Introduction
Taking a course in throwing on a pottery wheel is without a doubt one of the most satisfying ceramics that allows a person to form enticing and utilitarian products from lumps of amorphous masses of clay. However, it may be overpowering especially for new learners to know the required methods of centering the clay and forming flawless, seamless vessels without cracks. This guide will take you from complete raw beginner all the way through to getting started in wheel throwing.
Choosing the Right Clay
The type of clay you choose will be critical in deciding how your pottery will look and how long it will last. For just starting out, here are some good clay choices:
- Stoneware Clay – Coarse clay used for making functional items that are left raw or finished in bright glazes. Stronger, denser than earthenware clares. Good for mugs, bowls, plates.
- Earthenware Clay – Baked at comparatively lower temperatures than stoneware and is characterized by high porosity level. Often glazed. They are leaner, best suited to handling slightly lighter and more fragile pieces of jewelry.
- Porcelain – This is an extremely sweet clay that turns to glass like substance when fired to high temperatures. It can be somewhat challenging for beginners, though provides excellent result when used for translucent effects.
Raw material clays should contain small particles to prevent them from cracking up when drying and also during the firing process. But for water filtration clay of a smooth and pugged nature free from grog or other fillers should be sought. Purchase packaged clay as opposed to powdered clay that you have to compound on your own.
Basic Rim-On Clay Tools
To learn pottery throwing on the wheel you don’t have to purchase thousands of dollars worth of pottery making equipment. Here are some wheel throwing tool basics:
- Pottery Wheel – It is suitable to select a wheel which is operational on electricity and has option of speed control. In the typical league new to the system, you will want to take it easy at first.
- Bats – Smooth plaster or wooden surfaces you glue clay and then throw. Help to center and lift.
- Fettling Knife – A soft steel knife used in carving and trimming clay material. Get one with a slight bend.
- Ribs – Varying and smooth thickness metal or wood used for shaping and smoothening the clay walls. The one set is helpful for people who have no to little experience with handling a specific breed.
- Clay tools – cellulose sponges used in shaping and handling clay to keep hands clean and clay moist.
- Needle Tool – Used in making punctures and better engravings. Needed for fitting handles and so on.
- Wire Tool – A stretched, thin wire of metal for slashing the clay off the wheel head with ease.
But of course you can always add more specialized tools later! But these will get you started.
Designing Your Wheel Throwing Studio
To make learning wheel throwing as easy as possible, set up your studio space properly:
- Wheel Location – Put your wheel on a stable table or stand and ensure that you are near an electrical socket. Avoid bumpy floors.
- Throwing – Make sure the lighting on your throwing area is perfect with a stand lamp or main room light. The direction of the natural light and especially the shade it casts can make it difficult to determine the right shade of clay color.
- Accessibility – Ensure there is enough space around your wheel where you can sit or stand for throwing adequately. It is enclosed enough that you have to be able to walk around it completely.
- Clay Storage – Since clay is known to dry up, it is important that clay is stored in an air tight bag or a container. A great choice is an old bucket with a tight cover or simply any kind of bucket with a tight lid.
- Tool Location – There are nearby shelves or table or a table on a cart close enough so you don’t have to search for the appropriate tool while throwing.
- Water – There should be a big container with tap water that you should have at room temperature for use in dampening the clay. Refresh it frequently.
Understood, therefore, with the characteristic basics of getting centered explored, you are ready to go ‘get centering’!
Stability is the most fundamental competence on which good wheel throwing ought to be based. Having one’s clay well-centered will yield well-proportioned vessels well after shaping them. Follow these steps when first learning:
1. Cone and Prepare Clay
Knead to remove air from the clay balls and then shape into a 2-3 pound cone or baseball-sized ball. Spare water on the wheel head. Safely secure a bat if one is to be used.
2. Secure Clay on Wheel
With your fingers, press the clay gently down towards in the middle of the wheel head. Press with equal intensity as you gradually move the wheel gradually in its spiral motions.
3. Find Center While Spinning
Once wheel is spinning, place the hands around the clay and apply slight pressure to it. Allow it to stretch equally in between fingers, then concentrate to the centre.
4. Form a Concave Round Shape
Formation of flat concave circle out of the clay with the walls of the equal thickness and width. Use rib tools to add and shave or smoothen.
5. Stop the Wheel And Check Center
Stop the wheel to view it in a lateral way of thinking. Knead it well and pat it slightly to make sure it is equally compact. If at any point you find that your reasoning is off its focus, reorient yourself before continuing, of course.
If you practice enough you will always be able to center clay to the exact position. However, be sure to have many wobbling items in the children at first. Just keep trying.
Once you’ve developed solid centering abilities, it’s time to practice throwing actual vessels:
- Cylinders – The simplest wheel thrown form. After the following of centering steps, one is able to use ribs to shape the walls straight up and down and avoid use of thinner or thicker section. Wire tool should be used to score through the bottom of the wheel at completion. This develops key techniques.
- Bowl Shaping – When clay is centered at the wheel, pushed a thumb downwards towards the bottom, while pulling a rib in the beds upward and outward. The bowl has to become wider as walls get thinner. Triming of foot ring has to be done with needle tool before it can be cut off from the wheel using wire.
Wares with straight, thin walls and a flattish and smooth base should be given initial priority in this case. Even simple heights and widths takes a lot of practice also though mastering.
It is alright when pieces fail at first! Here is how to tackle problems beginners frequently face:
- Clay shrinking – Most often due to a lack of central support or when the walls of the structure have been expanded and not reinforced enough. Reduce speed during thinning of walls on the next try.
- There is also uneven sometimes shaky forms – The clay should always be perfectly centered before an attempt to make a vessel. This is an area that people should NEVER attempt to hurry!
- Cracks while the ware is drying – allow wares to dry slowly. Wrap in plastic if needed. No exposure to direct sunlight, draughts, heat, cold or any temperature or breeze change or low humidity.
- Bat handling pots burning through bat – Prevent with water, or canvas or slip. If this happens, try to freeze the pot so that the latter detaches from the bottom.
- Floors too thick/thin – This uneven thickness is corrected with ribs and needle tools while shaping the bottom shape of the piece.
On the learning curve, don’t be too hard on yourself. But to get really sharp at wheel throwing one has to use a wheel quite frequently. But equally great pride is received when he tries to make it a little better each time.
What to do After Learning Basic Moves
Once you conquer centering clay and basic vessels, there’s a whole new world of wheel throwing possibilities to explore:
- Throwing lidded jars – it is added to throw a lid that fits thrown vessels. Be proficient in size matching processes to find the better size matching.
- Through the concept of using templates – Toss pairs of plates, bowls, etc if the dimensions are the same.
- Throwing handles – Master attached slab handles, pulled handles or coil handles for mugs and jar.
- Learning New Forms – Attempt more advanced ones such as teapots, vases, pitchers or covered casserole dishes.
- Other Throwing methods- Some of them are throwing little facets, throwing off the hump, or even throwing different parts that can then be assembled.
- Decoration from surface – From carving designs on clay to using slips and glazes: the possibilities of designing are numerous.
What is important is to start small and allow the skills to build up progressively. There are few things that can make one as glorious as the feeling which comes with shaping beautiful ceramics on a potter’s wheel. As you engage yourself into the first couple of sessions of learning, you will acquire sufficient skill to learn how to sculpt ugly lumps into items you will enjoy for several years.