How Do You Make Pottery?
Making pottery is a process that requires time, patience and a lot of practice. But once you get the hang of it, it can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are the basics of how to make pottery.
1. Choose a pottery wheel. There are two types of pottery wheels: electric and kick. Electric wheels are powered by electricity and are more expensive, but they are also more convenient and easier to use. Kick wheels are powered by your foot and are more affordable, but they require more effort to use.
2. Choose a clay body. There are many different types of clay, each with its own properties. Talk to a pottery expert to find the right clay for your project.
3. Condition the clay. Conditioning clay makes it more pliable and easier to work with. There are several ways to condition clay, but the most common is to simply knead it with your hands.
4. Make a ball of clay. Once the clay is conditioned, use your hands to form it into a ball.
5. Center the clay. Place the ball of clay on the pottery wheel and use your hands to press it down into the center.
6. Wet the clay. Use a sponge or spray bottle to wet the clay. This will help to keep it from sticking to your hands and the wheel.
7. Start the wheel. Slowly start the wheel spinning. As it spins, use your hands to shape the clay into a cylinder.
8. Open the clay. Once the clay is shaped into a cylinder, use your thumbs to open up the middle.
9. Pull up the clay. Use your hands to pull the clay up from the center, making it taller.
10. Shape the clay. Use your hands to shape the clay into whatever form you desire.
11. Trim the clay. Once you are happy with the shape of the clay, use a knife or wire to trim off any excess.
12. Let the clay dry. Place the clay piece in a warm, dry place to let it dry. This could take a few hours or a few days, depending on the thickness of the clay.
13. bisque the clay. Once the clay is dry, it needs to be bisque fired. This process hardens the clay so that it can be glazed.
14. Glaze the clay. Once the clay is bisque fired, it is ready to be glazed. Choose a glaze and apply it to the clay piece.
15. Glaze firing. The final step is to glaze fire the piece. This will set the glaze and make the piece food and water safe.
