Pottery lessons

140 free lessons from the Claybook curriculum clay, throwing, surfaces, glazing, and firing. Read here for search and reference; open the app to track progress and practice with quizzes.

Level 1: The Foundations of Clay

Studio Safety & Best Practices

The Essential Pottery Toolkit

The Three Clay Types

Stages of Clay

Level 1: Preparing Your Clay

Why We Wedge

Spiral Wedging Technique

Ram's Head Wedging Technique

Weighing & Storing

Level 1: Handbuilding Basics

The Pinch Pot Method

Coil Building: Creating Height

Soft Slab Construction

Hard Slab Construction

Scoring & Slipping

Level 2: Conquering the Wheel

Wheel Anatomy

Coning Up & Down

Centering the Clay

Opening the Center

The First Pull

Compressing the Lip

Wobbly Cylinders

Level 2: Shaping & Forming

Throwing a Bowl

Throwing a Mug Body

Throwing a Flat Plate

Using Ribs

Level 3: Trimming & Refining

Leather-Hard Stage

Lugs & Giffin Grips

Loop Tools & Knives

Cylinder Foot Ring

Bowl Foot Ring

Burnishing and Surface Smoothing

Level 3: Handles, Spouts & Lids

Pulling a Handle

Attaching Handles

Pouring Spouts

Measuring for Lids

Drop Lids & Galleries

Level 4: Surface Decoration (Pre-Bisque)

Carving, Fluting, and Faceting

Applying Underglazes

Sgraffito: Scratching Through Slip

Mishima: Inlaying Slip

Slip Trailing for 3D Texture

Level 4: The First Bake: Bisque Firing

Bone Dry

Kiln Furniture

Loading a Bisque Kiln

Bisque Firing Schedule

Unloading Bisqueware

Level 5: Glazing 101

Glaze Safety & PPE

Wax Resist Application

Dipping with Tongs

Pouring Glaze

Brushing Glazes

Level 5: The Final Bake: Glaze Firing

Pyrometric Cones

Loading a Glaze Kiln

Oxidation vs. Reduction

Common Glaze Faults

Kiln Shelf Grinding

Level 6: Advanced Throwing Techniques

Throwing off the Hump

Collaring & Narrow Necks

Sectional Throwing for Large Pots

Throwing Doughnut Forms

Altering Thrown Forms

Level 6: Alternative Firing Methods

Raku Firing

Horsehair and Obvara Firing

Pit Firing and Barrel Firing

Wood Firing

Salt & Soda Firing

Level 7: Studio Mastery & Chemistry

Reclaiming Clay

Mixing Glaze Recipes

Making and Interpreting Test Tiles

Kiln Maintenance

Pricing Your Work