Hand-Built Ceramics by Linda Fahey

All levels | 1 hour 55 min

Taught by Linda Fahey

For many aspiring potters, the most daunting task is setting up a home studio. Linda Fahey shows you just how easy it is to get your workspace set up and provides options for more minimalist makers. Once your studio is set up, learn how to prep your clay and make slip, then you’re ready to start hand-building pots. Linda demonstrates three hand-building methods: pinch pots, coiled forms, and slab-built forms. When you’re done making pots, learn how to properly store them for the next stage.

Learn how to:

Set up a home studio
Wedge clay and make slip
Make vessels using pinching technique, coils, and slabs
Clean up your pots and refine their shape
Store finished pots and clean up space

Chapters

Series Overview01:19

Pinch Pot, Slab, and Coil Forms
Part 1 Overview00:50
Materials02:08

Getting Started
Setting up a home studio and understanding clay02:29

Working With Clay
Wedging clay and making slip06:02

Creating Forms: Pots
Pinch pot07:57
Coiled pot13:42
Slab pots11:24

Clean Up
Cleaning up and refining12:46
Storage and final clean up06:55

Materials

Here’s what you’ll need:

25lb bag of clay (Linda suggests B-Mix cone 5/6 midfire with sand)

Sponge

Wire tool

3 ribs (serrated, non-serrated, and rubber)

Dust mask

Small utility knife

Scraping tool

Smoothing tool

Rasp

Rolling pin or PVC pipe

Thin sheets of plastic (dry-cleaning plastic is ideal)

Spray bottle

Sealable containers with lids

Two ¼” wooden dowels

Wet towel

3" biscuit cutter

Rinse bucket

Small slip brush

Apron (optional)

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Discussion

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Transcript

Hand-Built Ceramics

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Part 1:

Hand-Built Ceramics: Pinch Pot, Slab, and Coil Forms

Linda Fahey

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Part 2:

Hand-Built Ceramics: Creating and Attaching Handles

Linda Fahey

Now that you know how to make vessels using the three basic techniques (pinch, coil and slab), transform your pots into functional cups by adding handles. Linda shows you how to form and shape handles from coils and then trim them to fit the style and shape of your cup. You’ll learn how to attach the handles using a scoring and slip method to create three stylish versions.

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Part 3:

Hand-Built Ceramics: Introduction to Glazing

Linda Fahey

Now that you have created your beautiful ceramic pieces, it’s time to learn how to glaze and finish them. Linda shows two methods for applying glaze—brushing and dipping—and also talks about the variations in color that can occur with different clay bodies. Once you know how to successfully apply glaze, you'll be ready to experiment with color and glazing on your own.

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