Introduction to clay

INTRODUCTION TO CLAY
Sculpture

Ceramics
 Things made from clay, the basic material for all ceramic
creations.
 Clay is created as a result of the decomposition of igneous
rock, which makes up the entire earth’s crust.
 Everything you will do with clay involves the interplay of
these 3 variables:
 Moisture
 Plasticity
 Heat

Origins of Ceramics
 Of all the arts, ceramics has perhaps the
longest history, dating back to when people
first learned to control fire.
 Theories:
 People first began to model clay as a diversion.
 People used clay for practical purposes.

Early Techniques
 The clay you work with in a studio has been
processed and prepared to some degree.
 Early potters had to actually dig their raw
material from the ground and prepare it.
 There were sometimes impurities that had to
be taken out.

Chapter 2: Working with Clay
 Clay Properties
 Plasticity
 Shrinkage
 Texture
 Moisture
 Handling Clay

PLASTICITY
 Most beginners use highly plastic clay, or one
that can easily take different shapes.
 PLASTIC –The property of clay that allows it to
change shape without tearing or breaking.
 Numerous factors can make clay more
plastic.
 You can spray it with water.
 You can store it in a bag with water.
 You can mix new plastic clay with the old.

SHRINKAGE
 All clay shrinks as they dry. Clay can crack
when it shrinks if the potter doesn’t carefully
monitor the drying process.
 It is frustrating the spend a lot of time on
creating your artwork only to have it crack
because you did not take the time to allow it
to dry slowly.

TEXTURE
 The texture of a clay body can range from
coarse to smooth.
 Some potters add sand or grog to change the
texture of their clay.

MOISTURE
 All clay contains water. You can add water to
clay to make it more workable or plastic. Add
too much water, however, and the clay loses
plasticity – it won’t hold any shape at all.
 Clay begins to dehydrate, or lose moisture,
when it is exposed to air.
 You will occasionally need to rehydrate, or
put water back into the clay, to keep it moist.

MOISTURE
 You can mist it with a spray bottle or dampen
it with a wet sponge or damp paper towel.
 Once the clay is fired, it becomes
permanently harder, stronger, and less likely
to break.
 It can never become plastic again after being
fired.

PREPARING THE CLAY
 Before you can make anything with clay,
you’ll need to prepare it.
 All clay needs to be de-aired before you
begin.
 Kneading orWedging eliminates air bubbles
and keeps the internal structure of clay more
cohesive and consistent.

Kneading / Wedging Clay
 You will use a piece of canvas to absorb extra
moisture.
 Since we are using a small amount of clay, we
will use the kneading method.

Clay Safety Tips
 Little bits of clay that end upon the surface of
your table are harmless. However, when they
are brushed onto the floor these crumbles
break down into smaller and smaller particles
which then scatter into the air you breathe.
 CAPTURE CLAY DUSTWITHWATER. Use a
wet sponge to clean tables, tools, wheels, and
sinks. Brooms and brushes only make more
dust.

SLIP
 A fluid suspension of clay in water used in
joining clay pieces and for surface decoration.
 It has the consistency of yogurt.
 You can put your scrap pieces in your slip cup.

STAGES OF CLAY
 Plastic/Greenware
 Leather-hard
 Bone Dry
 Bisqueware
 Glazeware
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PLASTIC CLAY
 Clay is pliable and plastic.
 It is somewhat forgiving at this stage.
 It is at the “workable” consistency for slabs,
coils, and throwing.
 Ware can be reclaimed at
this stage.

LEATHER-HARD CLAY
 Clay is drier than plastic/workable clay but is
somewhat stiffer.
 Clay has the consistency of a chocolate bar.
 Pots are incised and trimmed at this stage.
 Clay is still cool to touch and slightly darker.
 Ware can be claimed at this stage.

BONE DRY CLAY
 Clay is chalky looking. It is not nearly as cool
to the touch.
 It isVERY FRAGILE at this stage.
 Ware can still be reclaimed at this stage.
 Do NOT try to work clay at this stage.

BISQUEWARE
 First firing of piece.
 After firing, the piece
will be much more brittle
and whiter.
 Ware can NOT be reclaimed after being
bisque fired.

GLAZEWARE
 After piece has been glazed, the piece will be
fired a second time.
 This time, the piece will obtain the qualities
of the fired glaze.
 Many times this is a more glassy finish, but
not all the time.
 Ware can NOT be reclaimed after firing.

Introduction to clay

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Introduction to clay