Getting Started in Ceramics
How to Get Started.
Most people get started in ceramics through a class in
their community. However, some
study ceramics in a college setting, and some are completely self-taught.
There are many excellent books and videotapes to help you along, but
there is no substitute for actually watching somebody do it and being shown what
you are doing right and wrong. Please check our list of
workshops
and private teachers for just the right thing.
Wheel and Hand building.
There are two main areas of ceramics, hand building
and wheel. Most people think
initially of wheel-thrown pottery, and think they need to purchase a wheel
before they can do anything. However,
hand building can be very creative and rewarding in it’s own right, and can be
done with simple, inexpensive tools. In fact, the main tool is an ordinary
rolling pin. If you really want a wheel, our advice is to buy one
new. There are always many more people looking for used
wheels than there are used wheels available, so it may take a very
long time to find a used one. And with a new wheel you can
be certain it will be quiet, spin evenly, and make your throwing
more enjoyable. Once purchased they seem to last forever.
Kilns.
The next struggle
often faced is obtaining use of a kiln to fire your work.
In fact, this is one of the reason that many people enroll in community
courses, for access to a kiln. But
in addition, there are often local studios where you can fire by the piece or kiln
load. Or you can check our kiln
timesharing list to see if there is a kiln owner near you who is willing to rent
you space. Purchasing your own kiln may be
more of an option than you think. 7 cubic foot electric
kilns, about the minimum size a potter would want, can be had for a little
over a thousand dollars. Smaller kilns work well if you
are doing jewelry, figurines, etc. and are even less. For a
few hundred more you can automate the whole show; press one button
and the whole firing cycle is managed for you.
Non-Kiln Options.
Even if you cannot find
a kiln, there are still ways to be involved in ceramics.
New clay bodies called polymer clays only require baking at oven
temperatures, and now there are some that only require air drying.
See polymer clay
books.
Rewards of your own
studio.
Although many find it perfectly acceptable to do ceramics at
schools or community studios, most find it limiting in several
aspects. The basic problem is that you don't have control
over your work.
First, you have to fire at the temperatures
they want, when they want, with the glazes they want.
Second, they don't care about your work as much as you do.
So as kilns are loaded things get dropped, glazes get smeared,
etc. There is nothing worse than having the excitement of a
kiln unloading dampened by a piece that is ruined for one of these
reasons.
Third, many people are using the equipment and
materials. Glazes often get mixed, wax brushes get mixed
with glaze brushes, pieces even get stolen! Equipment can
have a lot of miles on it, and not be the best. I'm sure they do
the best they can, but it is
difficult to get consistently high quality work from a group
setting.
Fourth, for many forms,
especially handbuilding, texturing, complicated forms like tea
pots, and even trimming, you need to catch the clay at just the
right dryness. It's a lot easier to do in your home where
you can check it, cover it tighter, dampen it, work on it, or
whatever is required. I'm sure they do the best they can,
but it is
difficult to get consistently high quality work from a group
setting.
Finally, there's nothing better than being able to throw
pots at 2am in your pajamas (or in the nude as some do!)
