Use your clay wisely and save all your scraps. Think of it like a budget that you should not "spend" or use all on one project.
ALWAYS twist tie your back of clay closed.
ALWAYS vacate the air out of your clay bag when sealing the bag up.
NEVER leave your bag open when working on other things. Think of it like food that can spoil, and in this case, your clay can dry out and become difficult to work with.
NEVER store have your clay bag sit in the sun or store it where it takes direct sunlight.
Be aware of getting holes in your bag. A small hole draws in air and can dry your clay out significantly. Tape up any holes you may encounter.
DO NOT "yank" or "claw" clay from your bag. Use your wire cutting tool.
Mist your clay scraps and place them back in your bag.
New clay is good clay: ready to use out of the bag. Don’t wad it up or you will add air. Air+heat=bomb
Or you could be the one whose work explodes in the kiln, destroying your work, others' work, and even the kiln.
It's one of the worst mistakes you can make here in our Ceramics class!!!
Pay attention to the weather to help you manage the drying process. (High barometer, humidity, rain, low temp = longer wet stage; dry weather, Santa Ana winds, hot weather=faster drying clay body.)
Vacate the air in your plastic bag to keep your work wetter for longer. Leave air in or leave part of the bag open to allow some air to dry your work partially.
When coil building, smoothen all coils before stopping for the day. Place a damp paper towel over the lip of your piece where you intend to continue coiling.
To dry out faster, leave uncovered. Or leave bottom on wood surface/exposed.
Use spray bottle to add moisture to your work during construction and during storage.
Wrap in plastic and try to remove air to preserve moisture.
Drying techniques: heat guns, blow dryer, sunshine.
When your work is finished, let it dry out and turn "bone dry."
When to sculpt, shape, and mold clay
When is best to carve
Tool usage
When you can fasten two pieces of clay that are not in the same stage