Intro to Clay

Service Description

A great starting place for an intense 6-week course where students are introduced to throwing on the wheel, trimming work, surface design techniques, glazing, and a week of hand-building that can be used to incorporate into wheelwork or on its own. Class includes all fees including: clay 25lbs, firing and glazing Week 1: Throwing & Studio Basics - Introductions, studio policies, and tour. - Overview of the 6-week timeline (wet work ends week 4, all pieces up by week 5). - Demonstration: basic wheel throwing techniques. - Students label boards with initials. - Cleaning demo—why it matters & how to properly clean tools/workspace. Week 2: Trimming, Basic Shaping & More Throwing - Understanding clay stages: wet, leather hard, bone dry. - Trimming demo: centering, assessing thickness, creating foot rings. - Review throwing techniques & shaping methods. - Introduce wedging if not covered in Week 1. Week 3: Refinement & Handles - Encourage students to finish pieces progressively (not all at once in Week 5). - Demo on narrowing necks/tapering forms. - Introduction to coil & slab handles, scoring & slipping. Week 4: Hand-building & Surface Design - Final wet work session—students explore handbuilding. - Demo on slab rolling, pinch pots, and coil construction. - Introduction to underglaze application & carving. - Basic glazing demo (dipping, wax resist, mixing glaze). Week 5: Final Trimming & Glazing - All pieces must be on the greenware rack by the end of class. - Final trimming & surface design review. - First glazing opportunity—students should glaze at least one piece. Week 6: Glazing Techniques - Overview of glaze application and how it moves in the kiln. - Demos on dipping, pouring, brushing, layering, and wax decoration.