Pottery is a sculpting art that uses clay. The document outlines the tools and steps for making pottery, which requires pounding air bubbles from the clay, shaping it on a spinning wheel, and using fingers and thumbs to open, widen the base, and pinch the rim into shape while ensuring fingers remain positioned at 4 o'clock. Making pottery takes time, patience, and an acceptance that mistakes will happen.

1. All about Pottery
By Tara Casale

2. What is Pottery
• Pottery is a form of sculpting or art using clay.

3. Making pottery
• Making pottery is not easy. It takes a lot of time and patience. You have to
be able to know you will make a mistake.

4. The Tools

5. Step One
• First you have to pound the clay so there are no air bubbles. If there are air
bubbles your pot will explode in the kiln.
• Once your clay is pounded, you shape it into a ball and put it on your wheel.
• Next you wet your clay and get your wheel spinning at a high speed. Now
you have to center your pot by putting your thumbs on top and your fingers
around it. Your hands can’t move in this step.

6. Step Two
• Now you have to open up your pot by putting your thumbnails together and
digging in to your pot. This is a very easy step, but make sure not to go too
far down or your pot will brake.

7. Step Three
• In this step you will be widening the base.
• You start by having your thumbs on the outside base of your pot together.
• Your two index fingers should be on the inside of your pot in the same
place, but pushing out.

8. Step Four
• In This step you should have your index, middle, and ring fingers on the
inside and outside of the pot.
• When you are doing this step, you should imagine your pot is a clock. You
want your fingers to always be at 4:00.
• After this you pinch your fingers on one hand into an okay sign. You use the
okay sign to pinch the rim of the pot while your index finger on your other
hand is on the rim of the pot too.

9. Pottery video