Transcript Lessons in Ceramics - Irvine Unified School District

Lessons in Ceramics
UNIT 1
Rules to Live By
 Clay teaches many lessons, quite simply:
 1. Things happen.
 2. Life's not fair.
 3. Art is temporary.
4. Air bubbles are your enemy.
 5. Nothing should be thicker than your thumb.
 Do
not fall in love with it until it is
finished.
State Standards applied in this unit:
Develop Perceptual Skills and Visual Arts Vocabulary (Grade 6)
1.1 Use artistic terms when describing the intent and content of works of art.
Make Informed Judgments (Grade 7)
4.4 Develop and apply specific and appropriate criteria individually or in groups
to assess and critique works of art.
Develop Perceptual Skills and Visual Arts Vocabulary (Grade 8)
1.1 Use artistic terms when describing the intent and content of works of art.
Step One: Carving Personal Stamp
Think about 10 ideas, objects or themes that have meaning to you, such as friends, music, truth,
family or the universe.
List them on a piece of paper, leaving about 2 inches between each word; you may use the back of the
paper also.
How can these ideas been translated into one symbol? Draw the symbol next to the words in your
list.
Make the symbol’s lines about ½” thick or use solid shapes for the idea/ geometric shapes work well
LOVE
Select 3 – 5 designs you especially like.
Using a 2” x 2” x 2” cube of clay, carve 3 or more sides into the symbols.
Puncture the cube on one side using
using a sharp needle tool
to allow air bubbles to escape
Let cube dry for 3 days or longer. We will fire it before you use it in the next step.
Step 2: How to Use a Slab Roller
Clay is so versatile that you can roll it out and make objects using what we call slab work. This
process uses a slab roller; it is just a giant rolling pin. You will need two 1” slabs cut from a
block of clay. Be sure to use a thick piece of canvas between the roller and the clay.
Please watch out for your fingers and your clothing catching inside the rolling device.
Click here for Video about How to Use a Slab Roller
After viewing the video, cut your slab using (1) a square that measures 4”x 4” and (2) a
piece of clay measuring 13.5” long by 5” high.
13.5”
4“
diameter
5”
tall
Continue Step 2:
Laying the long cut piece of clay on canvas or wood board, use your
personal stamp to create texture pressing lightly into the wet clay.
Do not press all they way through.
You may add a rope of twisted clay through the length of the clay, too
using score and slip. The principles are the same as on the video to
attach clay.
Let the clay air dry to leather-hard consistency.
Definition: Leather-hard
Leather-hard means that the green-ware has dried to the point
where it is firm but not void of visual water.
If it over dries, you can use a light spray of water to rehydrate it.
Step 4: Attach and Join Pot Side and Base
Step 4: Base and rim
The base of the pot is done similarly to the score and slip process of adding
embellishments to the exterior of the pot.
Make a tube of strong paper the a bit smaller than the diameter of the bottom
of your pot; 3 ½ “ tube. Use strong tape to hold the tube solidly.
Flip your slab and gently roll into a tube, use the tube to support the inside of
your pot as you roll it into a tube of clay. The decoration should be on the
outside of the tube.
Using score and slip procedure you can attach first, the side of the clay tube
together. Ask a friend to help if you need more hands.
Step 4: Continued
Sign the bottom of your pot before you attach the base.
Attach the bottom using hints from the following video: How to Attach a
Base
Using a palette knife and working upward from the bottom, marry the clay
base into the side walls.
Remove the tube once the base is added and let the project dry to bone hard.
Once you flip the pot to the upright position you may smooth the rim with a
wetted finger or add texture with a tool.
Definition: Bone dry (adjective) is a term used to describe and identified
greenware pottery that has dried as much as possible before it has gone through
its first firing (the bisque firing). When held, bone dry greenware feels to be at
room temperature, not cool to the touch. Coolness indicates that evaporation is
still taking place.
Be extra careful once your piece reaches the bone dry phase. Bone dry greenware
is extremely brittle and will break apart very easily. Therefore, it should be
handled as little as possible and great care must be taken when loading it into the
kiln.
If your base does not seem strong, see Mrs. Nichols for an addition means to
strengthen your seam.
After firing:
We will not be glazing this project. If time allows we will be staining this
pot.
SELF-CRITIQUE for
Lessons in Clay
Name: ______________________
[1-100] Your grade_________ Teacher grade_________
1. Effort (Did you follow instructions? Were all steps of the project turned in on time? Did you remain on
task in every class? Did you treat materials and tools respectfully? Did you begin clean-up when
instructed? Did you remain orderly and efficient during clean-up?)
[1-30] Your score__________ Teacher score__________
2. Technique (Did you create a well constructed slab, pinch, or coil vessel? Did you use even thickness
clay throughout sculpture? Are all joints and seams strong? Are all textures intentional and appropriate for
your story? Did you apply glazes thick enough to make good color and seal all cracks and crevices? Did
you keep all glaze off the bottom?)
[1-25] Your score__________ Teacher score__________
3. Story (Did story have an impact on your life? Did you state only the most interesting facts? Does your
story have a beginning, middle and end? Is your story at least three paragraphs but less than one page
long? Is it in the correct format: double spaced 12 point Times New Roman with 1” top & bottom and
1.25” side margins?)
[1-20] Your score__________ Teacher score__________
4. Elements & Principles (Does sculpture have interesting shapes and forms and pleasing rhythm,
movement and balance when viewed from all sides? Is sculpture pleasing to hold and view?
[1-25] Your score__________ Teacher score__________