How To make Pottery
Key Steps for Throwing Your First Bowl
The foundation for all shapes made on the pottery wheel involves the same steps: Centering, Opening, Compressing the Base, Pulling the Walls, and Shaping.
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Setup and Direction [00:00:27]:
- Position yourself with your nose over the center of the wheel head and your feet level. Use support blocks/bricks under your legs.
- If you are right-handed, the wheel should turn counter-clockwise (into your palm, with the sweet spot being the right side of the wheel) [00:00:56].
- If you are left-handed, the wheel should turn clockwise (into your palm, with the sweet spot being the left side of the wheel) [00:01:17].
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Attach and Center the Clay [00:01:33]:
- Dampen the wheel head with a few drops of water, then slam the wedged clay down onto the center.
- Align the clay by slowly rotating the wheel by hand and gently pushing the clay toward the center [00:02:03].
- Once attached, dip your hands in water and go to full speed ("pedal to the metal") [00:02:43]. Speed is your friend and helps hold the position longer [00:03:03].
- Cone Up and Down: Apply pressure using the palms of both hands to bring the clay straight up (coning up) and then slowly push it down to compress and center it [00:03:09].
- You are done centering when you can rest one finger against the side and the clay does not bounce or wobble [00:06:17].
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Open Up the Clay to Create the Base [00:06:46]:
- Use a sponge "taco" in your dominant hand, supporting it with your non-dominant hand. Elbows should be tight against your legs.
- Push down right over the center to create an opening. Go down until the base is about half an inch thick (or 3/4 inch if you plan to trim a foot later) [00:07:21]. Use a needle tool to measure the base thickness with the wheel off [00:07:37].
- Compress the Base: Once open, use your sponge or the flat of your finger to compress the base of the bowl. This prevents cracking (S-cracks) [00:10:24].
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Pull the Walls [00:11:16]:
- Slow the wheel to medium speed [00:11:16].
- Use a clean, wet sponge on the outside and your wet fingertips on the inside to compress the base and then slowly pull up, maintaining even pressure.
- The goal is to create even thickness throughout the whole piece [00:12:24]. For a bowl, you want to tuck your finger in slightly to give a nice, solid wall to work with [00:10:13].
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Shape and Finish [00:15:09]:
- Use a wooden rib tool (with the circular side toward the base) in your non-dominant hand. Apply pressure from the base up to shape the wall into a bowl [00:15:15].
- Use a sponge to wipe away any sitting water in the base, as this can lead to cracking [00:15:54].
- Trim the Foot: Use a wooden tool with the blade side up to cut the excess clay away from the bottom, starting high and working down to create the desired angle [00:16:12].
- Cut Off: Splash water on one side of the base. Use a wire tool held taut to cut all the way through the base, keeping the wire straight and down [00:19:45].
Video Credit: A Beginner's Guide to the Wheel/Throwing a Bowl by Jasmeet Studio, published on February 1, 2023.