Hand-molding of clay vessels appeared much earlier than work on a potter's wheel. And in this way you can make not only dishes, but also many other items.
Instructions
Step 1
Handmade clay modeling is still used today, but there are many techniques that are not very common today. For example, this is modeling from clay ropes. Thousands of years after its first application, craftsmen successfully use it and create many unique products. This technique is used to create products of any shape and size. This method of sculpting is especially indispensable when creating huge vessels that cannot be pulled out on a potter's wheel. In ancient Greece, potters used the rope technique to create vessels over 2 meters in size - pithos, in which wine was then kept. And in modern times, masters create sculptures of stunning magnitude using the harness technique.
Step 2
The method of work is as follows: a previously rolled clay layer is cut with a stack, the bottom is cut out of it for the future product (if we are talking about dishes). After that, sausage strands are rolled out of the clay, making sure that they are of the same thickness. Starting from the floor and rising higher and higher row by row, the bundles are laid in a spiral, thus increasing the wall of the product. The rows are fastened together with a slip - liquid diluted clay, covering the joints with fingers or special tools, stacks.
Step 3
The layered sculpting method is very similar to patchwork, and is sometimes called textile ceramics. To roll out the layers, an ordinary rolling pin is used. Placing a rolling pin under the slats, they achieve the same thickness of the entire layer. Then the parts of the pattern are cut out in a stack, and after that they are connected together in the desired order using a slip. The layered technique is suitable both for creating simple objects and for more complex, voluminous things. Textile ceramics are very popular among experienced ceramists and are popular with beginners.
Step 4
If there are ready-made forms from any materials - gypsum, plastic, wood, ceramics, - you can use the method of molding into ready-made forms when sculpting. Forms, or blanks, are both monolithic and consisting of several parts, collapsible. One mold can be used many times, and the kneading method allows you to get many of the same items. The product should be removed from the mold easily, without damage. Tiles used in stove masonry, or ladies' decorations and other stucco moldings are made using the method of kneading. Primitive ceramists used transparent stone as a form, sprinkling it with ash so that the clay would not stick to the surface. The stone was removed when the clay dried up.
Step 5
The casting method occupies a special place among others. It allows you to make with great precision a large number of identical objects with thin walls. Slip casting is based on the ability of gypsum to absorb water from clay. The clay, diluted to the consistency of liquid sour cream, is poured into a gypsum mold, and the gypsum absorbs water from the clay. A layer of gypsum over the entire inner surface of the mold is compacted and forms the walls of the future product. Excess slurry is poured out when the clay wall reaches the desired thickness. The product is removed from the plaster to dry as soon as the clay dries up a little.
