Pottery is the art of making ceramic objects out of clay. This activity is very popular worldwide. Pottery is considered as a positive hobby that can make the mind calmer and reduce stress. It is not only fun, but also good for mental health.
Ever thought of engaging yourself in a fun hobby like pottery? Calm down, it’s not difficult at all! In fact, you can even make your own pottery at home. How is it possible you ask? Here is an easy way to make your own pottery work for beginners:
Prepare Clay
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Nowadays, special clay for pottery is widely available and is very easy to obtain. Apart from being sold online, you can also find it in a hobby equipment specialty shop. For beginners, here is the content of pottery clay you need to know:
- Plasticity (easily formed)
- Fusibility (easily melted)
- Quartz (made from sand raw material)
Make sure the clay you buy contains these three things, because they are important for the quality of your ceramic products.
Prepare Equipment for Making Ceramics
You can buy the tools for making pottery in pottery shops. These tools are also easily available online, all thanks to the amazing technological advancements. Here is a list of pottery making equipment that you will require:
- Round wood/grinder which is useful for making slabs.
- Turntable to make circular or cylindrical ceramics.
- Rope cutter for cutting clay
- Molds are made from casts.
- Clay sculpting tools for clay formation.
- Chisel blades to make decorations on ceramics.
- Wired and wooden modelling tool for carving ornaments when the pottery is still wet.
- Furnaces for burning dry or glazed ceramics.
Choose Pottery Techniques that Suit Your Needs and Desires
There are several basic techniques for pottery which are very easy to practice and also suitable for those of you who have just started learning the art of pottery. Following are some basic technique that you can use for your first pottery project:
1. Slab Technique
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This technique of forming ceramics uses rollers to throw clay and create square or cylindrical ceramics. How to do it:
- Roll plates using cylindrical molds.
- Cut off excess soil with the wired modelling tool.
- Flatten the ground and give a circle as a base.
- Connect 3 sides of the plate with soil glue.
- Add the other side and unite it in the same way.
- Take the square shape carefully with the wired tool.
2. Print Technique
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This technique is the easiest to follow and can be used for large size production. Here’s how to do it:
- Press the ground into the cast mold.
- The level of the molded land uses soil.
- Save the shape using a toothpick.
- Pour the liquid soil into the mold.
- Allow a few minutes, then pour the remaining liquid soil from the mold.
- Turn the mold and clean the remaining liquid soil.
- Waste remaining land that is not needed.
- Remove the mold from the ground.
- Touch the printed material with the wired tool.
Drying
This is the process of removing plastic water from a ceramic body. This step is important to keep the shape of the ceramic that will be burned so that it does not shrink and crack.
Classification
This is the stage of coating the clay with glaze by dipping, pouring, spraying, or brushing before burning. Glaze serves to add beauty to ceramics and is more waterproof.
Burning
This is the process of making clay that you have formed into solid and hard and also the last process in pottery. Burn the furnace with a high temperature. This process is the most important as incomplete combustion will damage the clay.
Read Also : 6 Pottery Techniques that Beginners Must Try Their Hand At