The Ceramic Process

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

What are the 8 required steps in making ceramic artwork?

THE 8 REQUIRED STEPS

STEP ONE: PREPARE THE CLAY (or buy it!)

In the past artists used to dig the clay out of the earth in order to have good clay to work with. Today we buy clay from a local supplier here in Albuquerque. When we get clay out of the bag it is ready to use, but we will also be using recycled clay.

In the Classroom we recycle clay as a whole group.

Bins under the glaze counter and wedging table are used to place clay is too wet or dry and needs to be recycled. The clay from these bins are then put into the clay mixer, mixed up, and then placed in tubs for you students to use. These tubs are labeled "good clay". This clay is ready for students to grab, wedge, and use. When taking clay out of the bins, make sure to replace the lid so that the clay stays the right consistency.

TYPES OF CLAY

1) Earthenware- Most common and great for throwing (this is what we use)

2) Bone China- Difficult to work with and used for casting

3) Stoneware- Great for throwing and hand building

4) Porcelain- Whitest clay

5) Dark Stoneware- Red clay mixed with black stain

STEP TWO: WEDGE THE CLAY

Clay that has been recycled needs to be wedged. Wedging mixes the soft and hard spots in the clay and makes it easier to use. To wedge you push and roll the clay toward you like this:

Why we wedge:

Wedging makes the clay more pliable (plastic)
ensures a uniform consistency
removes air pockets
removes small hard spots in the clay before you use or reuse the clay for a project.

In the beginning it is very common to actually add air to the clay instead of remove it.

STEP THREE: FORM THE CLAY

To create pottery or sculpture out of clay we use many techniques, but the basic ways of building are pinching, coiling, slab construction, and using the wheel. We will be using the first three techniques over the course of the year. An artwork can be made by using one of these techniques or a combination of them.

When working on an artwork, always wrap your pieces with plastic to keep them soft.

In the classroom, make sure to write your name with a sharpie on your plastic. Do not remove the plastic from another's artwork and do not touch it if it is not yours. Your work needs to be stored on your period's shelf in the area that matches your table color.

Slab

Coil

Pinch

Wheel

STEP FOUR: LEATHER-HARD CLAY

As the pieces you make dry the clay will get stiffer and will allow you to carve it and use additional techniques. Leather hard clay will not bend as well as fresh clay but is easier to get smooth and apply your finishing touches. Make sure to put your FULL NAME and period on the bottom of your piece at this stage of the process.

This clay body is lighter than the one we use. When our clay dries and becomes bone dry, it turns light grey.

STEP FIVE: BONE DRY CLAY

When your ceramic work has lost all of its moisture it is considered Bone Dry. Bone dry clay cannot be combined with wet clay because they will not stick together, so make sure that your piece is exactly how you want it before you let it dry out.

Once your work is finished… double check that your name is on the bottom and turn it in with your grade sheet on the counter for your class.

If your name is not on the piece I will place it on the “reject greenware” shelf and it will not be fired until there is a name.

STEP SIX: BISQUE FIRE

When your pieces are put into the kiln for the first time it is called a bisque firing. During a bisque firing your pieces will be heated up to about 1800 degrees. This process will harden your pieces so that they are less fragile and will not dissolve in water. Your pieces will also be porous which will allow the glazes to stick when applying them to the surface of your piece. As the ware goes thorough this process the clay will shrink (10-15%.)

Now it is Bisqueware.

STEP SEVEN: GLAZE YOUR WORK

After your pieces have been bisque fired they are ready to glaze. You can think of glaze as liquid powdered glass and it is very different from paint. Once glaze is fired it will change color and become a glasslike surface on your pieces and seals them. Look at the back wall in the glaze area to see the different glazes we have in the studio.

There are many different techniques used to glaze your pieces and once we are back in the classroom, you will learn about them. Once you are done glazing make sure the bottom is cleaned off and put it on the rack labeled “glazeware.” If the bottom is not clean I will not fire it and I will put it on the “reject glazeware” shelf.

STEP EIGHT: GLAZE FIRE

Once your piece is placed on the glazeware shelf I will load it into the kiln for firing. Remember… if the bottom is not clean I will not fire it and I will put it on the “reject glazeware shelf.” I will fire your pieces up to about 1900 degrees which will turn the glaze into glass and will “vitrify” your pieces. Vitrify is the process of turning ceramics into a stone-like non porous state by using heat. Once out of the glaze firing there is little we can do to change the appearance of your piece. Your piece is now Glazeware.

REVIEW

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