Ceramics: Beginner and Intermediate Wheel Throwing/Hand Building (Spring, Sunday PM)

Overview:

This 12-week class introduces beginners to the fundamental techniques of wheel-thrown pottery and hand-building. You will learn about the ceramic process, beginning with pinching, coiling, and slab construction, to wedging and centering clay on the potter’s wheel. Students will throw basic cylinders, which are the foundation for vases, cups, bowls, and more complex forms.

Weekly discussions and demonstrations will help you grasp pottery-making techniques, appreciate the roles that form, balance, volume, surface texture, negative space, and color have in making a good pot, and develop your own sense of personal aesthetics. Students will practice skills during class through individual and group instruction, as well as have access to the ceramics lab during weekend open-studio hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. There is no additional fee for students to attend this studio lab session.

Course Objectives and Topics:

• Pinching, coiling, and slab construction
• Throwing basics, wedging, centering, opening, pulling, and shaping
• Trimming, attachments, glazing, and firing techniques

Required Materials and Supplies:

• Kemper Pottery Tool Kit or equivalent
• Tool container, such as a tool tote, 1-gallon bucket, etc. (not available in student store)
• Clay* (one 25-lb. bag of DigiPen White, cone 6)     * One 25-lb. bag of clay is included in tuition costs
• Sketchbook (a spiral notebook will do)
• Pencil
• Cloth towel (not available in student store)
• Appropriate clothing, such as an apron, overalls, large shirt, etc. (DigiPen shirts are available in the student store)

The following additional items will be helpful and are also available in the DigiPen Student Store:

Hand Building:

• Wire brush
• Serrated flexible steel rib
• Fettling knifeShredder (small surform tool)
• Wooden paddleSumi brush(es)

Wheel Throwing:

• Kemper RB4 Wooden Potter’s Rib or similar potter’s rib
• Kemper RB5 Wooden Potter’s Rib or similar potter’s rib
• Kemper TT4 Turning Tool or similar turning tool