Ceramist Course

Lesson 1 • Types of Clay Bodies

Compares earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain in terms of firing temperature and use. Students select appropriate clay bodies for specific project goals.

Lesson 2 • Understanding Clay as a Material

Examines clay's mineral composition, plasticity, and behavior during drying and firing. Provides the material science basis for all forming techniques.

Lesson 3 • History and Origins of Ceramics

Survey ceramic traditions from ancient cultures to contemporary practice. Establishes cultural context that informs design decisions throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Studio Setup and Safety Practices

Covers workspace organization, dust control, and safe handling of ceramic materials. Establishes habits that protect health and prevent studio accidents.

Lesson 1 • Slab Construction Basics

Introduces rolling and cutting flat slabs for geometric and organic forms. Connects slab work to functional vessel and sculptural applications.

Lesson 2 • Coil Building Fundamentals

Covers rolling uniform coils and stacking them to build height and volume. Students learn blending and scoring techniques to ensure structural integrity.

Lesson 3 • Drying and Greenware Management

Explains controlled drying to prevent cracking and warping in hand-built work. Students apply drying strategies that carry forward to wheel-thrown pieces.

Lesson 4 • Pinch Pot Method

Teaches the pinch technique to open and shape clay with fingers alone. Develops tactile sensitivity and wall-thickness control fundamental to all forming.

Lesson 1 • Shaping Cylinders and Bowls

Applies pulling skills to shape outward curves for bowls and inward curves for vases. Students practice intentional form control and profile consistency.

Lesson 2 • Trimming and Foot Ring Creation

Covers leather-hard trimming to refine walls and carve foot rings on thrown pieces. Trimming completes the form and prepares it for bisque firing.

Lesson 3 • Opening and Pulling Walls

Guides students through opening the floor and pulling clay upward into cylinder walls. Develops the core muscle memory needed for all thrown vessel forms.

Lesson 4 • Centering on the Wheel

Teaches body mechanics and hand pressure to center clay on a spinning wheel. Centering is the prerequisite skill for every subsequent throwing operation.

Lesson 1 • Designing Functional Ware Sets

Applies form development skills to plan cohesive dinnerware or serving sets. Students balance aesthetic unity with functional requirements across multiple pieces.

Lesson 2 • Throwing Lids and Galleries

Teaches measuring and throwing fitted lids with flanges and galleries for jars and teapots. Precision fitting skills are essential for functional lidded ware.

Lesson 3 • Altering Thrown Forms

Introduces paddling, faceting, and stretching to transform round thrown forms. Alteration expands design range beyond symmetrical wheel-thrown shapes.

Lesson 4 • Throwing Off the Hump

Demonstrates centering a large mass and throwing multiple small forms sequentially. Increases production efficiency and develops speed and consistency.

Lesson 1 • Reading and Writing Glaze Recipes

Teaches batch recipe format, unity molecular formula, and limit formulas for cone ranges. Students convert and evaluate recipes using standard calculation methods.

Lesson 2 • Layering and Surface Effects

Explores double-dipping, trailing, and oxide washes to create depth and variation. Students develop a personal glaze palette through systematic layering tests.

Lesson 3 • Mixing and Testing Glazes

Covers dry material weighing, wet mixing, and specific gravity measurement for consistency. Test tiles and line blends reveal glaze behavior before full application.

Lesson 4 • Glaze Application Techniques

Demonstrates dipping, pouring, brushing, and spraying for even glaze coverage. Each method suits different vessel forms and desired surface effects.

Lesson 1 • Kiln Types and Components

Compares electric, gas, and wood-fired kilns by atmosphere, temperature range, and results. Provides the technical foundation for selecting and operating kilns.

Lesson 2 • Glaze Firing Schedules

Explains oxidation and reduction atmospheres and their effect on glaze color and surface. Students set schedules appropriate to clay body and glaze chemistry.

Lesson 3 • Diagnosing Firing Defects

Identifies crawling, crazing, bloating, and pinholing and links each to its cause. Students apply corrective adjustments to clay, glaze, or firing schedules.

Lesson 4 • Bisque Firing Principles

Covers loading greenware, setting firing schedules, and achieving proper bisque maturity. Bisque firing prepares ware for glaze application without vitrification.

Lesson 1 • Concept Development for Sculpture

Guides students from idea sketching through maquette building to full-scale planning. Concept development ensures structural and aesthetic decisions are intentional.

Lesson 2 • Surface Treatment for Sculpture

Explores terra sigillata, engobes, and oxide patinas suited to sculptural surfaces. Surface choices reinforce conceptual intent and enhance three-dimensional form.

Lesson 3 • Firing Strategies for Sculpture

Addresses slow firing schedules, kiln placement, and support systems for large sculptural work. Proper firing strategy prevents thermal shock and structural failure.

Lesson 4 • Hollow Construction Techniques

Covers building hollow sculptural forms to prevent cracking and explosion during firing. Students apply coil, slab, and pinch methods to complex three-dimensional shapes.

Lesson 1 • Marketing Handmade Ceramics

Introduces craft fair strategy, online shop setup, and social media content for ceramists. Effective marketing connects studio output to buyers and builds a loyal audience.

Lesson 2 • Production Planning and Workflow

Covers batch production scheduling, kiln load planning, and studio time management. Efficient workflow increases output without sacrificing quality or creative focus.

Lesson 3 • Pricing and Cost Calculation

Teaches material cost tracking, labor valuation, and overhead allocation for accurate pricing. Students calculate break-even points and set prices that sustain a studio.

Lesson 4 • Documenting and Archiving Work

Covers glaze logs, firing records, and photographic documentation of finished pieces. Systematic records enable replication, troubleshooting, and portfolio development.