A beginning level college course in ceramic materials and processes. Covers various hand-building techniques, basic surface and glazing techniques, and the differences between gas and electric firing. This class meets for six (6) hours a week.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
To provide the beginning construction and glazing skills necessary for a student to design, construct and glaze both challenging and aesthetically pleasing ceramics, and to encourage the development of creative problem solving skills.
- Pinch construction
Create a group of pinch constructed pieces utilizing a variety of themes.
- Coil construction
Create a thematically based piece utilizing the coil construction technique.
- Slab construction
Create pieces utilizing both soft slab and stiff slab construction techniques.
- Mold construction
Create a ceramic piece utilizing one or more press molds.
- Slip decoration
Employ colored slips as a decorating vehicle in high fire ceramics.
- Iron oxide stain decoration
Employ iron oxide stain as a decorating vehicle in high fire ceramics.
- High fire glazing
Utilize a variety of high fire glaze techniques on ceramic pieces.
- Low fire glazing.
Apply low fire glazing glazes on one or more of ceramic pieces.
- Ceramic aesthetics
Analyze and contrast different themes and construction techniques in one's work and how discuss how these fit into a historical and/or contemporary overview of the media.
- Vocabulary
Define a basic vocabulary list pertaining to the operation of making and firing ceramics.
Assessment and Requirements
- Evaluation of hands-on projects.
- Class discussions
- Class participation
- Critiques.
- Written quizzes and/or exams as determined by the instructor and described in the course syllabus
No "text" required, but students do outside of class research on pottery.