There are volumes of good books to help get one started with the basics, but the following are just a few hints and tips that sometimes are not found within pages but just from experience.
Keep Making – Getting it right and feeling comfortable with the clay take time – doing work again and again. It gets easier – really. The trick with clay is knowing how for your can push it and knowing when to stop – the only way of doing that is to keep making!
Smooth surfaces and straight lines take time and the right conditions. When building a piece do not get all caught up in smoothing while building, but smooth the surface once the structure is built and has had a chance do 'set up', the clay will respond better. As really wet clay is very difficult to smooth.
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Tools
There are a plethora of tools available from clay suppliers (and its true that I have succumb many a time to my weakness for modelling tools) but really the most effective and useful tools will be your hands, an expired credit card, a spoon and the odd table knife. Many of the tools you will use can be found in your cutlery drawer or a tool box. Any tool you use should feel like an extension of your hand and fingers. Meaning it should feel comfortable and natural. You may find in time that you have three or four favorite and useful tools. But try and make first before you go and buy tools. As only by actually making will help you in understanding the tools you will find most useful.
Clay
There are hundreds of different types of clay available and it is worth taking the time to match the clay to the specific project and or results. There is a right type of clay for the project. Sculptural or hand built pieces are helped by having clay with some or a lot of 'grog' in it. It makes the walls of the piece stronger and less likely to crack. Smoother clays, especially white bodies, such as white earthenware will only give you heartache and frustration if you try to build large pieces with it. Start out with a buff clay with a light grog or grogged red as they are more resilient and forgiving. Experiment with different clays and find one that works for you and the type of work you are building. |
