Selecting a Type of Pottery Style to Learn

The type you choose may be limited by your access to different types of equipment. Choosing a type of pottery may also be limited by your cash flow. Fortunately, there are many types to learn, and most of them can be done fairly inexpensively.

Hand-Built Pottery

The easiest type tostart with is hand-built pottery. It does not require a wheel, or a kiln, and can be learned by people of all ages.

Just because you don’t have access to high-end equipment does not mean your hand-built projects will lack creativity. There are many methods that can be utilized and combined.

Limitations: The final products rests solely on your skill level.

Benefits: It is inexpensive and accessible to anyone. There is an endless opportunity for creativity.

Types of Hand-Built Pottery:

Strictly hand-built – Pottery that is strictly-hand build involves just you and the clay. You can create any type of project that you can make with just your hands.

Combination Methods- One way to make interesting pieces is to combine or or more hand-building methods. You may find a favorite technique or two, and hone those skills. Or keep experimenting with all different methods.

Coil Pottery – This is a fun method of hand-building for kids. It involves making snake-like coils of clay and stacking them to form other shapes. Coil pottery can also be used by teens and adults to create more advanced hand-built projects.

Coil pottery can be left as coils, which have the look of a wicker basket, or they can be smoothed down so it is impossible to tell from the outside that the artist used coils.

With coils, the artist can create vases, bowls and cups of all shapes and sizes.

Slab Pottery: This type is also very versatile. Slabs can be used to make clay boxes, or geometric shapes. Slabs can even be used to make small cups. Slab pottery is also used in combination with other hand-building techniques. To make a slab, flatten and even out the clay with a rolling pin.

Form-based pottery – It may be combined with coils to make a bowl, or combined with the slab technique.

Wheel-Thrown Pottery

This is completely different than hand-built pottery. It is useful to have some instruction for this method, as it is easier to have someone showing you wheel-throwing techniques in person.

In wheel-thrown pottery the artist needs to learn how to center the clay and keep it centered. This is the most important part of wheel throwing. Wheel-throwing also involves learning how much water to use while throwing, and how to keep a steady speed on the wheel.

Limitations: There is a moderate to steep learning curve. You need access to a heavy-duty wheel.

Benefits: You can create many professional looking pieces on a wheel.