Introduction to Pottery - Throwing, Firing, Glazing
The Introduction to Pottery is a twelve week course which introduces you to the essential pottery skills, with a focus on working on the wheel.
The groups are small (<8) allowing plenty of individual attention to each student.
You should complete the course with several small pieces finished.
The course fee is inclusive of all materials except a small charge for firing.
Throwing (working on the pottery wheel) is not only a practical skill requiring full concentration but also a meditative process which activates the feel-good system in your brain. This is a skill anyone can learn through practice and good tuition.
Completion of the 12 week course will provide a good all-round grounding to enable you to confidently throw and turn cylinders, bowls and plates. On completing the Introduction course, you can continue to the Intermediate course the following term.
Throwing is the process of using the potter’s wheel to make pots from a lump of clay.
Turning is the process of trimming off excess clay and giving the pot its final shape.
12-Week Introduction Course Structure
Throwing for beginners
studio etiquette and health and safety
preparing and recycling the clay
wedging
controlling the wheel; how to centre, cone, and pull up the clay
using tools to throw a pot
making a cylinder, a bowl and a plate
blindfold throwing exercise
how to turn / trim a pot
Glazing and Project Work
how to glaze a pot using brush-on glazes
project work
a raku glazing session
Each class commences with the preparation of sufficient clay for the session, followed by a tutor demonstration. The students will then have supervised wheel practice. The final 15 mins will be cleaning up the wheel, the tools, the floor, mirror and work surfaces.
This is a practical hands on course in which the student will develop confidence using the potters wheel with close supervision from a tutor who is an experienced thrower