CLAY VOCABULARY

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CLAY VOCABULARY
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Clay Body

• It is possible to work with the clay as it comes
  from the earth, however it will not posses
  certain characteristics such as color,
  plasticity, strength, or fired density. By
  mixing two or more clays and adding other
  materials, these effects can be produced in what
  is called a clay body.

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STAGES OF CLAY

• There are 3 stages
• Wet
• Leather Hard
• Bone Dry

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Greenware

• Any pottery that has not been bisque fired. The
  clay could be wet, leather hard, or bone dry.

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Greenware-all stages of unfired clay
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Leather hard

• Clay has begun to dry out and can no longer be
  formed or molded but the surface can easily be
  carved

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Leatherhard-can t continue to remold but
effective carving at this stage
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Bone Dry

• Clay that has been completely air dried and is
  ready to go to the first firing (bisque)

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Bone Dry-very brittle at this stage, ready for
the bisque fire
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Firing the Clay

• There are two firings
• Bisque
• Glaze

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Bisque Firing

• The first firing, without over glaze. However
  colored under glazes (slips) may be applied to
  the greenware and then bisque fired.

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Bisque firing-load bone dry clay
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Glaze Firing

• The final firing, with overglaze.

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Glazeware finished glaze firing ready to be
unloaded
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PREPARING the CLAY
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Wedging

• Kneading the clay in order to expel air and
  homogenize the clay.

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Wedging
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Scoring

• Scoring clay is the method potters use to adhere
  two pieces of clay together. Simply use any
  pointed clay tool to make X shaped marks into
  the clay where you will be adhering another
  piece. This roughs up the surface area of the
  clay, which is needed for a good adhesion.

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Scoring
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Slip

• Slip is another name for clay glue. Slip is
  simply wet sticky clay. Slip can be applied by
  a paint brush or simply your finger. Do not use
  just water.

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Slip
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BUILDING TECHNIQUES
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PINCH

• Pinching the clay with your fingers to shape it.

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Pinch Pot

• To make a pinch pot begin with a ball of clay.
  Push your thumb into the center, and then pinch
  up the walls. Turn the piece as you pinch. This
  will help you keep the walls of the piece at an
  even thickness. Lightly push the bottom of the
  pot on a flat surface to create a flat spot that
  it will rest on when finished.

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Pinch Pot
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Coil Pots

• COILS rope-like strands of clay
• Layered one upon another to create the walls of
  the pot. Smooth coils or leave some coils
  exposed.

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Coil Pot
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Coil Pot - Examples
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Slab Building

• SLAB Rolled out flat pieces of clay

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Slab Boxes
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DECORATIVE TECHNIQUES
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Sgraffito

• SGRAFFITO This is a decorating technique where a
  colored slip is applied to a leather-hard piece
  of clay and left to dry. Once the slip is dry a
  variety of different tools are used to carve into
  the clay to remove the slip and leave an embedded
  decoration behind.

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Sgraffito
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Mishima

• A Japanese decorating method of filling a design
  impressed or carved into the clay with a
  different colored slip.

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Mishima Comparison Example

• Sgraffito on the Left
• Mishima on the Right

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Crazing

• The fine network of small cracks that occurs on
  glazes. The Japanese encourage crazing and will
  stain cracks with concentrated tea.

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Crazing
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CLAY TOOLS
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Pin/ Needle Tool

• Used for trimming while on the wheel and for
  scoring/cutting clay.

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Wire Cutters

• Used to cut large pieces of clay

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Loop Tools

• Perfect for carving and trimming.

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Modeling Tools

• Used for shaping and detailing the clay

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Ribs

• shapes and smooths pots as they are being formed