Terms and Processes

Preparing ClayWedging – a process of clearing air bubbles

out of clay by slamming it on a hard surface

Kneading - a process of removing the air bubbles from clay by kneading it like dough for bread

Methods of hand-buildingCoil – a process of building ceramics by

rolling clay out into long ropes and coiling it around a flat base

Methods of hand-buildingPinching – a process of creating ceramics by

taking a ball of clay and creating a hole in the middle, then pinching it around between finger and thumb to create the shape you like

Methods of hand-buildingSlab – ceramics created by rolling out thick,

flat slabs of clay, then constructing them into 3-D forms

The pottery wheelWheel – the spinning machine that is used to

create radial-balanced structures with clay

Throwing – the process of building a structure on the pottery wheel

Once the clay is dry…Kiln – a furnace for firing ceramic

Firing – the heating of clay or glaze to a specific temperature

Glaze – a glassy coating that bonds to ceramic surfaces by heat; this is essentially “paint” for ceramics and adds color to them

Conditions of clayGreenware – unfired clay object

Conditions of clayLeather hard – raw clay when most of the

moisture is out but it is still soft enough to carve or adjoin to other pieces

Conditions of clayBone-dry – unfired clay with no absorbed

moisture

Conditions of clayBisque – clay that is fired once, but unglazed

Conditions of clayGlaze ware – clay that has been glazed and

re-fired

Other important terms

Slip – clay mixed with water to use as “glue” for your separate clay pieces

Score – cutting small notches into the part of the clay which you are going to “slip” in order to create a good, solid hold between pieces