Pottery for Beginners: Projects for Beautiful Ceramic Bowls, Mugs, Vases and More

by Kara Leigh Ford

Overview

Everything You Need to Get Started with Pottery

If you ever daydream about delving into pottery but aren’t sure where to begin, this is your book. Professional potter Kara Leigh Ford will be your personal pottery guide, helping you to overcome any doubts about your abilities. All you need are curiosity and a few simple tools to mold stunning stoneware with confidence. Inspiring projects and primers on equipment, technique, clay types and setting up a workspace make pottery approachable for complete newcomers, as well as budding potters who want to hone their skills. Plus, gorgeous photos from Kara’s studio offer visual guidance every step of the way.

Enter the wonderful world of ceramics with hand building, the meditative method behind your next mug, spoon set or soap dish. When you’re ready for the wheel, easy-to-follow instructions cover the foundations of throwing bowls, plates, vases and other beginner-friendly kitchenware like a pro. Each stand-alone piece builds upon a skill introduced in the previous project: Craft all ten and you’ve learned pottery’s fundamentals! Tutorials on glazing and decorative techniques will help you discover your own unique style and understand the basics of the firing process—whether in your own kiln or at a community studio—ensuring beautifully finished pieces.

Kara’s can-do approach brings handmade ceramic creations fully within reach. Whether you want to make charming home décor or thoughtful gifts for loved ones, you’ll find all you need to embark on your pottery journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645673033
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	639,509
File size:	111 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Kara Leigh Ford is the founder of Kara Leigh Ford Ceramics, where she creates and sells functional pottery inspired by the English coast. She has built a bustling online community for new and intermediate potters through Kara’s Pottery Club. Her work has been featured in The Simple Things, Homemaker and Mollie Makes. Kara has written for Ceramics Monthly and appeared on many pottery and creative business podcasts. She works in her home studio in Somerset, England.

Table of Contents

Foreword 7

Introduction 9

Curiosity and Clay: Getting to Know Clay 10

What Is Clay? 13

Five Strange and Wonderful Things You Need to Know About Clay 16

Water Is Integral to Pottery 17

Everything You Need to Get Started 19

Preparing the Clay 28

Hand Building: Creating Beautiful Pottery without a Wheel 36

Simple Hand Building Techniques: Pinching, Slab Building and Coiling 38

Hand Building Projects: Experimenting with Form and Techniques 45

Carving a Kirinuki Hanging Planter 45

Decorative Pottery Spoons 50

Rustic Soap Dish 57

Coiling an Organic Bowl 61

Simple Slab-Built Mug 70

Throwing on the Potter's Wheel: Body & Machine Working in Harmony 76

The Basics of Throwing: The Three "Cs" 78

My Top Tips for Throwing 91

Throwing Projects: Practicing Throwing Techniques with Functional Forms 95

Comforting Soup Bowl 95

Adorable Bud Vase 101

Crafting a Barrel Bellied Mug 108

Ceramic Citrus Juicer 119

Whirlpool Dinner Plate 128

Glazing: Bring Your Pottery to Life with Color 138

Six Things You Need to Know About Glazes 140

Prepping Your Pots for the Best Glazing Results 141

Basic Glazing Techniques 143

Dipping and Pouring Glazes 145

Combining Glazes 153

Decorative Techniques: Creating Texture & Pattern on Your Pots 158

Sgraffito: Carving Colored Slips 161

Decals: Printing on Clay 165

Underglaze Decal Project 167

Overglaze Decal Project 170

Stamps: Texture and Pattern on Pots 172

Firing Your Pottery: The Magic & Drama of Heat 176

Firing Temperatures 178

Cones: What Are They and Why Do We Need Them? 178

Getting a Kiln 181

How to Pack a Kiln 182

Stacking a Kiln for a Bisque Firing 183

Stacking a Kiln for a Glaze Firing 184

Troubleshooting 186

Supplier List 188

Acknowledgments 189

About the Author 189

Index 190

Editorial Reviews

Kara has generously provided knowledge for any budding ceramicist wishing to work with clay. Her words are insightful, clear and refreshingly practical. Learning with Kara feels like learning with a dear friend.”
—Tara Brault, potter and founder of Pitch Pine Pottery

“This stunning book should be on every potter’s shelves, whether beginner or professional. Jam-packed with incredible tips and ideas, this book is as informative as it is beautiful. Kara Leigh Ford is an inspiration!”
—Elizabeth Macneal, potter and author of Circus of Wonders

“This is the book I wish I’d had when I started out.”
—Joe Thompson, potter and founder of Old Forge Creations

From the Publisher

08/13/2021

Ford, founder of Kara's Pottery Club, is a mostly self-taught professional who owns a studio where she creates her art. Her first book presents fundamentals that guide the reader through 10 projects designed to build on progressively learned skills. These have clear instructions along with photos of finished pieces. The text covers properties of clay and techniques for working in this medium. Hand-building basics such as pinching, slab building, and coiling are described, followed by how to throw clay on the wheel. Glazing methods follow, including diverse ways to create texture and decorative patterns on surfaces. An overview of the kiln introduces ways to load it, temperature selection, and firing stages. This is important as firing is often relegated to teachers, which leaves novice potters out of this crucial stage. VERDICT Ford does an excellent job of demystifying the complex process of pottery making. This would be a great resource for beginning students and even experienced potters looking for fresh ideas, or to brush up on skills. —Deborah A. Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Dunwoody

Library Journal