Harry Potter Course

Lesson 1 • Understanding Clay as a Material

Examines clay's mineral composition, plasticity, and behaviour during forming and firing. Connects material science to practical forming decisions made later.

Lesson 2 • Setting Up the Pottery Studio

Covers essential tools, equipment layout, and safety protocols for a functional studio. Prepares students to work efficiently and safely from the first session.

Lesson 3 • History and Origins of Pottery

Survey pottery's evolution from ancient civilisations to contemporary practice. Establishes cultural context and motivates technical study throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Slab Construction Techniques

Covers rolling, cutting, and assembling flat slabs into geometric and organic forms. Expands design possibilities and introduces template-based construction.

Lesson 2 • Pinch Pot Technique

Teaches controlled pinching to open and shape a clay ball into a vessel. Develops tactile sensitivity and wall-thickness awareness foundational to all forming.

Lesson 3 • Coil Building Methods

Demonstrates rolling uniform coils and joining them to build height and form. Introduces scoring and slip bonding critical to all multi-piece construction.

Lesson 1 • Shaping Bowls and Basic Forms

Applies pulling skills to open and shape bowls with controlled curves. Students practise repeating a form to build muscle memory and consistency.

Lesson 2 • Centring Clay on the Wheel

Teaches the pressure sequences needed to centre a spinning clay mass. Centring is the prerequisite skill for every subsequent throwing operation.

Lesson 3 • Operating the Potter's Wheel

Introduces wheel mechanics, body posture, and hand positioning for safe, controlled throwing. Correct ergonomics prevent injury and improve clay control.

Lesson 4 • Pulling Walls to Height

Demonstrates coordinated inside-outside pressure to raise and thin cylinder walls. Consistent wall thickness is essential for even drying and firing.

Lesson 1 • Throwing Cylinders and Mugs

Applies trimming and handle skills to produce complete, functional mugs. Integrates all intermediate skills into a single cohesive project.

Lesson 2 • Pulling and Attaching Handles

Demonstrates pulling handles from a clay mass and attaching them to leather-hard forms. Proper attachment prevents cracking during drying and firing.

Lesson 3 • Altering Thrown Forms

Introduces faceting, paddling, and stretching to transform round thrown forms. Expands design vocabulary beyond symmetrical wheel-thrown shapes.

Lesson 4 • Throwing Lids and Flanges

Covers measuring and throwing gallery rims and matching lids for functional fit. Precision measurement skills introduced here apply to all lidded forms.

Lesson 1 • Bisque Firing Process

Explains temperature schedules, candling, and the chemical changes during bisque firing. Students understand why bisqueware is porous and ready for glaze.

Lesson 2 • Loading the Kiln for Bisque

Covers kiln furniture, stacking strategies, and safe loading of greenware. Proper loading maximises kiln capacity and prevents piece damage.

Lesson 3 • Stages of Clay Drying

Defines wet, leather-hard, and bone-dry stages and their implications for forming. Recognising each stage prevents premature handling and structural failure.

Lesson 1 • Common Glaze Defects and Fixes

Identifies crawling, crazing, pinholing, and blistering and their root causes. Equips students to diagnose and correct surface problems before re-firing.

Lesson 2 • Glaze Chemistry Fundamentals

Introduces flux, silica, and alumina as the three glaze components and their roles. Provides the chemical framework needed to troubleshoot glaze defects.

Lesson 3 • Commercial vs. Studio Glazes

Compares ready-made commercial glazes with studio-mixed batches for cost and control. Helps students choose the right approach for their practice level.

Lesson 4 • Layering and Decorative Glazing

Explores layering multiple glazes and wax-resist techniques for visual complexity. Builds on single-glaze application to create intentional surface design.

Lesson 1 • Loading the Kiln for Glaze Firing

Covers waxing feet, spacing glazed ware, and placing witness cones correctly. Prevents glaze runs from fusing pieces to shelves and kiln furniture.

Lesson 2 • Reduction and Oxidation Atmospheres

Defines oxidation and reduction atmospheres and their effects on clay and glaze colour. Students manipulate atmosphere to achieve specific aesthetic results.

Lesson 3 • Post-Firing Analysis and Records

Teaches systematic documentation of firing results to build a reliable reference library. Consistent records enable reproducibility and continuous improvement.

Lesson 4 • Firing Schedules and Cone System

Explains the pyrometric cone system and how to write and follow a firing schedule. Precise schedules ensure glaze maturity and prevent thermal shock.

Lesson 1 • Surface Decoration Methods

Covers carving, stamping, slip trailing, and underglaze painting as decoration tools. Expands the visual language students apply to finished functional and sculptural work.

Lesson 2 • Critique and Artistic Reflection

Teaches structured self-critique and peer feedback methods to evaluate finished work. Reflective practice accelerates skill development and artistic growth.

Lesson 3 • Developing a Design Process

Introduces sketching, maquette-making, and iterative prototyping as design tools. Connects intentional planning to higher-quality and more consistent outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Building a Cohesive Body of Work

Guides students in identifying recurring themes, forms, and surfaces across multiple pieces. A cohesive body of work is essential for exhibitions and professional presentation.