General Questions
Stages of Clay
Tools
Technical
Ceramic Process
100
Happens when you leave an air pocket in your clay and fire it, or when the clay is too thick to dry properly.
What is an explosion?
100
Clay has begun to dry out and can no longer be formed or molded but the surface can easily be carved
What is Leather Hard?
100
A tool with a long, pointy tip that you can use for sgraffito, poking holes, and cutting clay.
What is a Needle Tool
100
This term refers to the one of several techniques of building pots using only the hands and simple tools rather than the potters wheel.
What is Hand Built
100
The "oven" for clay and glaze
What is a Kiln
200
At least this many coats of glaze must be applied
What is 3
200
The name of the first firing. Load bone dry clay only.
What is Bisque?
200
The name of these tools
What are loop tools?
200
Method potters use to adhere two pieces of clay together by scratching the surface.
Scoring
200
Another name for clay glue
What is Slip
300
You cannot mix this like typical paints to get the color you want
What is Glaze
300
Clay that has been completely air dried and is ready to go to the first kiln firing
What is Bone Dry
300
A tool that you can use to spin your piece as you work on it.
What is a Banding Wheel?
300
Clay rolled and flattened into a thin shape. Can be used as walls to construct a box.
What is a Slab
300
Using a rib to scrape the surface of a slab. This smooths the surface and makes it stronger.
What is compression?
400
The piece sticks to the shelf because of this
What is glazing the bottom?
400
A mix of different minerals from the earth. Some types we have are earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain.
What is a Clay Body?
400
A pottery knife with a metal blade and a wooden handle.
What is a fettling knife?
400
Rolled out ropes of clay
What is a Coil
400
A coating of silica and other minerals that creates a glassy, colorful coating when heated.
What is Glaze?
500
A decorating media that can be a different color before firing than after
What is Glaze
500
Any pottery that has not been bisque fired can be called this general term. Hint: it has the name of a color that symbolizes things being fresh or new.
What is Greenware?
500
A wooden, metal, or plastic tool for scraping clay. Sometimes shaped like a kidney bean or a tear drop.
What is a rib?
500
"Kneading" the clay to mix it and pop air bubbles before using it.
What is wedging?
500
Process of creating decorative and functional objects from clay.
What is Ceramics?