Teaching myself a new technique - Pottery
Being asked to 'try a new technique' over the summer holiday for a university project, completely baffled me. I had no idea what to try, but I knew I wanted to steer well away from anything I had ever done before. So somehow, no idea how or why the thought of 'Pottery' popped into my head and I stuck with it. I wanted to create something original within this technique and not your typical 'pot'.
Although I've never been the brightest spark with following written instructions, I have attempted to write my own on how I pottered!
Materials needed:
Scolaclay (to create pot) Beware the stuff stains!
- £3.29 per kg at the Craft Mill http://www.craftmill.co.uk/scola-air-drying-modelling-clay
- Around £4-£5 in B&Q http://www.diy.com/nav/decor/tiles/adhesives-sealants/adhesives/-specificproducttype-loctite/Loctite-Super-Glue-Ultra-Gel-Control-10548887?skuId=11039419
A plastic tray (as a surface to mold on) The clay can become quite sticky, so a surface such as plastic or glass is best! Mine was already in the kitchen cupboard, but if you don't have one they're always available in your local superstore.
- 97p in ASDA http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estore/search/searchcontainer.jsp?trailSize=1&searchString=plastic+tray&domainName=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=191069
A thin tool - To calve with, I used a steak knife! But it could be anything from a pencil or the end of a paint brush!
Water - This gives the clay more life and easier to kneed.
- Available from your kitchen sink!
Embellishments, Paints etc, if you want to decorate your pottery.
How to:
Step 1:
First of all, cut off a reasonable amount of clay from the block. Bearing in mind the clay is pretty tough, so you will need something reasonably sharp and sturdy!
Step 2:
Start kneading the clay with a little added water, until it is soft enough to mold. (This can take around 10-15 minutes).
Step 3:Once the clay is soft enough, mold what you wish. A thing to consider when molding is the density of the clay, as when it dries there is more of a chance of the pottery cracking and breaking, because it is not thick enough to be held together.
Step 4:Once you have finished molding, place your creations on a plastic or glass surface again and store them somewhere cool and airy to set. This usually takes between 1 and 2 days depending on the temperature of the room.
If you wish to decorate your pieces, use what ever you like; but be careful of how fragile your piece is. As I made a mistake and was too rough with mine, which left me with a piece broken off.
To paint my 'leaf', I used a make-up powder brush as the hairs are a lot finer and softer. Only brushing lightly over the top, left the paint revealing the detail in the pot which is what I intended to do.
Here are my finished pieces from the learning of my new technique 'Pottery':
Overall, I am quite pleased with the final outcome of my pottery, as I had never experienced in working with clay before. I enjoyed learning this new technique and I think it would be interesting to further my knowledge and make more creations with clay.
