Step-by-step instructions complete with color photographs. Includes a chapter on bisque firing, waxing, and glazing. 4 basic pottery projects for the beginning potter.

This book is a basic introduction to pottery. It covers everything the beginner needs to know to start making beautiful ceramics. Step-by-step photographs and clear instructionsguide you through the techniques for making, decorating, and firing pottery and twelve simple projects allow you to put your skills into practice. Chapters include an introduction to types of clay, basic modelling methods such as throwing, pinching, coiling and turning. Key techniques are taught for biscuit and glaze firing. Each progressive project develops a new skill, and then teaches you how to add texture and decorate your vessels using inlays, slips, sgraffito, feathering, burnishing and resist techniques.

“A definitive guide for every step of pottery making, from styling small tools to building one’s own kiln” (Publishers Weekly). At one time or another, every potter gets frustrated at the wheel. Whether struggling to center the clay or attach a handle with precision, potters of all levels crave advice and answers, and world-renowned ceramicist and YouTube sensation Simon Leach has plenty to give. In Simon Leach’s Pottery Handbook, he presents clear tutorials and loads of original instruction on all of the core techniques, from studio setup to basic throwing, to applying appendages, trimming, glazing, and firing. For each technique, detailed step-by-step photography captures the subtle, intricate movements. Praise for Simon Leach’s Pottery Handbook “An amazingly detailed, step-by-step text for all major processes in ceramics. The in-depth perspective starts with his directions for making simple tools (a wire tool and a sponge stick) and is bolstered by charts and information-packed sidebars (e.g., for removing air bubbles and troubleshooting your first pull). Every topic that novices must master is covered, such as working basic shapes (cylinder and variations dishes) trimming, decorating and glazing, and firing.” ?Booklist “Among how-to books, this volume stands out. This gem is as carefully honed as the skills it seeks to share.” —American Craft “For those of us who learn best with a combo of text and demonstrations, Simon Leach’s new book is the perfect fit.” ?Ceramics Monthly

Take your work to the next level! Join ceramic artist Deb Schwartzkopf for a journey that will help you grow as a functional potter, whether your background is in wheel-throwing or handbuilding. Creative Pottery begins with a quick review of where you are in your own journey as a potter. If you need to brush up on the basics, help setting goals, or pointers on how to translate your inspiration into your work, you've come to the right place. The rest of the book is a self-guided journey in which you can choose the techniques and projects that interest you: Go Beyond the Basics and learn how to throw or handbuild a bottomless cylinder. Then explore seams and alterations for projects like a vase, sauce boats, dessert boats, and a citrus juicer. Flatter Forms takes your throwing and trimming horizontal. Make beautiful plates and learn how to make the jump from plate to cake stand. Master Molds and use them to open a new world of possibilities. Make spoons, platters, and asymmetrical shapes like an out-of-round serving dish with molded feet and a thrown rim. Compose with Multiple Shapes to make two-part forms like a butter dish or a stacking set of bowls. Make a pitcher out of two simple forms and then take it further by exploring handles and spouts for a proper teapot. With compelling galleries, artist features, and guided questions for growth throughout, this is a book for potters everywhere that want to go beyond the basics, learn new skills, and unlock their creativity.

'I always keep a copy of Art & Fear on my bookshelf' JAMES CLEAR, author of the #1 best-seller Atomic Habits 'A book for anyone and everyone who wants to face their fears and get to work' DEBBIE MILLMAN, author and host of the podcast Design Matters 'A timeless cult classic ... I've stolen tons of inspiration from this book over the years and so will you' AUSTIN KLEON, NYTimes bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist 'The ultimate pep talk for artists. ... An invaluable guide for living a creative, collaborative life.' WENDY MACNAUGHTON, illustrator Art & Fear is about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. Drawing on the authors' own experiences as two working artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making art in the real world, and shows how they can be overcome every day. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. Written by artists for artists, it offers generous and wise insight into what it feels like to sit down at your easel or keyboard, in your studio or performance space, trying to do the work you need to do. Every artist, whether a beginner or a prizewinner, a student or a teacher, faces the same fears - and this book illuminates the way through them.

In A Potter's Workbook, renowned studio potter and teacher Clary Illian presents a textbook for the hand and the mind. Her aim is to provide a way to see, to make, and to think about the forms of wheel-thrown vessels; her information and inspiration explain both the mechanics of throwing and finishing pots made simply on the wheel and the principles of truth and beauty arising from that traditional method. Each chapter begins with a series of exercises that introduce the principles of good form and good forming for pitchers, bowls, cylinders, lids, handles, and every other conceivable functional shape. Focusing on utilitarian pottery created on the wheel, Illian explores sound, lively, and economically produced pottery forms that combine an invitation to mindful appreciation with ease of use. Charles Metzger's striking photographs, taken under ideal studio conditions, perfectly complement her vigorous text.

"A book of advances wheel techniques and inspiration for potters who have basic skills but would like to learn more about throwing large forms, lids, handles, darting, and more"--

According to Ceramics Monthly, most potters glaze their pieces at mid-range temperatures--and this complete studio guide eliminates the guesswork from the popular process. Along with hundreds of recipes, it explores mixing, application, specific firing and cooling cycles, and much more. See how to boost colors, achieve results that equal high-fire glazing, and stretch your boundaries with new techniques.

Practical Pottery is setup to teach you the essential photographic reference for beginners. Filled with the basics on getting started, equipment, materials, clay constructions, and more, this book offers insight into embarking on a new creative adventure. You'll learn: - A step-by-step photographic sequence guide to be as comprehensive as possible. - projects that range from beginner to expert allowing you to put the new skills to work. - Include 70 projects that reflect new and old concepts from Jon's wildly successful YouTube channel. - Highly photographic