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How to start making pottery. Tall but dirty business

Pottery art initially developed as a craft that served for the manufacture of containers for meals or vessels in which bulk and liquid materials were stored. Today, it involves processing by molding on a specially designed pottery wheel, after which glaze is applied to the dried product, followed by the obligatory process. In this way, objects are made that are used in any field: household items, construction, decorations, jewelry, souvenirs. These products are called pottery ceramics, they can be found in every corner of our planet.

There are three main classes of production in pottery technology:

production of building bricks;
making clay or stone utensils;
production of more refined earthenware or porcelain objects.

Based on production technology, all classes of pottery art are similar to each other, however, there are a number of nuances that affect the final result. The main difference is the types of clay that form the basis of the product.

Story

As stated earlier, the art of pottery originated from a craft that served solely to make vessels for storing materials and food. Over time, it developed, became enriched, and today appears before us no longer in the same form as our distant ancestors saw it. Thanks to technological discoveries, new crafts began to appear, they led to the appearance of such items as fire bricks, stoneware, tiles, tiles, drainage pipes, architectural decorations and other numerous products.

Due to the fact that society began to decorate and decorate familiar clay products, pottery moved from the category of craft to the category of art. Making clay pots was popular in ancient times, ever since humanity became acquainted with the material common on the planet - clay and its properties.

The Old Testament contains several references to the profession of a potter and his products. The oldest clay vessels, even in prehistoric times, were finished by human hands and, accordingly, were irregular in shape. A little later, round and oval products are found, apparently made using a potter's wheel. History has not preserved information about the exact appearance of this circle, but mentions of it have been going on since antiquity.

It is known that the first porcelain products appeared in Asia two thousand years ago. This indicates that the pottery industry in China developed much more rapidly than throughout the world.

Each nation had its own traditions associated with this craft, which turned into art. So in African countries at the beginning of the twentieth century, pots were made by hand, the clay was dried in the sun, and the product was fired using a bunch of straw and fire.

As for Europe, here until the eighth century pottery was in complete decline. Only the Spanish Moors gave it an impetus; around the same time, products that were covered with glaze appeared.

Pottery made its heyday around the thirteenth century. The most striking splash occurred in Italy, where majolica was invented - a type of ceramics made from baked clay. Florence gave the world such a master of pottery as Luca della Robbia; his sculptures and other works are considered the pride of the nation in our time.

Using the technologies of the sculptor Robbia, Tuscan factories took another step forward - earthenware products. They were first fired with fire, then they were covered with white glaze, on which drawings were made, after which the product was subjected to a second firing, stronger than the first. Not only architectural decorations, but also flowerpots and figurines began to be made from majolica.

After the decline of pottery in Italy, France took over the baton. It was here that the clay kiln was invented.

In the Middle Ages, pottery was created and used only by the poor; the upper classes used tin, silver, and gold. Pottery art was also widely used in church decoration. Here it was used to create jugs. Churches of Novgorod, as well as temples of the Romanov times, are decorated with similar products.

At the end of the eighteenth century, entire factories began to appear around the world that were engaged in pottery making.

Ceramic products

The main difference between the types of ceramics is the composition of the mass, as well as the type of glaze from which they are made. There are two types of pottery: dense and porous.

Dense are those products that, when fired due to high temperature, merge into a homogeneous solid mass. When broken, this product resembles glass. It is translucent and does not absorb liquid, and when it hits the steel it produces sparks. An example of dense pottery is porcelain.

Porous ones, on the contrary, break easily and allow liquid to pass through. Among such products is faience.

There may be products that do not belong to either type, but are something transitional between these two types.

Dense

Hard porcelain. The mass is fused, translucent, fine-grained, elastic, homogeneous, hard, it will not yield to the action of a knife. This porcelain contains kaolin, chalk, quartz and feldspar. It is fired twice: first weakly for glazing, then strong after glazing.
Soft porcelain. It is also called French. Its content is an almost transparent lead glaze. Here, double firing is also necessary, only very strong at first, and weaker at the end.
Unglazed porcelain, or bisque. It has the usual porcelain mass.
Pariyan. It is close in mass to soft porcelain, has a yellowish tint, and is difficult to melt.
Carrara. White, translucent. Its mass is a cross between stone products and pariyan.
Stone products. They are characterized by a dense, fine-grained mass. There are ordinary and delicate products, mostly white.

Porous

Delicate faience. It is a mixture of refractory clay and silica. It is covered with a transparent glaze. The mass is opaque, ringing.
Ordinary faience, or majolica. This is a red-yellow mass, which, after firing, is covered with an opaque tin glaze.
Products made from ordinary and fire-resistant clay. This includes bricks, tiles, drainage pipes, etc.
Burnt stone mass, or, as it is also called, terracotta. Its composition is purified clay and ground fragments of finished products. It is used to decorate vases and other items.
Ordinary pottery. The mass is made from clay, clay marl, and also from opaque lead glaze.

Materials for pottery

To make brick, porcelain, earthenware, you need to do the following work: make a clay mass, shape it, dry it, fire it and cover it with glaze. The main material for making products is clay. Potters prefer to use pottery clay, which has the necessary viscosity and its temperature resistance is ideal for creating products. Despite the fact that the clay itself has a high level of plasticity, it is necessary to add auxiliary materials due to the fact that during firing it undergoes rapid and uneven compression, which turns the product into an awkward thing. To make the simplest product, you also need sand, ash, and sawdust; for products of better quality, you need fireclay - a powder that is obtained from crushed products.

To produce conventional pottery, previously mined clay must be left in air or water for one to two years. After that, it is kneaded in wooden boxes; this is done in factories and factories by special machines. This action is necessary in order to clear the clay of stones or debris. After the clay is taken out of the boxes, it is placed in piles, which are cut into thin slices with a knife. They are again placed in the boxes and kneaded again, clearing them of impurities that could remain on it. Higher grades of products, especially colorless ones, require components that must be perfectly cleaned. The basic rule of a good-quality clay mass is its uniformity. For the purpose of high-quality cleaning, the clay is divided into small pieces, which are watered and, after a day of “soaking,” thrown into kneading machines. The teeth of this machine, when rotating rapidly, cut the clay, and a stream of water passing through this chamber carries very small pieces into a special pool, while large ones remain at the bottom. The pool is designed for the next level of cleaning, where coarse particles are deposited, after which another jet carries them into the second pool. In it, the clay is completely eliminated. This technology uses only warm water because it better separates clay pieces, and the cleaning process is noticeably accelerated due to the optimal temperature.

The proportions of the components are determined for each type of product separately. Mixing of products also occurs in different ways: dry, with knives or with jets of water. When this homogeneous mass is obtained, a large number of unwanted bubbles still remain in it. This problem can be eliminated either with special equipment or with the help of feet, with which the clay is simply trampled until the required consistency is obtained.

Burning

In a narrow sense, ceramics is the same clay, but fired. Accordingly, when they say “ceramics,” they mean products made from inorganic materials (often clay), as well as their mixtures with various additives, which are produced under the influence of high temperatures and subsequent cooling.

The firing process initiates irreversible changes, after which the material turns into ceramics. Under the influence of high temperature, small particles fuse in those places where they come into contact.

When producing porcelain, technologies undergo significant changes. This is due to differences in materials, required temperatures and different properties of the components. Each source material has its own proportions, as well as a certain temperature regime:

The technology of roasting products is carried out using various methods. Nevertheless, the kiln firing process is a centuries-old, unchanging tradition. Depending on the temperature and duration of the process, products of varying quality are obtained. Therefore, the maximum temperature in furnaces in production does not change until the production of an entire batch of products is completed.

Moreover, the appearance of the finished product also depends on the composition of the atmosphere in the firing furnace. One or another degree of air oxidation can be caused. Using specially set parameters, you can even make pottery clay change color from brown to green.

Applying glaze

Some pottery works are not glazed at all. These include bricks, tiles, terracotta, pots. The so-called glazing is carried out in order to protect clay products from excess moisture. The same result was achieved in ancient times by milk firing - a method of giving products a beautiful appearance and water resistance.

Not the most expensive clay products are glazed in their raw form simultaneously with firing. This is called antsing. The essence of this action is that during firing, salt is thrown into the oven, which turns into vapor and settles on the product. In the place where it lands, a fusible compound called murava is formed.

Another coating method is to sprinkle the product with glaze, crushed into a fine powder. Often these are crude products: pots, unfired pipes, etc. Before applying the coating, the product is coated with flour paste and fired.

The essence of the third method is that the product is doused with glaze, which has the consistency of cream. This method is used to coat solid products that practically do not absorb liquid. For example, some types of porcelain and earthenware.

And the last method is that porcelain and earthenware are placed in a container with glaze. This method is intended for those products that are lightly fired and initially absorb liquid. The glaze is ground into a fine powder and mixed with water. A product is placed in this liquid, which resembles milk in consistency, to absorb this mixture. It is possible to make a drawing on this glaze.

Art therapy

In the modern rhythm, everyone finds their own way to relax. One of the most beautiful and unusual methods is to take up pottery. There are two ways to try yourself in this art. The first is to buy a pottery wheel and the necessary materials to practice on your own. A pottery workshop in your own home is not only stylish and fashionable, but also incredibly exciting for you, your family and friends. In this case, you can feel like a free artist, try different forms, relying on video tutorials.

The second way is a pottery school. In a class of beginners like yourself, you will have the opportunity to try on the role of a creator of beauty, an artist and a sculpture.

Psychologists say that pottery is a great way to cope with stress, become more balanced and attentive. Art therapy, according to experts, is one of the best methods of combating depression and other nervous disorders. Spending time at the pottery wheel helps to organize thoughts, distract from minor everyday troubles and find a way out of a difficult life situation. “Complete dedication to your work will not solve your problems, but it will definitely help you find ways to solve them,” doctors say unanimously.

DIY products

Every home contains clay, ceramic or porcelain products. In conditions of mass production, it is difficult to surprise someone with factory-made dishes or a flower vase.

Pottery making is an incredibly fun and exciting activity for the whole family. You can have fun, learn a new job, develop skills and dexterity.

After attending your first pottery master class, you will be able to make your own pot. Attentive teachers usually treat beginners with patience, guiding them and helping them in everything. Pottery art helps to cope with minor stress and distracts from the everyday hustle and bustle. And the products that you make yourself will be a reason to be proud of your next victory over yourself. In addition, after you work in a circle and make your own pot, you will have the opportunity to paint it with your own hands. Here you can show all your imagination. This product will be a wonderful gift for a loved one.

Parties, birthdays and corporate events spent in such an unusual activity are popular. This is a good opportunity to communicate, get to know each other better and see the creative potential of your friends. In addition, such a holiday will certainly be remembered for its unusualness and originality, and products made independently at the pottery wheel will be an excellent gift in memory of a wonderful day. And someone, perhaps, will discover their talent and take this business seriously in order to open their own museum of pottery art in the future. Children will especially enjoy this activity. If they are good at sculpting from plasticine, then you should try sending them to a pottery school. This will help develop hand motor skills, have a beneficial effect on the baby’s mood, and will also open up the child’s creative potential. An interesting and exciting hobby develops attention, imagination and thinking.

Hobby or business?

In the modern world, pottery is very popular. They belong to the category of products that are always in demand and relevant. Each house has dishes, vases, pots, various figurines and souvenirs. It has been developing into art for many centuries and is popular and in demand. Therefore, the passion for pottery is increasingly developing into a real business. Having your own pottery workshop is a very profitable business, because the main raw material is clay - a free material that literally lies just under our feet. Beautiful, original, designer products can bring good income to the manufacturer. A pottery master is a profession for the soul. You can diversify the world around you, get a unique hobby that will bring you profit, and also reveal your creative potential.

Pottery art is popular all over the world. Despite the fact that it is several decades old, it will never go out of fashion.

Few people can imagine that you can earn quite impressive money from such little things as figurines, photo albums, watches, refrigerator magnets, pots and vases.

However, this is true. In Russia, the souvenir trade brings very significant profits, and forecasts for the further development of this business are very rosy. It turns out that your own pottery workshop is quite capable of bringing you a stable and considerable income.

Business organization

If you decide to organize your own business, you must understand that there are certain subtleties here. A pottery workshop can be opened with as little as $10,000, which may not be considered that much of an investment. You will need to find a room whose area should be 50-80 square meters.

If you are interested in how to equip a pottery workshop in a private house, then you should understand that if you have such free space, this is already quite possible. You will also need a small warehouse where finished products will be stored. It is also necessary to purchase some equipment, namely: scales, with the help of which the clay mass will be accurately dosed, a kiln for firing products, a pottery wheel, and also a kneading machine. To create photo frames and refrigerator magnets, you will need to stock up on a variety of molds.

Peculiarities

If you are interested in a pottery workshop, then you should know that the production technology is not too complicated, as it might seem at first glance. First, clay is kneaded, and for each type of product it can be of different varieties - red, white, with admixtures of limestone, sand and other things. After mixing, the clay is placed on a potter's wheel, in molds or on a molded board. After the product has dried, it is sent to the oven.

So, when drawing up a business plan for a pottery workshop, you should understand that you won’t be able to organize a business alone. You must employ qualified workers. It is not at all necessary to look for professionals; it is important that everyone has their own responsibilities and scope of work. It usually takes about two hours to make one pot.

Financial side of the issue

Naturally, a pottery workshop requires certain financial investments. As already noted, they are necessary for renting premises and purchasing equipment and tools for work. As the business develops, it will be possible to purchase new molds in order to master the production of other products.

Pottery production technology

To make a product from clay, it first needs to be kneaded. Different types of raw materials can be used for different products, which will affect their quality. Next, the formation process takes place. For this purpose, molds, a pottery wheel and a molded board are used. After the formation is completed, the product must be dried and then fired. It is important to know the technological process well. Due to poor quality of the molding or incorrect determination of the initial drying time, it may turn out that 20-30% of your products will be defective.

Organization of the production process

So, if you already have equipment for a ceramic workshop and it is located indoors, then you should know that you should not take on the production process alone. You will need several specialists with whom you can organize and establish a continuous production process. These should not be super-masters, since it is important for you to develop your business and not make money from your competitors.

Each of them must take on his own area of work. The first one carries out the mixing of clay, which will also require a clay mixing machine, the second one forms future products, and the task of the third one will be firing. When each of them achieves proper professionalism in their operation, their teamwork will lead to high quality work.

One pot takes approximately 2 hours to produce, with 10 minutes each for kneading and shaping, and firing for the rest of the time.

Sources of income

So, a pottery workshop must generate income. And due to what? Molded clay products always find their buyer. However, it is not always easy to come to an agreement with representatives of supermarkets or owners of souvenir shops. Various overheads may appear in the form of kickbacks.

In addition, the conditions for selling products are not always favorable for the supplier. If the batch of goods of one type exceeds a thousand pieces, you can try to become a supplier for the Russian souvenir chain. If products are sold to a small store, then their volume should be smaller.

If you have a pottery workshop, you can open training courses on its basis. A lot of people are willing to pay for such an activity to take a break from their daily lives. Once you can attract people and get them interested in pottery, then gradually you can think about organizing advanced training courses.

Next, you will need to hold various competitions, exhibitions, and competitions. However, such a pottery school will require additional costs. Classes should be organized in a room located within reach of public transport. Students will need additional materials and equipment.

The owner of a pottery workshop may well be interested in another source of income - making custom clay products. It is quite possible that you will receive an order for the interior design of a room, which is considered a great success: it could be the interior of a restaurant, theater, bar, or country house.

Perfect option

The workshop is working on the production of large quantities of pottery products, which are sold to supermarkets and wholesalers. The school is constantly engaged in training and conducts mastery courses. The production of new goods in small batches works separately. And the entrepreneur always controls the quality of products and monitors all processes. If a person is busy with his own business, which he loves, all this turns out to be quite possible. This is what an ideal pottery workshop should be like.

Is pottery making a future as a business? This trade opens up opportunities for creativity, learning and earning money. Its history goes back thousands of years: many centuries ago, people sculpted vessels and pots from clay, decorated them with carvings and glazes. Mass production of tableware in the 21st century has shifted pottery to the entertainment industry. We tell you what the technology of pottery production is, what materials are used for production and how you can make money.

History of pottery

Pottery production has been known since ancient times. This craft created containers and vessels necessary for everyday life. The main material for it is clay. The history began with manual production: a master sculpted a product from a piece of clay, and then fired it in a kiln or dried it in the sun (in hot countries). However, quite a long time ago, at the beginning of the first millennium, a pottery wheel appeared - a machine that, using the force of rotation, gives products an even, symmetrical shape. In addition to the beauty of the vessels, this device provides a higher production speed.

In addition to making tableware, potters produced bricks, tiles, drainage pipes, and even architectural decorations. It is interesting that in the Middle Ages they came up with the idea of using clay vessels to improve the acoustics of temples: they were walled up in the walls. These can be seen in Novgorod, Pskov and Moscow.

Russian pottery masters also worked with their hands and on wheels, creating objects that were in demand and needed in everyday life. This skill was not rare: in every family there were people capable of making the necessary vessel. Since the end of the 19th century, home-produced dishes were replaced by factory ones, and pottery moved from the sphere of vital skills to the field of folk art and hobbies.

Pottery - making dishes, various vessels, toys and even architectural elements from clay

Pottery production materials

The main material for pottery production is clay. A special potted variety is considered optimal for making vessels, although there can be quite a few variations in the composition of the clay mass. They are divided into dense (porcelain, biscuit, pariyaan) and porous (faience, terracotta). Clay may contain quartz and gypsum. These components make the products more durable.

Most often, finished products, but after firing, are painted with glaze. The goals are not only decorative, but also practical: the paint prevents moisture from penetrating the product and destroying it. There are several ways to apply glaze: painting, sprinkling, pouring or hand painting.

Production technologies

Pottery making for beginners at home is a completely feasible task, although working in a special workshop is much more convenient. The reason for the simplicity of this business lies in its antiquity: initially people worked manually or with the help of very simple devices, and the skill of sculpting itself was very widespread.

The manufacture of the product begins with the preparation of the clay mass. The quality of the vessel depends on its quality and features. Usually the so-called pottery clay is used; its composition is considered optimal. The homogeneity and density of the mass is important. Nowadays such material can be easily purchased in hobby stores. Preparing clay yourself is problematic: you need to find a good place, collect material, clean it of stones and foreign impurities.

When the mass is ready, you can begin molding or sculpting. Some types of products are made in molds and frames, vessels are formed on a potter's wheel, figurines and whistles are sculpted by hand. This can be a creative or purely mechanical process, depending on the wishes and goals of the artist.

Burning

The formed product must be fired so that it maintains a stable shape. Clay is fired at very high temperatures - from 1000 degrees. Different mass compositions require a certain temperature:

clay - 1000–1200 degrees;
ceramics - 1100–1300 degrees;
porcelain - 1200–1400 degrees.

Difficulties may arise with low-quality compounds. For example, there are examples when purchased powdered clay began to boil at a temperature of 750 degrees and the product deteriorated. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful when choosing raw materials and check manufacturers so as not to waste time and money.

It is advisable to use gas or electric ovens: they are easier to operate, they do not produce soot and soot, which spoil the surface of the products. The atmosphere in the kiln during firing also affects the appearance of the vessels and figurines. For example, you can cause the clay to oxidize and give it a more brownish tint.

The basis of the workshop is the pottery wheel

Applying glaze

Glaze is the glassy coating on clay products. Its purpose is not only decorative. First of all, glaze is necessary to protect the product from moisture, which can get into its structure and destroy it. The protective coating is applied during or after firing. The basis of this coating is quartz, kaolin and feldspar. To make the glaze colored, metal oxides and salts are added to the composition.

Methods for applying glaze to pottery:

When painting, defects sometimes occur, such as bubbles or cracks. The pottery maker must anticipate their causes and prevent them. To do this, you need to ensure uniform application, grind the raw materials for the glaze and select the correct temperature for firing.

Necessary equipment

The basis of the workshop is the pottery wheel. This device is quite familiar to everyone: a rotating device that allows you to form symmetrical volumetric products. There are several varieties:

manual (set in motion with one hand, and you need to work on the workpiece with the other hand);
mechanical foot (the rotational force is provided by the legs, both hands are free to work);
electric (the most common now, rotation is provided by electric current, the master works only on the product).

For business, especially if you plan to teach pottery, you need an electric wheel. A compact machine can be purchased for 30 thousand rubles, a more professional one - for 45 thousand. The rotating part of the circle is called a tournette. One tournette is necessarily included with the circle, but you can buy additional ones, for example, in large and smaller sizes.

In addition to the pottery wheel, a muffle kiln is required: it is capable of heating to a certain high temperature (up to 1400 degrees) and maintaining this temperature for the required period of time. You can buy a kiln for pottery making on average for 30-40 thousand rubles, but it is better to budget a larger amount - around 100 thousand rubles. The firing time depends on the material and volume of the product. Sometimes it is necessary to fire the clay 2-3 times for glazing.

How can you make money?

Pottery now is more of a folk craft than a method of production. A craftsman working on a potter's wheel will not be able to compete in production volumes with industrial enterprises. And the quality of its products will most likely be inferior.

An option for making money in pottery production is making decorative toys, whistles, and bells. They are sold in museums, souvenir shops, and tourist shops.

The most promising in terms of income seems to be a pottery master class. The opportunity to try yourself in a new role, work with your hands, make a memorable souvenir or a useful household item attracts many. Children and adults enjoy attending such lessons. It is possible to organize pottery courses only if the entrepreneur already has skills in this craft (otherwise it will not be possible to teach people).

Let's look at each option in a little more detail.

There are several options for making money from pottery, one of which is training

Pottery

The sale of pottery - dishes, household vessels, as well as decorative figurines and whistles - can generate income. Such souvenirs are not produced en masse, although the demand for them among tourists is quite high. If you can find sales channels in this direction, you can make a profit during the spring-summer season and New Year holidays.

You shouldn’t expect big money: one figurine sells for an average of 100-150 rubles, with a cost of up to 30 rubles. If you make 500 pieces, you can earn 75,000 rubles. The downside of this method is that creating such souvenirs is not as easy as it seems at first glance. You need neatness, nice colors and original ideas.

Another idea is to sell dishes and vases online. The tendency to use only natural materials in the interior will work in favor of the master. If you photograph your products beautifully, talk more about them and regularly maintain pages, you can find many clients.

Master classes for children

Another more lucrative direction is master classes for children. Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities have already joined this work. The advantage is that the audience of potential visitors is simply huge, and special knowledge is not needed to conduct children's master classes. Children value impressions, not knowledge and skills. Often such classes are attended by families.

Classes are held in small groups and last on average 1.5 hours. Children are told a brief history of pottery, shown finished products and taught how to work with clay.. This is an easy and enjoyable job. The only downside is the cost: you need to rent a large room, renovate it, put in furniture and buy several pottery wheels. One oven is enough. Lesson programs should also be developed and variability should be provided for different ages.

Education

You can also earn money through more advanced training. Some people are really interested in learning pottery at an advanced level. Perhaps they plan to make money from this later or build a business, so they are ready to pay for lessons. This area of work should be combined with children's master classes and independent production.

Not quite the usual option - books. If the master has already accumulated solid work experience and knows the craft well, you can try to write a training manual and publish it in a small edition.

Many people are willing to pay to learn how to work on a pottery wheel and make their own dishes

Financial investments and payback

You will have to spend an average of 150 thousand rubles on equipment for the workshop: a stove and a pottery wheel. Working tools like thread, modeling kits - another 10 thousand rubles. Raw materials for several months of work - approximately 30 thousand.

Suppose an entrepreneur plans not only to produce on his own, but also to train other people. Then there will be more costs: several pottery wheels, rent and renovation of premises, more tools and raw materials, as well as advertising. All this can be done on average in 500 thousand rubles. The total cost of starting a business will be 800 thousand rubles.

We found out that you can earn approximately 75 thousand rubles per season by selling products. The main part of income should come from master classes. A 1.5-hour lesson costs from 500 rubles, groups - 10-12 people. If you conduct 4 classes a week in fully loaded groups, you can earn 24 thousand rubles in a week, and 96 thousand in a month.

It is quite possible to earn 100 thousand rubles a month in your own pottery workshop. Taking into account the purchase of consumables, payment of rent and utilities, all investments can be recouped within 8-12 months of active work.

Starting to create clay masterpieces at home, do not rush to purchase a pottery wheel. After all, there are a large number of different techniques that, at first, will allow you to better “feel” the material, learn about its properties and “behavior” during and after work.

Historically, most of these techniques predate shaping on the potter's wheel: hand sculpting appeared long before the invention of the potter's famous tool. The main tool of a true master of sculpting is his hands, and clay is only a material that obediently reflects the imagination of the creator.

You can sculpt from pieces of clay, assembling a whole from individual parts. This method is called constructive. It is suitable for making various small decorative elements: toys, saucers, mugs. A striking example of such modeling is the famous Dymkovo toy. When sculpting from individual parts, the work begins with the formation of a large part, and then additional elements are literally glued to it, but so that the seams of the joints are not visible.

The second popular sculpting method– plastic – from a whole piece: all parts are formed from one piece of clay. That is, a lump of clay must first be rolled into a ball, and then additional elements must be pulled out of it with gentle movements.

The third method is combined. As the name suggests, it combines several types of modeling: structural and plastic. For example, a bowl is molded from a whole piece, and handles are attached to it.

For the manufacture of various types of vessels by hand sculpting (without using a potter's wheel) different techniques are used. Below are a few of the most common ones.

Spiral technology from bundles: Initially, strands are made from clay, which are wound onto an imaginary figure, forming a real product, circle by circle. Even in ancient times, this technique was valued for the fact that it made it possible to create very large vessels: those that could not be made on a potter's wheel.

Molding from stripes somewhat reminiscent of the spiral technique. However, it is much more difficult for beginning potters: first you need to roll out the layer, then cut it into strips. The first strip is laid on the base with a notch, the next one is attached to it, and another notch is made at the junction (inside). Then a thin flagellum is placed on this notch from the inside, and the seam is covered. All subsequent stripes are added in a similar way - they gradually “grow” into the figure conceived by the author.

It should be remembered that the blank will simply “not lag behind” the product, so it must be wrapped in a plastic bag or covered with paper. And within a day (until the figure dries completely) remove it from the resulting clay product.

One of the most mysterious pottery methods Modeling of vessels on rope is recognized: archaeologists have many times found vessels with rope ornaments inside. The question arose: for what purpose did ancient craftsmen decorate vessels from the inside? The answer was hidden precisely in the method of making samples, and not in decorative techniques: a certain blank was wrapped with rope; a vessel was sculpted from the resulting blank; then the rope was unwound, which made it easy to remove the vessel from the workpiece.

Talking about decorating pottery, it is worth mentioning special techniques: molded patterns, relief modeling, rope print, painting.

Beginners should know and the fact that solid objects (colored glass, beads, etc.) cannot be used as decoration for clay products until the sample is completely ready: when drying and firing, the clay contracts and literally squeezes out all the “foreign bodies,” which often leads to deformation and damage products.

Ceramic vases, pots, tea sets, candlesticks, plates, whistles and even musical instruments - you can create all this yourself.

To learn how to make ceramics with your own hands, the main thing is desire. Before becoming a ceramicist, try making a simple trinket out of clay, and you will understand whether it is worth spending money on buying equipment for the work. If something doesn’t work out, it doesn’t matter, soak the scrap and make a new figure out of it; before baking, the product can be modified endlessly.

What is ceramics made from and where to get materials for work

Ceramics is fired clay, which is the main material in the work of a ceramist. In contrast, natural is of natural origin; it is extracted from the bowels of the earth without subjecting it to chemical or other types of processing.

Experienced craftsmen, in order to save money, extract and prepare raw materials themselves. This process involves several stages and is unlikely to deserve attention if you are just starting out and live in the city.

Clay for making ceramics must be greasy and free of pebbles and other debris, otherwise the craft will crack during baking. The finished mass is stored under certain humidity conditions.

Natural clay happens different types:

White is the most common, initially has a grayish tint, and after heat treatment it acquires a pleasant ivory shade.
Red – contains iron oxide, which gives the raw material a greenish tint. The main color of the raw material is brown, after firing the products become red. It lends itself well to modeling, does not crumble, and is ideal for sculptures and large items.
Porcelain – gray when raw and white after baking.
Blue - more often used in cosmetology and folk medicine.
Black or dark brown ceramic mass is the hardest clay, taking on an ivory hue after being kilned.

Also clays for ceramics classified by temperature processing for low-melting, medium-melting, refractory.

It is most convenient to buy ready-made pottery clay, focusing on the fraction size, color after firing at different temperatures and other characteristics and quality indicators. The cost depends on the manufacturer, packaging, texture. There are ready-made masses with additives for various tasks - modeling, molding, potter's wheel.

In addition to clay, you need glazes and enamels to coat products, pigments to give hand-made ceramics the desired shade, special additives to improve properties and heat treatment.

Used for gluing parts slip mass- a kind of glue made from diluted clay. If you simply connect the elements, they may fall off when heated. All this is sold in specialized stores for ceramists.

Methods for making ceramic products

There are several ways to transform clay into a beautiful ceramic product.

Modeling- the most affordable way to make ceramic products with your own hands at home. Souvenirs, sculptures, dishes, toys or other crafts are sculpted by hand, as if from plasticine, helping themselves with special stacks or improvised devices.

Pottery requires a rotating circle. With the help of this ancient craft, vases, jugs, pots, plates, and cups are still created today.

Cooldown– the easiest option for making ceramics for beginners. The work uses a plaster mold, into which soft clay is placed, and after hardening, the figured product is removed. Plaster molds are attractive because they absorb excess moisture, helping the clay product to harden and dry.

Casting– forms are also used here, but of a different type. The diluted clay is poured into molds, the blanks are dried, removed and painted.

Clay crafts gain strength only after firing - processing in pottery kilns at temperatures from 900 to 1300 degrees. Finished souvenirs are coated with acrylic paints or a special glassy glaze for ceramics. In the case of glazes, another firing is required after coloring.

If you want to get a natural shade, use milking - cover an unpainted baked ceramic figurine with milk in several layers and bake again at lower temperatures.

Pottery kiln - types and preferences

Previously, kilns for firing ceramics were furnaces dug in the ground and heated exclusively with wood. Modern pottery kilns come in gas, electric and wood. The latter, as a rule, are made by hand and are suitable for use in private households. In apartment conditions, it is most convenient to work with electric ovens; for larger volumes, you can choose a gas oven.

The metal body of such furnaces contains a refractory brick or other material that retains heat and is not afraid of heat. Ventilation holes are provided to remove moisture; the ceramic firing process is controlled by a program controller. Electric pottery kilns are not a cheap pleasure. The price depends on the manufacturer, volume, power.

There are models with vertical and horizontal loading and bell-type ones on sale. According to the type of location of the heating element, pottery kilns are divided into muffle and chamber kilns. IN muffle it is located around a container made of refractory material (muffle). In chamber heaters, the heater is located inside, which reduces heat loss and makes the equipment more economical.

With a little effort, you can make a kiln for firing ceramics at home with your own hands, using refractory bricks and something for the body, for example, an old washing machine.

Baking is the most important process that does not forgive mistakes. Sometimes even experienced craftsmen see a worthless defect instead of the expected masterpiece. The products are never taken out immediately; they must cool in the oven.

How to choose a pottery wheel

Pottery wheels are needed for sculpting round objects, so you don’t have to buy this tool right away. If you are just learning ceramics, start with sculpting or kneading. Circles come with manual, foot and electric control.