VIDEO LIBRARY

Recordings of Live Classes on Zoom

Highlights showing live demos of making vases
plus Q & A

Highlights showing live demos of making a textured bowl using a hump mold and applying coloured slip to accent the texture.

Questions that could be answered without a demonstration can be found below under QUESTIONS.

DEFINITIONS

A hump mold is a convex form and the clay is laid over it. 

​A slump mold is a concave form and the clay is laid inside the hollow. 

QUESTIONS

QUESTION: The coloured slip was not coming off my transfers when I made my plate. What's wrong?
ANSWER: It sounds to me like it's a moisture level issue, it could be the moisture level is too low in the slip on the newsprint, in the clay plate, or a combination of both. If the clay is too dry. You can mist the clay lightly, wait for the water droplets to evaporate and then apply the transfer. If the problem is the transfers are too dry, make new ones, and apply them as soon as the slip is no longer shiny wet.

QUESTION: What are the dimensions of the footring?
ANSWER: The footring diameter is 5 to 6 cm (but can be smaller) and the height can be whatever you like. In the video the footring is 1.5 cm high.

QUESTION: What mold do we use to make the bowl?
ANSWER: It is the one that looks like a small shallow bowl with a flat bottom. 

QUESTION: What is the slab thickness?
ANSWER: The slab thickness is the same for all the projects in the course: 4 mm (almost 1/4 inch) 

QUESTION: Does the slab need to be thicker when texture will be pressed into it making the slab thinner?
ANSWER: Only if the texture will be very deep does the slab need to be thicker than 4 mm. When adding texture with the bisque roulette or the net fabric, I have found a thicker slab is not needed.

QUESTION: Can I press in texture to the slab before I cut out the pattern pieces?
ANSWER: Yes, and then you will only have to cut out each piece one time. I like to add texture in after cutting out the pieces so I can control where the texture will appear on the finished piece. But, since pressing in texture can cause the pieces to expand, sometimes I have to lay the paper pattern on top and recut the pieces.

QUESTION: How do slump and hump molds compare?
ANSWER: With a slump mold, the clay is laid inside a concave form. With a hump mold, the clay is laid over a convex form. The advantage with the slump mold is if you leave the clay in for a long time, it's not a problem. The clay will shrink inwards and not get damaged, whereas on a hump mold, if the clay is left on for too long it can be difficult to remove from the mold and might break as it shrinks. The advantage of a hump mold is you can add feet or foot ring, while it's still in the mold. 

QUESTION: What size are the walls?
ANSWER:  the walls are made from tow pieces that are each 6.5 cm by 27.5 cm that are joined together to wrap around the bowl. The length is longer than you need it to be. As you saw in the video I cut it down as I'm assembling it to make sure that it fits exactly no matter how the base turned out because, it's not always the same every time.

QUESTION: Is there just a single layer of slip on the newspaper transfers?
ANSWER: That's correct. The slip should be so thin that you can still faintly see some of the print on the newspaper showing through.

QUESTION: My transfers are starting to dry and my bowl is not assembled yet. Is that a problem?
ANSWER: No, you can just mist the transfers lightly with water. After there aren't any water droplets lay a piece of plastic over the transfers. This will give you up to an hour to keep working before using the transfers.

QUESTION: Can I wrap my bowl now and add the transfers later?
ANSWER: Yes, you must remove the mold first. Place a plastic bag on the bat, then the bowl upside down, and wrap the plastic over the bowl. Add another plastic bag on top and tuck it under the bat.

QUESTION: I'm having a little trouble getting my wall onto my base and there's a crack that's developing in the wall
ANSWER: If the wall is partially attached to the base, then wait to repair the crack until the wall is firmly attached to the base. If the wall is not attached yet to the base, then lay the wall flat on the table and repair the crack before attaching the wall to the base.

QUESTION: At what point can you not put on the coloured slip anymore?
ANSWER: Once the clay is drier than leather hard, you cannot apply slip anymore, whether it's with a slip transfer or paintbrush that rule is the same. The slip will flake off if applied to clay that has already dried (and shrunk) too much.

QUESTION: Is there a point when a crack can't be repaired?
ANSWER: If the clay is drier than leatherhard, repairs rarely work.
​      If the clay is nearly leatherhard or is leatherhard, occasionally there can be a crack that keeps coming back after trying to smooth it away with vinegar and compression. It can be dealt with by cutting out that area of clay and just replacing it with fresh clay after scoring and slipping the area being mended. It is important to use lots of compression and to dry the pot slowly. 
      Usually, this kind of fix is not needed, and cracks can be repaired with vinegar, crosshatching and compression.

TIPS

Attaching Feet:
Ensure you get a good bond by:

• scoring deeply with the pin tool, not just the serrated rib 
• using lots of joining slip, not just use the vinegar, to join the feet to the bowl

If the feet are not well joined, a little bump to the unfired bowl could cause them to come off.

Making a Footring:
It is important that the foot ring that is exactly the same height all the way around. So, after you added your texture to the foot ring piece, if it is undulating a little bit, you need to trim it to be straight.

Highlights showing live demos of making plates and decorating them with coloured slip using stencils and transfers.

Questions that could be answered without a demonstration can be found below under QUESTIONS.

DEFINITIONS

Slump Mold - a concave mold that the clay is placed into to make a particular form

Well of a Plate - the area of a plate where the food is placed

Rim of a Plate - the area of a plate that surrounds the well. Traditional china has the decoration applied to the rim.

Coupe Plate - a rimless plate that could be considered to be a very shallow bowl.
​
Stencils are a resist method of decoration where paper cutouts, leaves, or plastic shapes are placed on the clay before applying coloured slip. When the stencil is removed, the areas masked by the stencil are the colour of the clay (unless there was already coloured slip applied).  

Transfers in this class are either:

• shape transfers that match the paper cutout, or
• drawn transfers that are created by drawing with a dull tool on the back of a transfer to create dots or lines.  

QUESTIONS

QUESTION: I forgot to compress my slab with the rib before I started making my plate. Is that a problem?
ANSWER: No, just take more time with compressing the slab with the rib into the slump mold

QUESTION: In the video, what was underneath the transfers when you were applying slip to them?
ANSWER: It was a bat made from an old countertop, like formica. The surface is hard and plastic, simular to the bats you have made from floor boards.

QUESTION: Do the transfers need to be on newspaper?
ANSWER: No, but it works best. Manilla paper is also good. Printer paper must be of heavy stock or it will tear. 

QUESTION: Can you transfer a light coloured slip over a dark one, like yellow over red?
ANSWER: Yes, but make sure the yellow has a thick application on the transfer

QUESTION: I would like to do different types of designs than in the video. Is that ok?
ANSWER: Yes, please do. I look forward to seeing what you make!

QUESTION: If I paint a background colour on half of the plate, the other half will be white, right?
ANSWER: Yes

QUESTION: Will the areas that I apply coloured slip to be food safe?
ANSWER: The areas with coloured slip will be food safe once covered in glaze.
(The pottery will also be dishwasher and microwave safe)

QUESTION: How long does it take for the transfers to be ready?
ANSWER: Today, it's taking 20 to 30 minutes depending on how thick the slip is. The timing changes based on humidity, temperature and how much water is in the slip.

QUESTION: When will the plate that has slip applied to it as a background colour be ready to have transfers applied?
ANSWER: It could take at least 45 minutes. The time will vary based on how thick the slip application is and how much water is in the slip. You can use a fan on a low setting to speed the drying process, but remember to rotate the plate periodically so it dries evenly. The plate will stay ready to receive transfers for a few hours without needing to be wrapped up.

QUESTION: Why are we using transfers instead of just using paint brushes on the potters?
ANSWER: It's hard to control the slip application with a paint brush, with transfers you can have precise shapes. 

QUESTION: Can I use a leaf as a transfer?
ANSWER: Yes, it is a multi step process and is a little fussy:

• use a piece of newspaper larger than the leaf and apply a thin layer of slip
• once the slip has a dull sheen, lay the leaf on it
• place newspaper over the who thing and burnish
• remove the top layer of newspaper and gently peel the leaf up
•  place the leaf on your clay with newspaper on top and burnish 
• gently remove the leaf and you will have a delicate print that shows the veins of the leaf!

 
QUESTION: Can I mix the coloured slips to make different colours?  
ANSWER: Yes, but the results are not predictable because the different stains used in the coloured slips have different tinting strengths. For example, yellow has weak tinting strength and red has a strong tinting strength. To mix an orange that is visually in the middle you need a lot of yellow (like 75%) and only a little of red (like 25%).

TIPS

SLAB SPECS:
Slab is 4 to 6 mm thick and at least 5 cm bigger, on all sides, than the paper plate

CLEAN WATER:
When doing a lot of slip decorating it is good to have a second container of water just for cleaning brushes

CHANGING COLOURS:
After cleaning your brush, squeeze our excess water so the next coloured slip application will not be too watery.

MORE IS BETTER:
Use a stack of at least 5 paper plates as a slump mold. If you try to make a plate in only one paper plate it will not be rigid enough.

MORE COLOR IS MORE BETTER:
You can paint more than one colour on a transfer

LEAFY STENCILS:
When using leaves as stencils, remove the leaves when the slip is no longer shiny (so it doesn't flow into the leaf area) 

JUST GO WITH IT:
If you make mistakes or don't like how a transfer turned out, just cover the area with another transfer!

Highlights showing live demos of making mugs with sgraffito decoration.

Questions that could be answered without a demonstration can be found below under QUESTIONS.

Traditionally, sgraffito is done after the entire surface has been painted with coloured slip. If the pot is freshly made, this can require waiting a few hours before being able to scratch the design. If the pot has already dried to leatherhard, then it may take about 20 minutes for the slip to dry enough to carve.

In this class we apply the slip with transfers to only specific areas, instead of the whole pot. Using transfers means that a lot of the water in the slip evaporates before it is applied to the clay. This means that we don't have to wait long before we can start scratching the design (using a hair dryer helps too...)

QUESTIONS

QUESTION: How wide should be handle be?
ANSWER: That's a really subjective thing. I like to make the top of the handle a little wider than my thumb and taper to a narrower width at the bottom. So, when I make a handle it is 3 cm at the widest part.

QUESTION: What size is the base of the mug?
ANSWER: It needs to be about 2 cm bigger in diameter than the bottom of the mug wall so it can be bent to overlap the outside of the mug.

QUESTION: When can I attach the base?
ANSWER: The wall of the mug has to be somewhat stiff before attaching the base so when paddling on the base the walls do not buckle. Letting the wall air dry for 20 minutes is usually enough, but using a hair dryer will shorten the time required.

QUESTION: What comes first, assembling the parts or adding the coloured slip?
ANSWER: You can add the coloured slip before OR after the mug is assembled. In the video the coloured slip is applied before the base and handle are attached. The important thing is to apply the transfers when they are ready: slightly damp, but no longer shiny wet. One advantage to applying the slip before assembly is the handle and/or base can be placed over the coloured slip. (This requires care so the joining slip doesn't smudge the coloured slip.)

QUESTION: Should you be wearing a mask when carving sgraffito?
ANSWER:  No, you don't need a mask because the shavings aren't really dry. However, after they fall off, they will start to dry out. If you don't clean them up right away, then dust can get into the air (and that is a health risk), so just mist the shavings with water to prevent dust getting into the air. You can also cover the work surface with newspaper, and when your done, fold it up and throw the whole thing out.

TIPS

GET MORE VISUAL IMPACT by using the coloured slips that are darker in tone so there will be more contrast with the white clay: brown, black and red.

SHRINKAGE RATES VARY from clay to clay. Plus, wheel thrown greenware will shrink more than handbuilt greenware because it has more water in it. With the clay we are using for this class, freshly made greenware will shrink 13% after the glaze firing.

DO NOT LIFT MUG BY THE HANDLE
until after it has been fired or you may end up with a mug without a handle. Always lift the mug by holding the whole body.

EASILY MAKE A PATTERN FOR A MUG by using paper coffee cup that is cut open and flattened it out.

TRANSFERS NEED A THICK APPLICATION OF COLOURED SLIP for a sgraffito design to make a homogenous transfer of color. To get a thick application, do two coats of slip with a loaded brush. You don't have to wait for the slip to dry between coats if you brush the slip on with very little pressure andhold the brush at a low angle.

TO MAKE THE WALL SEAM INVISIBLE 
after cutting the ends of the wall at 45 degrees and joining the wall together, place the mug upside down on the yoghurt container covered in newspaper AND WAIT until the walls have stiffened enough that they are not floppy. Then, use the serrated rib over the seam to blend it. Follow by ribbing with the smooth metal rib and finish with the silicone rib.

IF THE TRANSFERS ARE READY BEFORE YOU ARE gently lay a plastic bag over them to keep them from drying out more for up to an hour or so.

MAKING A SGRAFFITO CARVING GUIDE
by transferring a marker drawing onto the coloured slip is only effective if the marker shows up well on the colour of slip you are using. An alternative is to use a dull pencil to trace over the design and make a shallow depression on the clay.
​
THE OPTIMAL TIME TO CARVE SGRAFFITO is when the pot is "LATE LEATHERHARD" (like hard cheese). Then minimal burrs will form at the edges of the cuts. The shavings and clay crumbs will not be sticky anymore, and most will simply fall off the carving tool.  Using a hair dryer can speed up the drying process so you can carve the sgraffito right after applying the slip instead of waiting hours.

GET RID OF BURRS and clay crumbs that form at the edges of the sgrafitto carvings by waiting till the burrs and clay crumbs are dry. Then, use a soft brush to remove them from the pot.
​
POTS WITH HANDLES NEED TO BE DRIED SLOWLY to prevent the handle from cracking. It will dry faster (and shrink more rapidly) than the body of the pot if the pot is not wrapped in plastic or the .

IF A HANDLE CRACKS freshly made greenware before being fired, remove the handle to make a cup instead (use vinegar to smooth the area where the handle was joined to wall).​