12 tips to start pottery hobby - Beginner's guide. Tip 1
If you want to start pottery, it can be hard to know where to begin. Like with any new endeavor, it might seem like there's a lot of information to learn.
But don't worry, you just need to take it one step at a time. I've put together this handy list of top tips to help you get started with pottery.
Here are 12 key tips on how to start your pottery hobby:
Tip 1
Choosing a Technique When Starting Pottery Hobby There are 3 main ways to make pottery items. It's helpful to choose one technique to focus on at the beginning. The three main pottery-making techniques are:
1. Using a pottery wheel, also known as wheel-thrown pottery
2. Handmade ceramics
3. Slip casting.
Most potters eventually incorporate elements from all three pottery-making methods into their practice. However, for beginners, it's advisable to concentrate on the method that resonates with you the most. You can always explore other techniques as you gain more experience. Therefore, choose one method to begin with and dive in! Here's a summary of what each method entails. Consider which one appeals to you the most.
Using a Pottery Wheel
A pottery wheel is a tool used in pottery that enables you to shape clay. As it rotates, you shape the clay into various forms like bowls, mugs, vases, or vessels, a process commonly referred to as throwing pottery.
Pottery wheels come in different designs. Some are built for standing, while most are intended for sitting while working. Others can be placed on a table, offering the flexibility to sit or stand based on your preference.
There is a wide variety of pottery wheel brands and models available, but there's no need to fret. You can easily find an affordable wheel that provides everything you need to kickstart your pottery hobby.
Guests at our pottery studio prefer making pottery on the pottery wheel. The main reason for this is that using a pottery wheel is a lot of fun. It's challenging, enjoyable, fun, and therapeutic—all rolled into one.
Hand-built Ceramics
Hand-built ceramics involves crafting pottery without the use of a pottery wheel. Instead, you rely on your hands as the primary tools, employing different techniques to shape pots manually.
Drawing from my background in sculpture, I appreciate hand-built ceramics for its resemblance to sculpting. It's a technique that allows you to begin practicing pottery with minimal equipment requirements. All you need is some clay and a few basic tools, making it accessible for beginners.
Slip Casting
Slip is clay mixed with enough water to create a liquid. You can obtain slips of varying thickness. Some are sticky and thick, like paste. Another slip is thin and smooth enough to pour.
Slip casting involves pouring slip into a plaster mold. The slip dries in the mold and takes on the shape of the mold. Once it dries, it can be easily removed from the plaster mold. After extraction from the mold, ceramics cast using the slip casting method can be finished in several ways.
Using molds allows for the production of multiple versions of the same piece. And you can make very neat items of uniform proportions using slip.