Understanding Porcelain E-course
Contents of Understanding Porcelain e-course
Week 1
Introduction to pottery clay
A piece of myself (biography)
History and Character of porcelain
Porcelain history
Clay preparation
The preparation of porcelain clay to either hand build or throw with it is extremely important. If you understand the character better, you will also understand how wedging porcelain improve the quality of your clay. You will also understand the importance of clay particles and how it influences the clay process.
We will discuss the topics below in detail.
Introduction to pottery clay
A piece of myself (biography)
- I am a ceramic artist for over 30 years, specializing in porcelain over the last 20 years and doing translucent porcelain for 10 years. Learn how her career developed as a potter; the joy and sorrow of becoming a professional potter.
- There are 3 mail types of clay available for potters: Earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. I will touch on some of the most obvious differences between these clay bodies.
- There are many types of material that is pliable and that is used in many different crafts. Real potters’ clay must be fired in a kiln (pottery oven) to temperatures exceeding 1050 C or 1922 F (unless it is an alternative firing) The clay that we use is earth, found in certain places where wind and water may have gathered it. I will discuss the origins of clay in general but then focus on porcelain clay.
- Porcelain clay comes from different elementary clay sources and is man-made. In the Western world the raw materials for a porcelain clay recipe may be coming from different parts of the world. Potters that want to specialize in porcelain need to understand how the composition of porcelain clay differs from other clay bodies that may be found naturally in nature.
History and Character of porcelain
Porcelain history
- There is a very interesting history behind porcelain that started centuries ago. Porcelain as it was originally mined in ancient China is completely different from what was created in the 17th century in Europe. The porcelain clay that we see today is founded in the ancient form of porcelain. Therefor it is important to understand at least some basics of the development of porcelain clay in order to understand the character thereof.
- The basic ingredients of porcelain are silica, feldspar and kaolin. These raw materials are not very potters friendly. Over the years other raw materials were added to make the clay more plastic. Potters are still struggling with cracking and warping and often have great difficulty to throw with porcelain. The additions of other clay materials helped to make the clay more pliable and give it a better green strength, but that caused problems of its own. During this online class we explore the character of porcelain and as we get to understand the medium, it becomes much easier to manipulate the clay and become successful to eliminate mistakes and push the limits of the medium.
Clay preparation
The preparation of porcelain clay to either hand build or throw with it is extremely important. If you understand the character better, you will also understand how wedging porcelain improve the quality of your clay. You will also understand the importance of clay particles and how it influences the clay process.
We will discuss the topics below in detail.
- Wedging clay
- The nature of clay particles
- The movement of particles
Antoinette mixes her own porcelain clay body and create translucent porcelain bowls.
Week 2: Porcelain: Get to know it
Review week 1 (clay)
It is not always easy to wedge the first pieces of clay – review of wedging techniques – keep practicing.
Porcelain pinching
For many potters, pinching clay is a beginner’s technique, because that might have been their first experience with clay. There are potters that never learned how to pinch clay because their teacher did not see it as an important part of the clay process. This is a serious miss conception and potters that attend our e-class with us will find that out from the minute they start pinching porcelain clay.
I discuss this topic in my blog Pinch pots: Is it beginners pots or a good place to start?
Not only do my students learn why they have to pinch clay, but they also learn more about the character of porcelain in practice. They learn how the different stages of the process are affected by the drying of the clay and how they can control it.
Students work in their own time and can therefor create as many pinch pots as they wish to. There is also an opportunity to learn how to create combination pinch pots. Combination pinch pots open up the opportunity for creating any object from a round or oval enclosed form.
Trimming and finish pinch bowl
One of the reasons why potters often choose the potters’ wheel instead of doing hand formed clay work, is because wheel work is more mechanically controlled. They feel that their work look more professional and neater than when they hand-form an object. The truth is that they simply did not learn to create a professional finish. When they learn that they can buy or create tools that will help to obtain a professional finish, a complete new world opens up to them.
Review week 1 (clay)
It is not always easy to wedge the first pieces of clay – review of wedging techniques – keep practicing.
Porcelain pinching
For many potters, pinching clay is a beginner’s technique, because that might have been their first experience with clay. There are potters that never learned how to pinch clay because their teacher did not see it as an important part of the clay process. This is a serious miss conception and potters that attend our e-class with us will find that out from the minute they start pinching porcelain clay.
I discuss this topic in my blog Pinch pots: Is it beginners pots or a good place to start?
Not only do my students learn why they have to pinch clay, but they also learn more about the character of porcelain in practice. They learn how the different stages of the process are affected by the drying of the clay and how they can control it.
Students work in their own time and can therefor create as many pinch pots as they wish to. There is also an opportunity to learn how to create combination pinch pots. Combination pinch pots open up the opportunity for creating any object from a round or oval enclosed form.
- Why pinch bowls?
- Different stages in which clay dries – storage between stages
- Pinch a bowl – or bowls.
- Combination pinch bowl
Trimming and finish pinch bowl
One of the reasons why potters often choose the potters’ wheel instead of doing hand formed clay work, is because wheel work is more mechanically controlled. They feel that their work look more professional and neater than when they hand-form an object. The truth is that they simply did not learn to create a professional finish. When they learn that they can buy or create tools that will help to obtain a professional finish, a complete new world opens up to them.
- Tools used
- Get a professional finish.
- Ideas for your pinch bowl.
Translucent porcelain sculpted vessels by Antoinette.
Week 3: Throwing porcelain on the potter's wheel Review week 2 (Porcelain)
Pinch pots are often considered as beginner pots, but it is actually just a good place to begin. Let’s review the successes and problems that occurred during this project.
Porcelain Wheel throwing
During this class we will review wheel throwing techniques as if you are a beginner potter. We will guide all potters that want to specialize in porcelain. Unless you are an experienced potter with a solid wheel throwing porcelain background, I guarantee that you will learn something during this class. Potters tend to take short cuts with stoneware and earthenware clay, because the clay is fairly easy to master and once they developed a muscle memory, they will throw on the wheel without thinking about the process. Porcelain is too demanding to ignore the very basic steps
Bowl variations and more throwing
Pinch pots are often considered as beginner pots, but it is actually just a good place to begin. Let’s review the successes and problems that occurred during this project.
Porcelain Wheel throwing
During this class we will review wheel throwing techniques as if you are a beginner potter. We will guide all potters that want to specialize in porcelain. Unless you are an experienced potter with a solid wheel throwing porcelain background, I guarantee that you will learn something during this class. Potters tend to take short cuts with stoneware and earthenware clay, because the clay is fairly easy to master and once they developed a muscle memory, they will throw on the wheel without thinking about the process. Porcelain is too demanding to ignore the very basic steps
Bowl variations and more throwing
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Week 4: Trimming porcelain
Review week 3 (Throwing) Throwing a simple cylinder appears to be easy, but is it easy? How easy is it to change from stoneware to a porcelain clay body? Trimming basics Porcelain requires very specific trimming tools for the different stages of the clay. We will work with all these tools, including those that are homemade and those that are needed for the porcelain potter. |
We teach trimming techniques that goes beyond traditional trimming.
- Tools for trimming
- How to control tools while trimming
- Trim basic bowl.
Week 5: Aesthetic considerations
Review week 4 (Trimming)
So trimming is after all not so difficult to do if you know how and have enough time to practice. What was easy and what was difficult?
Elements of form
The final outcome of porcelain objects rely strongly on the form and how the form works in the firing. We discuss the relationship between the making and the firing process in detail.
Considerations on decoration
Decoration for translucent porcelain can be easy or intricate. We discuss how light and shadow plays a role in the decoration of porcelain. Every line that is made on a piece of pottery creates a certain message. The potter must know what lines influences a pot and in which way.
Review week 4 (Trimming)
So trimming is after all not so difficult to do if you know how and have enough time to practice. What was easy and what was difficult?
Elements of form
The final outcome of porcelain objects rely strongly on the form and how the form works in the firing. We discuss the relationship between the making and the firing process in detail.
Considerations on decoration
Decoration for translucent porcelain can be easy or intricate. We discuss how light and shadow plays a role in the decoration of porcelain. Every line that is made on a piece of pottery creates a certain message. The potter must know what lines influences a pot and in which way.
Week 6: Basic Glaze and Firing
Review the previous week’s assignments
Decorating pots is a part of clay in which the artist can get totally drawn in. The results can be great, or less satisfying. Let’s review.
Basic glazing
Even though this is not a glazing class, it is important to have a basic understanding of glazes and how to apply it to a piece of porcelain.
Basic kiln operation (electric)
Throughout the course I will enlighten the classes with samples, sketches and other interesting materials- anything that I would have used in a hands-on pottery class.
Review the previous week’s assignments
Decorating pots is a part of clay in which the artist can get totally drawn in. The results can be great, or less satisfying. Let’s review.
Basic glazing
Even though this is not a glazing class, it is important to have a basic understanding of glazes and how to apply it to a piece of porcelain.
- Understand the bare basics
- Glazing methods
- I use spray glazing techniques, because my work is very thin. Regular dipping of porcelain will only wash off when the walls get soaked with the water in the glaze.
Basic kiln operation (electric)
- High fired porcelain cannot be successful, unless the potter fully understand what happens in the kiln. Too often they will complain that the porcelain slumped and they will not know why and how to correct the problem. The answer lies in an understanding of the character of porcelain. We pay special attention to different ways that porcelain can be fired and explain it so that the potter understands why he or she must take special precautions.
We will discuss the firing schedules and why I fire my kilns the way I do. - Packing a kiln
- Firing a kiln
Throughout the course I will enlighten the classes with samples, sketches and other interesting materials- anything that I would have used in a hands-on pottery class.