being made on the wheel, and exactly how does a pottery wheel work? This post takes a look at how pottery is thrown, and how a pottery wheel works. A pottery wheel has a circular…
I recently decided to make a set of dinner plates on my pottery wheel. They turned out quite nicely, but as they dried the dreaded S crack appeared in a lot of them. It got me frantically researching what causes S cracks in pottery and what I could do to prevent them. This is what…
Learning how to use a pottery wheel takes practice. Perhaps you are new to pottery, or maybe you want to practice your wheel throwing. Either way, you are probably wondering how to find a pottery wheel near me. It’s also possible that you would like to try pottery as a hobby. But you want to…
Pottery for beginners can be very exciting. It can also feel a bit overwhelming. It can seem like there is a lot to learn. And like most hobbies, the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. But pottery is really just about making things out of mud! All you really need to…
If you’re new to pottery, you may have the term throwing on the wheel, and wondered, ‘what is wheel throwing’? It’s a curious phrase and open to some misunderstanding. So, this article is all about wheel throwing and what it means. Wheel throwing pottery is the process of shaping clay on the pottery wheel. Throwing…
When I started to make pottery from home, I really just made it up as I went along. En route, I encountered a few practical issues that I had not anticipated. So, I thought it would be helpful to write a simple guide on how to make pottery at home. To help you avoid some…
The first time I saw marbled clay I was intrigued and I wanted to know how it was done. It’s a beautiful way of blending colors on your pottery. So, I wanted to write about the different ways you can make marbled pottery. It’s really pretty simple. You can marble pottery by coloring the clay…
Many people value the aesthetic value of wheel heads. As such, people dedicate their time and resources towards wheel head maintenance. But wheel heads are still prone to corrosion. Perhaps this has left you wondering why has my wheel head corroded on my pottery wheel despite regular maintenance. This article demystifies the causes of wheel…
So, you’ve just thrown your first pot on the wheel and you are feeling proud. But how on earth do you get it off the wheel without squashing it? This post is all about how to remove a pot from the wheel without damaging your pottery. To remove a pot from the wheel, tidy up…
The benefit of air dry clay is that it doesn’t need to be fired in a pottery kiln. But can you use air dry clay on a potter’s wheel? Or are you better off using it for hand building? Some air dry clays are made out of materials that feel and behave like plastic. These…