for beginning 3-d art class

1. The Process:
Stages of clay: Plastic > Leatherhard > Bone Dry
(all greenware)
Once it’s bone dry (left to dry for 7 days) it can be
loaded into the kiln

2. After the first firing….
The first firing is the “bisque fire”
Your work is in the “Bisque” state if it survived
We don’t glaze before the first firing just in case it
does explode or break (so it doesn’t stick)
If it survives the first firing it will survive the
second because it is cooler)
It is ready to be Glazed

3. Clay Types: High Fire
The first project, lump box, as made of HIGH
FIRE clay.
This clay is light grey in color while in it’s plastic
stage, and is harder and “grittier” than the lowfire
clay.
The clay turns a speckled beige color when fired.
This clay works with oxides and highfire
DIPPING glazes
Limited color supply, but more professional look

4. Clay Types: Low Fire
For the second project, rattles, we use LOW
FIRE clay and glazes.
The clay is dark grey in it’s plastic stage, and
softer than high fire clay because it does not
contain “grit” sand.
This cla,y once fired, becomes a solid white color
This clay does NOT work well with oxides.
A large variety of bright color options for glazing,
and all glazes are “paint-on” in small bottles

5. CLAY, LOOK!

6. Transformation
Rattles
Transformation:
1. (noun) a
complete change
usually into
something with an
improved
appearance or
usefulness.
the act or process of
transforming

7. Portraiture Pictured
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or
other artistic representation of a person, in which the
face and its expression is predominant. The intent is
to display the likeness, personality, and event the
mood of the person. A portrait often shows a person
looking directly out at its viewer to engage with them
on a personal level. Portraits are often important
state and family records, as well as remembrances.
Historically, portrait paintings have primarily
memorialized the rich and powerful

8. Portraits can be done in any medium
And are used to express a lot about the artist
and the person they are portraying

9. Self-Portraits

10. Portraits can be…
Realistic
Telling
Exaggerated
Emotional

11. Busts – Portraiture in Ceramics

12. Busts – Portraiture in Ceramics

13. Robert Arneson
Starting in the 1960s, Arneson and several other
California artists began to abandon the traditional
manufacture of functional items in favor of using
everyday objects to make confrontational statements.
The new movement was dubbed Funk Art, and
Arneson is considered the father of the ceramic Funk
movement
Arneson used common objects in his work, which
included both ceramic sculptures and drawings. He
appeared in many of his own pieces — as a chef, a
man picking his nose, a jean-jacketed hipster in
sunglasses.

14. For this project….
You will be using the pinch pot method
to make a rattle that represents a
person – any person – in any capacity!
Realistic or not!
Or
An invented creature, character, or
emoji!

15. Samples

18. How to make a rattle
Start with a solid ball of clay that you can cup your hands around.
Cut the solid ball in half.
Pinch out both sides as evenly as possible. The walls should be about 1/4
inch thick.
Pat each half down on the table to make the rim wider for a larger surface
area.
To make it into a rattle…
roll 3-6 small balls of clay and wrap them out to dry.
Place them inside one half of your orb, wrapped in a paper towel.
Wrap up your work for the day
When almost leatherhard, score and slip the two pinch pots
together, with the balls of clay inside.
Poke a small hole in the orb so it doesn’t EXPLODE
Let the TRANSFORMATION begin:
Make a face for your orb, transform it to have any emotion, or transform it into
something with even more significance.

19. Using the PINCH method… pinch from the bottom up, two equally sized,
rounded pots. The walls of each should be equal and should be about 1 cm
thick.

28. What will you be graded on?
Does it make noise?
Does it have a FOOT
Does it have RELIEF features?
Does it have INTAGLIO features?
Does it have a variety of TEXTURES?
Is your piece BALANCED? Physically? Visually?
Was is crafted well? CRAFTSMANSHIP?
How nice and thoughtful was the application of glaze?
Was it completed on time? BISQUEWARE? GLAZEWARE?