Pottery Terms
| Earthenware | These are the three basic types of pottery, in order of coarseness. In other words, Earthenware is a very cheap, low-fire clay (about 2300 degrees F), but isn't very fine. Porcelain, however, is a very fine clay, but fires at a MUCH higher temperature. |
| Stoneware | |
| Porcelain | |
| Wedge | To knead the clay to remove excess water and air bubbles, which are both hazardous to your pottery... air pockets can make your pot blow up on the kiln! |
| Slip | A mixture of clay and water, used as an adhesive for your clay pieces. |
| Kiln | The oven-like device used to cook the clay. |
| Pyro Cone | A small cone-shaped clay piece placed inside a kiln. The cone is set to melt at a certain temperature and turn the heat switch off. This is how you regulate the temperature in a kiln. |
| Score | To make little slashes in a coil or slab so the slip sticks better. |
| Pinch | Simple type of pottery made by pinching a ball of clay. ADVANTAGE - It's quick and simple. DISADVANTAGE - had to make a pinch pot bigger than a softball. |
| Coil | Pottery created by winding coils around a base. ADVANTAGE - can create virtually any type of pot, bowl or vase. DISADVANTAGE - coils need to get leather hard to support more coils, so you can only do a little at a time. So, it takes a long time to make a good coil pot. |
| Slab | Pottery created by using leather hard rolled-out slabs, put together with slip and coils. ADVANTAGE - can make a large pot fairly quickly. DISADVANTAGE - need to make pre-determined size to measure out slabs. |
| Bevel | To cut the slabs at a 45-degree angle so the slabs can be placed together. |
| Drape / Mold | Type of pottery made by rolling out a huge slab of clay and either draping it on the outside of a bowl (drape) or pressing it inside the bowl like a pie crust (mold). Remove the bowl once the clay is leather hard. ADVANTAGE - the quickest way to make a bowl or pot on a larger scale. DISADVANTAGE - you need a bowl or pot to work with! |
| Subtractive | Type of pottery made by sculpting out a figure or object, then simply carving out the inside. ADVANTAGE - Can turn any sculpture into a container with ease! DISADVANTAGE - You must be able to make the sculpture that you want. |
| THE FIVE STAGES OF CLAY | |
| Plastic | The clay is very soft and workable... it won't stand up on it's own. |
| Leather Hard | The clay is slightly dry, and can stand on it's own... adding water to it will get it back to the Plastic stage. |
| Bone Dry (Greenware) | The clay is totally void of water... it's very light in color and weight. It's also ready to be fired. Adding water can take it back to Leather Hard or even Plastic. |
| Bisqueware | The clay has been fired in the kiln! It's as hard as a rock now. Because of the chemical reaction, it has changed color, and CANNOT be changed back with water! |
| Glazeware | The clay has been painted with a glass-based paint (called Glaze) and has been fired again... this is what makes the glaze paint so shiny! |