Understanding porcelain online workshop

Understanding porcelain is a 6-week formal online workshop with an additional 4 weeks for viewing all the videos. If you want to change from stoneware or earthenware to porcelain clay, then this virtual porcelain class, that you can attend in your own place, will give you enough information to make an easy switch.
Break the myths and begin to understand the character of porcelain in these clear, close-up and detailed video demonstrations. With direct online access to Antoinette throughout the course, potters will be assisted to easily work with porcelain clay, while pushing their own limits. Whether hand building, throwing, trimming or altering on the potter’s wheel, beginners to advanced potters will learn to work easily and successfully with the “Diva of clay” and get translucent porcelain.
​​Antoinette explains design, firing and glazing techniques to prevent slumping and cracking and to ensure success with porcelain.

​Duration of class
6 weeks formal video classes, 4 weeks reviewing
10 weeks total viewing

Preview class and register

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Contents of the class

This six-week online porcelain class is designed to guide potters through a complete transition from stoneware or earthenware to porcelain, helping them understand, control, and master this refined and translucent clay medium. The course combines technical instruction, hands-on exercises, and design principles, emphasizing both the how and the why behind working successfully with porcelain.
Students begin by learning the origins, history, and defining characteristics of porcelain, along with essential preparation skills such as wedging, reclaiming clay, and creating fired test samples. As the course progresses, they develop control over porcelain through pinching techniques, gaining sensitivity to drying stages, tool selection, and the unique behavior of different porcelain bodies.
The class then advances to wheel-throwing, where students learn to center, open, and shape porcelain into thin, elegant, and translucent forms. Emphasis is placed on controlling movement, refining technique, and understanding how speed, pressure, and design influence results.
Trimming techniques are introduced to refine forms, prevent cracks, and achieve balanced, transparent walls. Students learn proper timing, tool use, and finishing methods, including trimming foot rims and repositioning work on the wheel.
In the later weeks, the course focuses on aesthetics, design refinement, and understanding porcelain’s sensitivity during drying and firing. Students explore decoration, structural considerations, and methods to prevent slumping.
Finally, glazing and firing are covered in depth, including glaze selection, application methods, kiln operation, firing schedules, and proper kiln loading. Students learn how to achieve smooth, refined surfaces and consistent, successful porcelain results.
Overall, this course provides a complete foundation in porcelain—from raw clay to finished, fired work—empowering potters with the knowledge, technical skills, and confidence to create refined and translucent porcelain pieces independently.

Clay wedging with the bull's head technique.

Making a clay ball from two pinched bowls.

Antoinette use Mudtools for trimming.

Cutting and carving tools for pottery