pottery for beginners

How to Center Clay — A Beginner’s Guide

by

Download

This is my ultimate guide on how to centre clay on the potter’s wheel, (centre, center? Yes I’m using both spellings, both English and American, so it’s searchable for people all over the world). I’ve tried to go into as much detail as possible to thoroughly explain each little step along the way as well as showing you how to fix certain errors and discussing all the little tips and tricks I have. Enjoy, and I hope this video is useful! Let me know if it is in the comments below.

• How to wedge clay video:
• How to center clay:
• How to pull up the walls of clay:
• How to open up and form the base:
• How to lift pots off the wheel:
• How to throw a bowl:

• Trimming tips and tricks:

? • PRE-ORDER MY BOOK:

⏱ • Timecodes:
0:00 – Introduction and discussing the importance of preparing clay, (wedging)
0:50 – What shape to make the wedged up balls of clay
1:23 – How to sit at the wheel properly
1:41 – Positioning of left arm, the ‘anchor’
2:02 – How to slam the clay down effectively
4:21 – How to position left arm and push upper body weight onto the clay
5:10 – Water/slip usage
5:36 – Using little finger to seal the base of the clay
6:00 – Introducing vertical pressure
8:01 – The centred shape I’m after
8:26 – Scraping the ball of clay if it feels gritty
9:02 – Discussing the speed of the wheel
9:53 – How to position hands as to not grind your skin
10:32 – Pinching fingers and focusing on stability
11:18 – Using the leftover ‘skim’ of clay to help stick down the balls of clay
11:37 – Coning the clay
13:50 – How to remove your hands from the clay as not to introduce a wobble
15:20 – The importance of centring
____

Instagram –
TikTok –
Website –

How to Center Clay and Throw Pots on the Pottery Wheel

by

Download

This video goes over the basics of how to centre clay, throw a pot on the wheel and thereafter how to remove it neatly, alongside many other tips and tricks that might help you learn how to throw. These tips reflect my way of making and there are, in fact, numerous subtlety different ways of doing each step, so definitely search for others videos to find another perspective on how to do things. I hope you find this video useful and thanks for watching!

If you’d like to watch the other parts of this series you can find them here:

• How to wedge clay video:
• How to center clay:
• How to pull up the walls of clay:
• How to open up and form the base:
• How to lift pots off the wheel:
• How to throw a bowl:

• Trimming tips and tricks:

📖 • PRE-ORDER MY BOOK:

Timecodes:
0:00 – Introduction
0:41 – Importance of wedging clay and a recommended weight to begin throwing with
1:20 – How to centre the clay
4:20 – How to cone the clay up and down
6:45 – Removing the gritty surface
7:34 – Opening up the lump of clay
10:34 – Pulling up the walls of the pot
15:22 – Using a sponge to throw
16:25 – Cleaning up the pot to be lifted away
18:38 – Discussing the rim of a pot
20:02 – Cutting off an uneven rim
21:15 – How to remove the pot from the wheel
____

Instagram –
TikTok –
Website –

How to Make a Pottery Mug, from Beginning to End.

by

Download

I’ve been waiting a long time to slowly accumulate the footage for this video. It’s another long one and it shows how I make a stoneware mug from beginning to end. I probably missed a lot in the video information wise so if there’s anything else you’d like to know, please do leave it as a question in the comments and I’ll do my best to reply.

Timecodes:
0:00 – Introduction
0:16 – Preparing clay
1:35 – Throwing mug
3:51 – Explaining throwing mirror
4:21 – Flipping mugs onto their rims
4:49 – Discussing trimming chuck
5:06 – Trimming mug
7:19 – Showing mug cross section
7:40 – Pulling handle ‘blanks’
9:39 – Attaching handle
10:43 – Pulling handle
12:22 – Cleaning up finished mug
13:00 – Wrapping up chuck
13:27 – Packing bisque kiln
15:20 – Unpacking bisque kiln
16:12 – Waxing mug base
16:50 – Glazing mug
17:45 – Cleaning glazed mug
18:59 – Preparing cone for the kiln, cones 8, 9 & 10
19:57 – Packing gas kiln
21:45 – Firing gas kiln
25:01 – Unpacking gas kiln
25:44 – Finished mug

Thanks for watching, especially if you made it all the way to the end!
____

Instagram –
TikTok –
Website –