How I make ceramics at my home studio

How I make ceramics at my home studio

 

The process consist of 3 steps:

  • Modelling with a slab building technique
  • Decorating with a white slip
  • Glazing. 

Modeling

Tools for modelling

tool for modeling

 Things that might help, but not necessary

Make a slab

clay

 I use STONEWARE BLACK CLAY [NIGRA2002]  

Powder chamotte 20% 0.0 - 0.2 mm. Heating temperature 1000°c - 1240°c

 

 

make a slab

Knead a lump of clay and make a slab using a rolling pin. 

Thickness is whatever you like. In the example, it's around 0,7 cm. It will shrink a little bit during firing 

 

 

 

cut piecesCut the wall and the bottom of your cup. 

You can do it without template, or you can prepare the shapes ahead

 

 

 

 

Combine parts

scrape bottomScratch both parts in points where you want to connect them using scrape tools. I dip my tool into the water and it creates a slip when scratching 
Combine parts Combine parts and cut an excess layer and glue the ends together
make a coil Roll a thin coil
tap the bottom with a spatula

Tap the wall with a spatula. it will push the wall even harder into the bottom  

blend the bottomBlend the bottom with the wall 
dry

Let it dry for a week. 

dried potWeek later it will shrink a little bit, become fragile and all water will leave clay

 

 

 

 

 

Decoration

Tools for decoration

Tools for ceramics cup decoration

 

Make a slip

Make a porcelain slip for decoration
Put small pieces of clay in water and wait until it dissolves.
For decoration, I use PORCELAIN FLAX PAPERCLAY ES600
Dissolved ready porcelain slipDissolved slip is a homogeneous mass that you can apply with a brush
 

Decoration

Sponge all unevenness of the pot Get rid of all finger prints and unevenness with a sponge and a water
Apply white slip with a brush for decoration Apply white slip with a brush. The cup now is very fragile, be cautious with pressure.
Bone dry pot is in a kiln for bisque firingThe cup is ready for the first bisque firing. I set temperature 700 °C. 

Glazing

Tools for glazing

Tools for glazing

 

Glazing

Glaze cup insidePour a glaze into a cup. Rotate the cup until you covered all insides with a glaze. 

 

 

 

 

Apply a transparent glaze with a brush Apply glaze with a brush to walls 

 

 

 

 

Сlear the bottom from glazeClear the bottom from a glaze otherwise it can stick to the kiln shelves. 

 

 

 

 

Second high firing Now it is ready for the last firing. My clay becomes black at a high 1230 °C firing.  

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