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Learn about the history of ceramics, the different methods of forming clay, the stages of clay, firing in a kiln, and applying glaze. Wedging and pottery vocabulary will also be covered.
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Art I Introduction to Ceramics
TODAY • Please follow along with the PowerPoint and fill in your ceramic note sheet • Going over IMPORTANT information for our unit on ceramics • Daily grade given for being on task and participating; if you are off task/sleeping you will loose points • You will be quizzed on this information this 6 weeks and it will also be on the final exam
“Some of the oldest messages left by man of his existence on this earth are the writings he left on cave walls and the shards of the ceramic tools he used in everyday life. It would seem that the knowledge of making things out of hardened clay was not confined to any one continent or area of our world but is fairly well known to every race and culture that ever existed.” ~Don Francois Roban
What is Clay? Clay is . . . . . .a fine mixture of decomposed igneous rock materials and organic matter • Clay is continuously being formed
Over time, exposure to the elements cause the materials to break down into smaller and smaller pieces Boulders Rocks Pebbles Fine grain materials that make up clay
What is Ceramics? Objects made from any type of clay that is fired with the aid of heat
History of Ceramics It is hypothesized that ceramics came about when humans 1st learned to control fire Old methods and concepts are still used today
Historical Ceramic Origins • Anthropologists use Stone Age clues to piece together a variety of possible theories of ceramic’s origin
Storage Vessel Examples Greece 1600 B.C Some jars as tall as 6 ft Created using the coil method
Early Forms of Communication and Documentation: Cuniform Script • Early system of writing in Mesopotamia • Stylus pressed into clay tablets • Record-keeping of laws, historical events, & harvests
Cylinder Seal • Form of signature, or identification on important documents Hunting Scene 2250-2150 BCE, Mesopotamia
Mystical & Religious Purposes Pots were widely used as funerary objects in prehistoric burial grounds Contained food to accompany dead on journey to the afterlife Infants and small children Ceramic figurines and animals to protect the deceased.
Terracotta Warriors • Form of funerary art - buried with the First Emperor of Qin (He first emperor of China in 221 BCE.) • Their purpose was to help him rule in the afterlife. • Architects are currently still excavating
Hand Building : Process of forming pieces using hands without the use of a potter’s wheel; 30,000 years old
Early Methods of Forming Clay The earliest and simplest methods are still used today: Three Basic Hand Building Techniques: • Pinch Method (oldest method) • Coil Method • Slab Method
Pinch Method • Is when clay is pulled and pinched in order to shape an object with fingers • It is the oldest form of ceramic hand building
Coil Method • Is when long ropes/coils of clay that are of equal thicknesses are used to build a ceramic object
Slab Method • Is a method of rolling out clay flat to an equal thickness • Slabs can be cut into shapes and used to construct ceramic objects
6 Stages of Clay: • Slurry/Slip: Liquid clay; “glue” required to attach two pieces of clay together • Wet/Soft: Plastic clay; workable; easily manipulated ** IDEAL
6 Stages of Clay Con’t 3. Leather Hard: Clay is stiff but still damp; firm -maintains form and can be smoothed, carved, and added to; *not easily distorted
6 Stages of Clay Con’t: 4. Bone-dry (Greenware): Water has evaporated from the clay; form is brittle and ready to be fired ** Clay becomes lighter in color
6 Stages of Clay Con’t: • Bisque: fired once; ready to be glazed then fired a second time 6. Glazeware: objects that have been fired a second time after glaze has been applied
Clay may be recycled through the bone dry stage by simply rehydrating R*E*C*Y*C*L*E : **Once clay has been fired it becomes permanent – it can no longer be recycled
The Kiln: • Chamber for firing your clay • Clay MUST be Bone Dry to fire • You must fire your clay for it to become permanent
Kiln • A kiln can reach temperatures of 2,500 degrees F. and higher • Your oven at home possibly reaches 500 degrees - at the most
The Kiln • View inside
The Firing Cycle 8-12 hours to heat to maximum temperature + 8-12 hours to cool 16-24 hours for firing cycle
Glaze: • A coating of liquid glass that is applied to a clay surface that melts together and forms a decorative and protective surface
Glaze also makes your ceramic piece: • Colorful • Food Safe (check glaze label) • Water Proof
Wedging: • Process of slamming, kneading, or pushing clay
How does wedging help? • Removes air bubbles trapped in the clay • Equalizes moisture • Makes clay texture uniform • Re –forms smaller pieces into one big one **You MUST always wedge first BEFORE using your clay.
Plasticity: • Workability; • Is the quality of clay that allows it to be easily manipulated and still maintain its shape • Ideal texture for clay = play dough
Plasticity is. . . The ability to hold together while being shaped (workability) ? Does it stretch and bend without breaking? ? Test It! Wrap a coil around your finger. If it cracks, the clay is not plastic. Create the Coil Plastic Not Plastic
Moisture • All clay contains water. • Clay dehydrates when exposed to air. • Add water to clay to make it more plastic. • Too little or too much water causes clay to become less plastic. Tip: Mist clay with damp sponge. ALWAYS wrap your projects with plastic before storing.
Score: • Means the process of roughing up the edges of clay with a tool in order to join two pieces of clay together You must always: “score, slip, and press” when joining any two pieces of clay together
Functional = pottery that serves a purpose or does a job. • Ex. = dishes, vases, bowls, cups or plates
Aesthetics: • The visual beauty or pleasurable qualities of an object
Sculpture in the Round: • a free standing sculpture that is meant to be seen from all sides Chris Gustin
