The method I use for throwing tall bottles has been consistently successful. Rather than simply pulling the clay upward and then trying to shape the form, I use the movement of the clay, the positioning of my hands and arms, and controlled pressure to gradually develop the bottle.
The accompanying video shows the process in motion. The steps below explain more of what I am doing and, importantly, why I am doing it.

1. Preparing and Opening the Clay

Prepare your porcelain carefully before you begin. Thorough wedging helps distribute the moisture evenly through the clay, which becomes particularly important when throwing a tall form.
When I center the clay, I begin by creating a dome. The width of this dome already gives me an indication of how wide the bottom of the finished bottle will be.
Once the clay is centered, I open it while keeping a rounded curve in the bottom. This rounded interior gives me the beginning of the flowing curve that I want to carry through the finished form.

2. Raising the Wall: Push Rather Than Pull
​
Once the clay is opened, I push a slight dent into the side at the bottom of the pot. This gives me a wall of clay that I can begin moving upward.
I think of this movement as pushing rather than pulling the clay. Notice the direction of my arm as I move the clay upward. This helps me keep the cylinder narrow and encourages the clay to move upward rather than flare outward.
As I continue, I push the wave of clay all the way to the top. I then strengthen the rim by gently compressing the clay back into the wall. I normally repeat this process several times as the form gains height.
With porcelain, I work sparingly with water. Porcelain quickly becomes softer as it ​​absorbs water, and a water-saturated wall loses its integrity and can easily collapse.

3. Developing the Belly
​
​Once I have enough height, I begin to develop the belly of the bottle. I leave the wall thick enough at this stage so that there is enough clay to expand into the curve without weakening the form.
While making the cylinder, my hands are more or less level with each other on the inside and outside. As I begin developing the belly, their positions shift. My non-dominant hand leads on the outside, slightly above my dominant hand, which pushes from the inside. The outside hand supports and controls the developing curve while the inside hand pushes the wall outward and continues moving the clay upward.
The continuous curve develops gradually, creating the volume of the bottle while maintaining enough strength in the wall for the next stage. I keep the extra clay at the base because it supports the form and helps prevent it from collapsing.
To begin closing the form, the roles of my hands gradually change. The exterior, non-dominant hand takes on a stronger role, pushing the clay inward, while the dominant hand on the inside becomes more supportive. Eventually, the opening becomes too small for my inside hand and both hands begin collaring the clay from the outside.
As the opening narrows, the clay at the rim becomes thicker again. This is the clay I will use to form the spout.

​Have you heard potters talking about porcelain as if it is the hardest thing in the world to master? Just a few days ago, I saw a fairly renowned potter making the comment that porcelain is “difficult to work with.” I immediately contradicted the potter by telling him that my grandchildren worked with porcelain from the first day they started playing in my studio.
Of course, that is an oversimplification, because everything these, and the many other children who found their way through my studio made was either recycled, or, if it did make it through the kiln, it went through my hands first.

​If this potter had said that porcelain is a different medium and that anyone who wants to work with it must first understand how it differs from other types of clay, I would have agreed.
Many potters have tried to work with this diva and given up when they discovered that what goes into the kiln may come out as something very different. Then there are the potters who work with the clay successfully but work with it as if it is a regular stoneware clay body.

​Normally I have some potters that prefer to hand-build and others that want to work on the wheel. Interestingly enough as the week progress, some potters want to switch and try the opposite techniques. My philosophy is that techniques and styles should never be boxed in. Working on both the wheel and hand-building, open so many more possibilities for each potter and I love that! See, during a week there are opportunities to learn technique, but also to expand our horizons with ideas. Afterall, ceramic art is not just a form of creating; it is a form of communication. When we mastered the craft, we can begin to communicate through it.  
 

​There are not many ceramic studios that offer porcelain classes; even in colleges opportunities to learn about porcelain are limited. Potters told me before that the instructors are not always equip to teach them to work with porcelain. They are sometimes allowed to work with the material, but then they have to work things out on their own and it is not always successful. During my porcelain classes we make a deep dive into as many of the problems as possible. Potters make those mistakes in the workshop and the whole group learn from that and if we miss something, I encourage my students to stay in touch and share their problems via email. There is always a solution. The key however is that they learn to see the mistake as it happens and obtain the tools to avoid them in future. 

​If you’re an experienced porcelain potter who want to learn to push your own limits, this class is for you. Maybe you wanted to get your hands in porcelain clay all your life, but you’ve been told that it is too hard; I am sure I will be able to break that fear and all the other myths about porcelain that is out there. Even early beginner potters that know early on that they would want to work with the medium will find this workshop suitable, because I address the most basic principles, something that is often overlooked in a regular pottery class. Also; because the group is small, I can work with each student individually. 

​I love teaching porcelain workshops.
The knowledge, techniques, and understanding of the medium resonate differently with each person and give them an opportunity to grow in their art. I’ve seen firsthand how potters discover the techniques that suit their style the best.
The love of throwing porcelain is always there, but as they discover that handbuilding, altering, or carving are complementary techniques, excitement for all the different possibilities happens.
Some will finally understand why their porcelain has been giving them problems. And some will simply discover that porcelain isn't as intimidating as they had been told.
For me, that is what a workshop is about—not just making pots for a week, but opening the door to possibilities.
On October 18–24, 2026, I invite you to join me in my studio in Saltillo, Mississippi, for a weeklong hands on workshop. We will be working, learning, experimenting, asking questions, making mistakes, solving problems, and discovering what porcelain can become in your hands.

​Porcelain isn’t difficult. It’s different.
Unlike stoneware or earthenware, porcelain is worked as clay but becomes something closer to glass when fired.
Understanding that single truth changes everything about how you handle, design, and fire it.

Why Porcelain Cracks: Understanding the Real Causes 
Cracking in porcelain isn’t random—it’s usually caused by handling, design, firing, or glazing mistakes, to name a few.  Over the years, I’ve seen every kind of crack imaginable, both in my own studio and in work sent to me by students from around the world through TeachinArt.com.
Let’s break them down.

​Why Porcelain Handles Crack (And How to Fix It)
Many potters struggle with porcelain handles. The real culprit in most cases is particle orientation.
Clay shrinks in unison only when its particles are aligned and compacted evenly. A handle, unconditionally of the way it is formed,  has its own direction of particles, and when you attach it to a mug, it’s like two traffic flows meeting head-on.
You need an off-ramp.
How to Attach Porcelain Handles Successfully

• Score and wet thoroughly. (remember slip particles are diluted and in disarray!)
• Attach when both parts are equally moist
• Compress and blend the joint well
• Think about handles as foreign objects that must become unified with the form

If cracks still appear, look at possible mistakes in your design and firing schedule, not just the joint.

Preventing Design Cracks in Porcelain Work 
Porcelain must be formed evenly. Uneven thickness leads to slumping, tearing, and cracking.
At high temperatures, porcelain becomes  pyro plastic — it softens like glass. 

Design Tips for Porcelain

• Keep walls consistent in thickness
• Avoid heavy areas attached to thin ones. 
• Heavy clay will be drawn towards the kiln shelf and will drag thinner clay along with it. 

Firing Cracks and Dunting in Porcelain
Dunting happens when the kiln heats or cools too fast. It can occur in bisque or glaze firing.
If a piece comes out of the kiln split cleanly in two, or cracks days later with sharp, glassy edges—the cooling cycle is usually to blame.  
Dunts in bisque ware is not   common in porcelain clay, but glaze cracking happens often.  
How to Prevent Firing Cracks

• Slow down your firing and especially the cooling schedule
• Pay special attention to cooling around quartz inversion
• Don’t rush porcelain through temperature changes

Antoinette Badenhorst, a renowned potter, presents online classes and hands-on workshops worldwide. In 2014, she and her husband, Koos, founded TeachingArt Online School of Art. Together with other experienced and renown teachers, they provide comprehensive online courses for potters and artists globally. These comprehensive learning experiences are meticulously designed to enhance skills, boost confidence, and foster a deeper understanding of pottery, rather than offering mere demonstrations. 

If you enjoyed and gained something from this blog post, please share it with your friends. Unfortunately, I won’t be traveling abroad this year because I need to catch up on my studio work and am also writing a book. 
Details of my next ​porcelain workshop is available  on the Workshop page

Why the Handles Stay Cool While Your Food Gets Hot
One of the most impressive features highlighted in the video is how the porcelain handles remain cool to the touch even after several minutes in the microwave. This happens because Antoinette uses high-fired porcelain with almost no absorption. During the firing process with the making of the casseroles, the clay reaches temperatures high enough to fully vitrify, creating an extremely dense, non-porous material. As a result, the dish doesn’t trap water or moisture, allowing the food to heat evenly and quickly while the handles stay comfortable to hold. The video also thoughtfully highlights the risks of using regular ceramic or porcelain dinnerware in the microwave. Many pieces have porous clay bodies that can absorb and trap water, causing the dish to overheat dangerously while the handles may remain cool. This uneven heating can lead to cracked dishes or even burns.

Porcelain: The Best Choice for Microwave-Safe Dinnerware
Antoinette strongly recommends porcelain — particularly bone china or fine white clay — as the superior medium for durable, high-quality dinnerware. Thanks to its vitrification, true porcelain offers excellent microwave performance, strength, and elegance that lasts for years.Looking ahead, Antoinette plans to dive deeper into clay and glaze chemistry to further improve safety and performance. She acknowledges that technical challenges remain in creating the ideal dinnerware: pieces that are truly chip-resistant, consistently microwave-safe, and of the highest quality.

Beautiful, Practical, and Made for Real Life
The Brunch-let's solve a common problem beautifully. They allow you to prepare everything from savory breakfast bowls and mini casseroles to quick lunches or light dinners in minutes — all in one elegant dish. Because they’re made from premium vitrified porcelain, you can confidently heat your meal and carry it straight to the table without burning your fingers.Whether you’re making eggs, oatmeal, pasta bakes, or reheating leftovers, Brunch-lets deliver food exactly as ordered: perfectly hot, while the dish remains easy and safe to handle. Elegant enough for weekend brunch with friends, practical enough for hectic weekdays.
Ready to upgrade your microwave meals?
Bring Antoinette’s beautiful, high-performance porcelain into your kitchen. These handmade casseroles are the perfect blend of elegance and everyday practicality.
Contact Antoinette for if you are interested in getting this for your kitchen.

Kinds of porcelain 
Historically, there are three types of porcelain: hard-paste porcelain, soft-paste porcelain, and bone china.
Hard-paste porcelain is made from clay that becomes glass-like when vitrified. It primarily consists of kaolin, silica, and Feldspar. The firing temperature of the clay depends on the temperature range of the Feldspar, and it is typically fired between 1200-1400 °C.

Antoinette, a renowned potter, teaches many potters worldwide in either online or hands-on classes to work with porcelain clay.

Soft-paste porcelain was developed in Europe during the time alchemists were searching for porcelain, which was originally imported from China. It was made from fine clay, sand, and glass. Unlike earthenware, soft-paste porcelain does not withstand high temperatures and will begin to collapse before reaching vitrification. It was often used for making ornaments.
​
Bone china was developed in England when cattle bones were used to enhance the properties of soft-paste porcelain. The result was a very dense, strong, and glass-like, white, and translucent material. Historically, bone china contained 25% clay (kaolin), 50% bone ash, and 25% Cornish stone. In modern times, bones are replaced with a synthetic calcium phosphate, specifically dicalcium phosphate or tricalcium phosphate, which serve as powerful fluxes. Some artists, such as John Shirley, create artistic bone china bowls. Most people recognize bone china as the dishes displayed on their grandmother’s special shelf, commonly referred to as “chinaware.”  
There are other porcelain types that came along later, like Belleek porcelain, which is still crafted in Belleek, Ireland. America really helped shape this porcelain, and I’m writing about it in my book that’s still in progress. Also, there’s parianware, which is a different kind of porcelain made to be used without glaze, which I addressed in one of my Ceramic Monthly articles. Curtis Benzle creates his own version, so he can leave his sculpted bowls unglazed. 

Vitrification
Porcelain turns into vitrified glass when it’s fired for a long time at a high temperature, which fuses the clay particles into a dense, non-porous material. When the clay has a .01% imperviousness, it becomes food safe. This glassy bond keeps liquids from seeping into the handles, so there’s no steam buildup that can burn your hands when you use it in the microwave.
Besides making it microwave-friendly, this also makes it more durable because steam inside the walls of pottery can shorten its lifespan. 
Just a heads-up, porcelain can get pretty hot, as the heat from your food will transfer to the bowl or cup. That’s why handles are so important—they let you grab it safely from the microwave.

Water absorption in clay
If your pottery isn’t watertight, it might mean it needed a higher firing temperature to make sure the clay particles fusetogether. Or, if it was fired at a lower temperature, the melting agents (fluxes) should have melted at a lower temperature too. If the glaze doesn’t fit perfectly, liquids can also sneak into the clay. You might see tiny cracks on the ceramic container. When liquid seeps into the clay walls, it can take ages to dry out. So, if you use it in the microwave, steam might escape and burn your hands. Also, if you wash it in a dishwasher, harsh chemicals could damage it. The real danger comes when bad bacteria from dirty dishwater gets into the clay walls.

Bone China Versus Porcelain 
Bone China, because it is not plastic enough, needs to be slip cast, while all pottery techniques can be used to create porcelain. 

Recipe for Creme Brûlée in a brunchlet: ​
Enough for 4 servings: 
3 large eggs
3 table spoons of sugar
3/4 cup of cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla essens
A pinch of salt
Instructions: 
​Mix all ingredients together and divide in 4 brunchlets
Place in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir and put back for another 30-45 seconds ( different microwaves will cook differently)
Sprinkle sugar or spread a jelly of your choice on top. Place under broiler until golden brown. 

Antoinette shares some of her porcelain secrets in this behind-the-scenes look at one of her first porcelain workshops in Canada. She shows how you can take a leather-hard porcelain bowl and safely bring it back to a soft, workable state—then reshape or sculpt it into a beautiful new form.
You’ll see how she creates a press mold and turns it into a bowl, while explaining why it’s important for potters to truly understand porcelain as a material and build a relationship with it.
Antoinette likes to call porcelain a “diva” 😄 because it has its own personality and needs to be handled with care. She even touches on the history of porcelain to help explain its unique characteristics.
The video features highlights from her hands-on workshop, where she teaches both handbuilding and wheel-throwing techniques. Since that first workshop, Antoinette has gone on to teach porcelain classes around the world

Antoinette's porcelain classes whether it is online or hands-on is loaded with explanations and tips and is suitable for beginner to advanced potters.  She provides a variety of porcelain tips and compare them with regular pottery techniques. Her workshops are normally a mix between wheel throwing and hand building techniques. See Antoinettes Ceramic Workshops

Tags:
​#PorcelainSecrets, #WorkingWithPorcelain, #PorcelainClay, #CeramicTechniques, #PotteryTips, #HandbuildingCeramics, #WheelThrowing, #PorcelainWorkshop, #CeramicArtist, #PorcelainByAntoinette, #AntoinetteBadenhorst, #StudioPottery, #ClayLife, #CeramicsEducation

Porcelain has long carried a reputation—beautiful, refined, and notoriously difficult. For many potters, it’s the “diva of clay.” But what if the challenge isn’t something to fear, but rather an invitation to understand? In this preview of Antoinette Badenhorst’s Understanding Porcelain online course with TeachinArt, viewers are given a glimpse into a process rooted in knowledge, sensitivity, and relationship-building with the material.The lesson begins with a simple yet powerful visual: a schematic sketch illustrating how clay particles move during the bull’s head wedging method.

​This foundational concept reveals something essential—porcelain is not just a material you shape, but one you must align and work with on a structural level.From there, Antoinette moves to the wheel, demonstrating how to refine and thin a thrown bowl using pottery ribs. Her preferred tools—silicone ribs from Mudtools in North Carolina—allow for both control and finesse, helping guide the clay into elegant, even forms. Once the bowl becomes leatherhard, she flips it to begin trimming. Using a loop tool followed by a metal kidney, she carefully removes excess clay, achieving a delicate translucency that defines fine porcelain work. This stage requires not only technical skill but also an intuitive understanding of the clay’s limits.Throughout the video, examples of her sculpted and altered porcelain bowls appear—each one pushing the boundaries of thinness and light. In some pieces, she carves into already refined walls, enhancing their luminosity and allowing light to pass through in subtle, breathtaking ways.

But beyond technique, what truly sets this course apart is Antoinette’s philosophy. She compares the first experience with porcelain to a handshake. It’s an introduction—an initial meeting where you begin to sense character, resistance, and possibility. Just as with people, understanding develops over time. The more you learn about porcelain’s behavior—its strengths, tediousness, and responses—the more successful and confident you become in working with it. This course is not just about making objects. It’s about shifting your mindset. Instead of fighting porcelain, you begin to collaborate with it. Through detailed instruction, thoughtful demonstrations, and years of experience, Antoinette offers more than techniques—she offers clarity. Whether you are new to porcelain or looking to refine your skills, Understanding Porcelain opens the door to a deeper, more rewarding relationship with this extraordinary clay body. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by porcelain, this is your opportunity to move past fear and into understanding—one thoughtful step, and one refined gesture, at a time.

Video summary: ​
Pottery glazing can be done using many different techniques. One of the oldest is majolica, a decorative method that originated in the 15th century on the Spanish island of Majorca.  
​Like clay, glaze materials come from the earth and are known as raw glaze materials. A basic glaze is made up of clay, silica, and melting agents. In this video, Antoinette explains these materials in simple terms, using analogies from her kitchen.

Course Summary: Glazing in Ceramic
This online course is tailored for beginners who are struggling with and are unsuccessful with glazing their pottery.  

​Week 1 – The basics of Pottery glazes. 
Discover what a glaze is and how to understand the glazing process. Explore the history and evolution of pottery glazes, the purpose of glazing, and what you need in your studio to get started. Learn how to plan your glaze process, prepare bisque ware, use cold and hot wax resists, and properly clean foot rings and lid areas.

Week 2 – Working with Commercial Glazes
This week features guest functional potter Lynn Barnwell, assisted by Antoinette. Learn what to consider when purchasing commercial glazes, how to mix and use them, explore glaze effects, and practice dipping and testing techniques.

Week 3 – Application Techniques & Additives
Explore a variety of glaze application methods including dipping, pouring, and spray glazing. Learn about glaze additives such as suspending agents, flocculants, deflocculants, and brush-on mediums. You’ll also cover proper glaze mixing and preparation.

Week 4 – Mixing Glazes from Scratch
Gain an understanding of raw glaze materials, learn how to make test tiles, mix glazes from recipes, measure glaze density, and follow best practices for glazing and testing.

Week 5 – Creative Glaze Projects
Put your skills into action with hands-on glaze projects including Cuerda Seca, Majolica, glaze layering, resist techniques, glaze printing, and glaze trailing.
​
Week 6 – Firing & Troubleshooting
Learn about heat work, firing glazes, and different firing techniques. Identify common glaze faults and remedies, and analyze your glaze test results to refine your process.

Link to online workshops at TeachinArt.com:
Glazing made easy 
Hand building pottery for beginners  

​Tags:
#PotteryGlaze #CeramicGlaze #GlazeBasics #PotteryForBeginners #CeramicsEducation #LearnPottery #CeramicArt #StudioPottery #GlazeMaterials #PorcelainByAntoinette #AntoinetteBadenhorst #Majolica #PotteryTechniques #ClayAndGlaze #ArtEducation #teachinart 

Image: ​This translucent porcelain envelope was formed from two press molded shells, altered and carved and then placed on a wheel thrown pedestal. ​

Presented by Antoinette Badenhorst
Discover the expressive possibilities of porcelain in this in‑depth online handbuilding workshop led by internationally recognized ceramic artist Antoinette Badenhorst. Designed for both emerging and experienced clay artists, this course demystifies the unique behavior of porcelain and teaches you how to shape it with confidence.
Through clear demonstrations, detailed explanations, and Antoinette’s signature teaching style, you’ll learn how to:

• Understand the working properties of porcelain and how they differ from other clays
  
• Build strong, elegant forms using handbuilding techniques
  
• Control drying, trimming, and finishing to avoid common porcelain challenges
  
• Create refined functional and sculptural pieces with precision and artistry
  
• Apply surface treatments that enhance porcelain’s natural translucency and beauty
  

Students gain access to step‑by‑step video lessons, close‑up demonstrations, and practical tips drawn from Antoinette’s decades of studio experience and global teaching career. Whether you’re new to porcelain or looking to elevate your craftsmanship, this workshop offers a comprehensive foundation for mastering this extraordinary material.
Join Antoinette at TeachinArt and experience porcelain in a whole new way—flexible, accessible, and guided by one of the leading voices in contemporary ceramics.

The Wheel-Thrown Teapots Online Workshop by Antoinette Badenhorst at TeachinArt is an in-depth, technically focused course designed to guide potters through one of the most challenging and expressive forms in ceramics—the functional teapot.
This immersive online workshop takes students step-by-step through the complete process of designing, throwing, assembling, and finishing a well-balanced, fully functional teapot. Often referred to as the “final boss” of pottery, the teapot demands both technical precision and artistic sensitivity, and this course is structured to help potters master both. 
Over three weeks of formal instruction (with additional time for review and practice), students explore the essential components that define a successful teapot: a body that pours efficiently, a spout that does not drip or spatter, a lid that fits securely during pouring, and a handle that complements both function and design. 
The workshop begins with the fundamentals—understanding teapot history, proportions, and design—before moving into throwing techniques such as forming cylinder-based and bellied teapots, working off the hump, and crafting precision-fitted lids. As the course progresses, students refine each element, learning how to trim, assemble, and integrate spouts, lids, and handles into a cohesive form. 
A strong emphasis is placed on functionality: pouring should be smooth and controlled, the lid should remain secure without requiring two hands, and every component must work together seamlessly. Beyond construction, the course also addresses decoration, glazing, and firing, ensuring that the final piece is both aesthetically compelling and fully usable. 
Designed for intermediate to advanced potters, this online class offers detailed, close-up demonstrations and direct access to instructor feedback, allowing students to develop confidence and precision in their work. More than just a technical course, it invites artists into the rich and “mysterious world of teapot collections,” where craftsmanship, expression, and function converge. 
In essence: this workshop transforms the complexity of the teapot into a structured, achievable process—equipping ceramic artists with the skills to create pieces that pour beautifully, function flawlessly, and communicate a refined artistic voice.