Pottery Wheel Throwing & Kiln Firing for Complete Beginners from Udemy

This course offers beginners and entry-level clay enthusiasts a punchy step-by-step guide to creating your own pottery pieces from start to finish. Unlike other courses which focus mainly on the techniques of manipulating clay, this course also delves into basic kiln firing knowledge, which is an essential part for finishing your product.

We begin with the basic understanding of materials, processes and tools, followed by the preparation of clay. The main mode of creating pottery in this course is using the electric potter's wheel, which gives your product a uniform and finished appearance. However, if throwing on the electric potter's wheel is new to you, fret not, as this course breaks down the different steps of wheel-throwing for complete beginners. This includes centering, coning, compressing, pre-lift, first pull, bellying, finishing and wiring off.

Our foray into kiln firing techniques include preparing your wares for bisque and glaze firing, loading and unloading the kiln, as well as other key information for ensuring successful and consistent firing cycles.

With over 20 step-by-step videos and voiceovers, you can replay any part of this course as many times you like, to sharpen your techniques. Join us in your first step towards creating your own clay masterpieces.

What's inside

Syllabus

By the end of this section, students will be familiar the key materials, tools, and equipment required for a meaningful pottery journey.

Course Introduction

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Breaks down wheel-throwing into steps like centering, coning, compressing, and pulling, which are essential for beginners to master

Covers preparing wares for bisque and glaze firing, loading/unloading the kiln, and ensuring successful firing cycles, which are crucial for beginners

Includes over 20 step-by-step videos with voiceovers, allowing learners to replay sections and sharpen their techniques, which is helpful for beginners

Requires access to a pottery wheel and kiln, which may not be readily available or affordable for all beginners

Focuses on using an electric potter's wheel, which may not cover alternative pottery techniques that some beginners may be interested in

Reviews summary

Beginner pottery: wheel throwing & kiln basics

According to learners, this course is a positive and beginner-friendly introduction to pottery, covering both wheel throwing fundamentals and the crucial step of kiln firing. Many found the step-by-step demonstrations clear and easy to follow, particularly praising the coverage of core techniques like centering and pulling walls. The inclusion of basic kiln firing knowledge is frequently highlighted as a significant strength not often found in similar introductory courses. While providing a solid foundation, some reviewers noted that the course's depth on certain techniques, like glazing or troubleshooting, is somewhat basic and may require supplementary learning. Overall, it is seen as an excellent starting point for those completely new to the craft.

Visual guides are helpful for techniques.

"Great production quality, easy to see what the instructor was doing."

"The videos broke down complex techniques into manageable steps."

"Instructor's hands are clearly visible during demonstrations."

Uniquely includes essential firing basics.

"I loved that they covered kiln firing, most courses don't!"

"Worth it just for the kiln info. Essential knowledge for finishing pieces."

"This course stood out because it includes the whole process up to firing."

Easy to follow for complete beginners.

"This course was fantastic for a true beginner. I felt like the steps were explained clearly."

"Totally new to pottery and I could follow along perfectly."

"Instructor explains the process clearly and simply, great for someone starting out."

Glazing section lacks depth.

"The section on glazing was very basic, I needed to look up other resources."

"Wish there was more detail on different glazing techniques and effects."

"Covers the absolute basics of glazing, but not much beyond that."

Some find specific steps too fast initially.

"The centering section was a bit fast, but I rewatched it multiple times."

"I struggled with the first pull after watching this, maybe needed more angles or slower pace."

"Might need to pause and replay videos often when learning new techniques."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Pottery Wheel Throwing & Kiln Firing for Complete Beginners with these activities:

The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques

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Familiarize yourself with the terminology and concepts used in pottery before starting the course.

View The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'The Potter's Dictionary'.
Browse the sections on clay, glazes, and firing.
Note down any unfamiliar terms for later research.

Review Basic Physics Concepts

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Brush up on basic physics concepts related to heat transfer, as these are relevant to understanding kiln firing.

Browse courses on Heat Transfer

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Review notes or online resources on heat transfer.
Focus on conduction, convection, and radiation.
Understand how different materials react to heat.

Mastering the Potter's Wheel

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Deepen your understanding of wheel throwing techniques with this comprehensive guide.

View The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Mastering the Potter's Wheel'.
Review the sections on centering, opening, and pulling.
Practice the techniques described in the book.

Four other activities

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Practice Centering Clay

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Dedicate time to practicing centering clay on the wheel, as this is a fundamental skill for wheel throwing.

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Prepare clay by wedging it properly.
Secure the clay on the wheel head.
Practice centering using the coning up and down technique.
Repeat until you can consistently center the clay.

Document Your Firing Cycles

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Create a detailed log of each firing cycle, including temperature, duration, and results, to improve consistency and troubleshoot issues.

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Create a template for recording firing data.
Record the date, time, and type of firing.
Note the temperature at different stages.
Document the results and any issues encountered.

Create a Small Batch of Glazes

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Experiment with creating your own glazes to gain a deeper understanding of glaze chemistry and achieve unique effects.

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Research basic glaze recipes and materials.
Weigh and mix the ingredients carefully.
Test the glazes on small test tiles.
Record the results and adjust the recipes as needed.

Build a Glaze Database

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Create a database of glaze recipes, firing schedules, and results to help you track your experiments and improve your glazing process.

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Choose a format for your database (spreadsheet, software, etc.).
Include fields for glaze recipe, firing schedule, and results.
Add photos of the glazed pieces.
Regularly update the database with new information.

Career center

Learners who complete Pottery Wheel Throwing & Kiln Firing for Complete Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Hobby Potter

A hobby potter creates pottery for personal enjoyment and creative expression. This course is perfectly suited for hobby potters as it offers beginners a step-by-step guide to creating pottery pieces from start to finish. Unlike other courses which focus mainly on the techniques of manipulating clay, this course also delves into kilm firing knowledge, which is an essential part for finishing your product. The main mode of creation is via an electric potter's wheel.

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Potter

The role of a potter involves creating functional and artistic pieces from clay, often using a potter's wheel. This course, which covers wheel-throwing techniques such as centering, coning, compressing, pulling, and shaping, helps build a strong foundation for success as a potter. Furthermore, the course goes into kiln firing techniques, including preparing wares for bisque and glaze firing, loading and unloading the kiln, and ensuring consistent firing cycles. Aspiring potters should take this course if they want to understand the end-to-end process of pottery creation, not just the manipulation of clay.

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Ceramic Artist

A ceramic artist creates artistic pieces using clay and other ceramic materials. This course helps build a foundation for a career as a ceramic artist by teaching basic skills in clay preparation, wheel-throwing, and kiln firing. The course covers essential equipment and tools, as well as techniques for creating different forms. Ceramic artists should take this course to understand the fundamentals of materials, processes, and tools used in ceramics. It is especially helpful for learning the essentials of using an electric potter's wheel.

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Pottery Production Assistant

A pottery production assistant supports the creation of pottery on a larger scale, often in small studios or workshops. This course helps prepare an individual for this role by going over fundamentals of materials, processes, and tools, followed by clay preparation. The main mode of creating pottery in this course is using the electric potter's wheel, which gives your product a uniform and finished appearance. Pottery production assistants may find that they learn efficient clay processing techniques related to preparing their wares for bisque and glaze firing. Understanding the process from clay preparation to finished product is crucial for this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Pottery Production Assistant

Ceramics Teacher

A ceramics teacher instructs students of all ages in the art of pottery and ceramics. With its comprehensive coverage of materials, processes, and tools, this course helps build skills for teaching others. The course's step-by-step videos make it easier to understand and demonstrate techniques, from clay preparation to kiln firing. Aspiring ceramics teachers can especially benefit from the sections on wheel-throwing, glazing, and firing, as these cover key skills that are often taught in introductory courses.

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Studio Assistant

A studio assistant supports established artists in their studio practice. This course may be particularly helpful for aspiring studio assistants who want to work in ceramics, as it provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of pottery. The course covers materials, tools, clay preparation, and wheel-throwing techniques. Studio assistants benefit from the kiln techniques covered in the course, including bisque and glaze firing. Those seeking a role as a studio assistant should take this course to become familiar with studio equipment and processes.

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Kiln Technician

A kiln technician maintains and operates kilns for ceramic studios or production facilities. This course can be helpful for aspiring kiln technicians, as it covers essential kiln firing knowledge. The course delves into preparing wares for bisque and glaze firing, loading and unloading the kiln, and ensuring successful firing cycles. Taking this course is a great way to understand the science and practice of firing ceramics, which is invaluable when working as a kiln technician.

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Ceramic Designer

A ceramic designer creates designs for ceramic products, often working with manufacturers or studios. This course can be useful for those wishing to become ceramic designers, as it covers the key techniques and processes involved in creating pottery. The course includes instruction on wheel-throwing, shaping, and glazing. Aspiring ceramic designers should take this course to understand the practical aspects of ceramic production and the possibilities of the medium.

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Craft Fair Vendor

Many craft fair vendors sell handmade items, including ceramics. This course may be useful for those who want to start selling their pottery at craft fairs. This course offers beginners a step-by-step guide to creating pottery pieces from start to finish and delves into basic kiln firing knowledge, an essential part for finishing your product. Craft fair vendors will find that they learn to make products efficiently, and at a low cost, using the electric potter's wheel.

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Art teacher

An art teacher instructs students in various art forms, including ceramics. Pottery Wheel Throwing & Kiln Firing for Complete Beginners may be useful for art teachers who want to teach their students the fundamentals of pottery. The course goes over key materials, tools, and equipment required for a meaningful pottery journey. Knowledge of processes like glaze firing can be very helpful to students.

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Ceramic Restorer

A ceramic restorer repairs and restores damaged ceramic objects. The techniques taught in this course may be useful for those interested in ceramic restoration. While restoration requires specialized skills, understanding the basic materials, processes, and firing techniques can be helpful. Ceramic restorers will be able to apply their knowledge of the electric potter's wheel, bisque firing, and glazing.

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Sculptor

A sculptor creates three-dimensional artwork from various materials, including clay. The skills taught in this course, such as hand-building, wheel-throwing, and firing, may be useful for sculptors who want to incorporate ceramics into their work. Sculptors may also find that they learn basic kiln firing knowledge, which is an essential part for finishing artwork. The main mode of creation is via an electric potter's wheel.

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Mold Maker

A mold maker creates molds used to reproduce ceramic pieces. This course may be useful for a mold maker, as it provides an understanding of the shapes and forms that can be created with clay. This course offers beginners and entry-level clay enthusiasts a step-by-step guide to creating pottery pieces from start to finish. Unlike other courses which focus mainly on the techniques of manipulating clay, this course helps mold makers grasp basic kiln firing knowledge.

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Arts Administrator

An arts administrator manages the operations of an arts organization. This course may be helpful for an arts administrator to understand the processes and techniques involved in ceramics. Arts administrators will find that this course offers beginners and entry-level clay enthusiasts a punchy step-by-step guide to creating pottery pieces from start to finish. Kiln firing knowledge can be helpful for those who work with practicing artists.

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Museum curator

A museum curator acquires, researches, and displays artifacts for a museum. This course may be helpful for a museum curator, as it provides a foundation for understanding the history and techniques involved in ceramics. Museum curators may be interested in insights into the key materials, tools, and equipment required for a meaningful pottery journey. The curator will gain an understanding of how to prepare work and complete a bisque firing, along with glaze firing.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Pottery Wheel Throwing & Kiln Firing for Complete Beginners.

The Potter's Dictionary

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Is an invaluable resource for understanding the materials and techniques used in pottery. It provides detailed explanations of clay bodies, glazes, firing processes, and various forming methods. It is particularly useful for beginners as it demystifies the technical aspects of pottery, and it is also a useful reference for more experienced potters.

The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques

Hardcover

The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters...

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Provides a comprehensive guide to wheel throwing techniques, with clear instructions and helpful illustrations. It covers a wide range of forms and techniques, making it a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced potters. It expands on the wheel-throwing techniques covered in the course, providing additional depth and breadth.

The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters...

Kindle Edition

Pottery Wheel Throwing & Kiln Firing for Complete Beginners

What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Beginner pottery: wheel throwing & kiln basics

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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