Wednesday, 9/8

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Today: Notes -Ceramic Vocabulary

 Ceramic
Vocabulary
Intro. to 3D Art
Ms. Yackel
 Clay
A fine-grained, firm earthy material that is
plastic when wet and hardens when
heated, consisting primarily of hydrated
silicates of aluminum and widely used in
making bricks, tiles, and pottery.
Moist sticky earth; mud.
Recycleable
 Ceramics
1.An object, such as earthenware,
porcelain, or tile, made of ceramic.
2. The art or technique of making
objects of ceramic, especially from
fired clay.
 Score
The process of roughing the
surface of two pieces of
clay that will be joined
together. A fork is used to
score clay.
 Slip
Clay that is thinned with
water or vinegar to form a
thick liquid. Slip is used on
scored areas to join two
pieces of clay.
 Wedging
A process used to prepare clay for
working. Why do you need to
wedge your clay?
a) Relieve clay of air bubbles
b) Creates consistency in the clay
c) Detect foreign objects
 Kiln
the furnace used to fire (heat) ceramic
objects

a) Bisque firing: 1600 degrees F

b) Glaze Firing: 2200 degrees F
Electric Kiln
Type most
used in
schools
Safe &
predictable
Gas Kiln
Professional
potters/studios
Gorgeous results
Watch very
carefully
Raku Firing

Typically hand-built
Outside
Unpredictable results
Watch ALL of the time
Kiln Furniture
shelves and
posts upon
which ceramic
ware is placed
while being
fired in the kiln
Decorative
Processes
 Incising
A decorative process in which a
tool carves away parts of the
clay to create a design or
pattern
 Applique
A decorative process in
which a sculptural form
is added to a ceramic
piece
Stages of Clay
 Greenware
moldable, “fresh”, plastic
 Leatherhard
rigid, dry clay, no longer
moldable, still carvable,
partially dry
 Bone dry
completely dry, free of water,
fragile, ready to be bisque-fired
 Bisqueware
Clay objects that have
completed the first firing,
ready to be glazed or painted
 Glazeware
Objects that have been fired a
second time after glaze has been
applied
 Potter’s wheel

A revolving horizontal disk on which clay is

shaped
Types of wheels: Electric or kick
Handbuilding
Techniques
 Pinch

using your fingers to

manipulate the form
 Coil

rolling out ropes of clay -

butterfly fingers
 Slab

rolling out sheets of clay -

rolling pin
Why do things blow-up in
the bisque firing?

A. Clay is still wet

B. Clay has an air bubble
C. Clay is too thick
Why does applique fall off?

A. Clay was not slipped and scored

B. The two pieces were not in the
same “stage”
C. The two pieces were not blended
together
Functional vs. Non-Functional
• Has a utilitarian • Purpose is to sit,
purpose hang, or be
• Eat off of it, drink displayed
from it, holds • To look at
water • Example: a paper
• Example: a sculpture, an oil
glazed teapot, painting
chair