Purpose: To learn about how to shape and texture clay; to learn how to glaze and underglaze.
When it comes to clay construction, I learned about shaping, smoothing, and texturing. When the clay is first taken from the bag, it’s very soft and wet and hard to make a smooth shap out of without accidentally smushing it. I learned that it’s helpful to wait a day or so before totally smoothing it or calling it done. That’s when it gets a bit harder and easier to shape and smooth without mis-shaping other parts of it. Texturing is also easier at that stage because you don’t have to be as careful with the pressure you’re using.
I learned how to use both underglaze and regular glaze when glazing my bird. First, I learned that with underglaze you can brush it over a spot with texture, then wipe it away with a wet sponge. That way, the only colored part left will be the indented spots. I thought that that was cool. I was also surprised that while regular glaze will stick to whatever it is fired on, underglaze doesn’t melt and stick to anything. You have to be careful with regular glaze, because when you fire it, it drips down the side. It can be helpful to add more glaze on the top than bottom so that the colors are just as vibrant all around. You also have to be careful to wipe the bottom os it doesn’t stick to anything, like I mentioned.