ceramic vocabulary
DESCRIPTION
clay terms used in Intro. to 3D artTRANSCRIPT
Wednesday, 9/8
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Today: Notes -Ceramic Vocabulary
Ceramic VocabularyIntro. to 3D Art
Ms. Yackel
ClayA 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
Ceramics1.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.
ScoreThe process of roughing the
surface of two pieces of clay that will be joined
together. A fork is used to score clay.
SlipClay that is thinned with water or vinegar to form a thick liquid. Slip is used on
scored areas to join two pieces of clay.
WedgingA process used to prepare clay for
working. Why do you need to wedge your clay?
a) Relieve clay of air bubblesb) Creates consistency in the clay
c) Detect foreign objects
Kilnthe furnace used to fire (heat) ceramic
objects
a) Bisque firing: 1600 degrees Fb) Glaze Firing: 2200 degrees F
Electric KilnType most
used in schools
Safe & predictable
Gas Kiln
Professional potters/studios
Gorgeous resultsWatch very
carefully
Raku Firing
Typically hand-builtOutside
Unpredictable resultsWatch ALL of the time
Kiln Furnitureshelves 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
AppliqueA decorative process in A decorative process in which a sculptural form which a sculptural form is added to a ceramic is added to a ceramic
piecepiece
Stages of Clay
Greenwaremoldable, “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 wetB. Clay has an air bubble
C. Clay is too thick
Why does applique fall off?
A. Clay was not slipped and scoredB. 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
• Eat off of it, drink from it, holds water
• Example: a glazed teapot, chair
• Purpose is to sit, hang, or be displayed
• To look at• Example: a paper
sculpture, an oil painting