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Ceramic tableware
Ceramic tableware
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Discovering possibilities with ceramics
During a week I started to learn the basic techniques of ceramics. Because I didn't know anything about this material yet, this was an intensive but educational week.
Among other things, I learned how to make a one-piece plaster casting mold, what the differences are between earthenware and porcelain (casting clay) and how to glaze. Below you can see some images of this.
The first step to be able to make something from casting clay is to make a plaster casting mold. This must be made of plaster because it can absorb the moisture from the casting clay to allow it to harden. Making a mold is not very complicated. You do have to be careful that you mix the right amounts for the plaster and you have to make sure that the edges around the object are thick enough. After pouring, the mold must be completely hardened before you can pour anything in it.
So let the clay sit in the mold for a short while, until the edge is thick enough. Pour the remaining clay out and back into the bucket. So you can create a hollow shape.
Here you can see the mold as you will be using it. At the top of the object that you are going to pour, there is an extra space. By also filling this, you can be sure that your entire object is filled.
Glazing is the next step once the casting clay has hardened. There are different types of glazes, ready-made glazes and pigments that you can mix into your own color. Since I was experimenting for a saxophone mug, I chose to try out different shades of brown. The ratio of brown-yellow is slightly different for each glaze. What I did find out is that the glaze becomes a lot darker when it is baked.
Making crockery was actually my goal this week, because I thought it was an easy technique. The production turned out to be more complicated than expected after this in-depth week. So I am happy with the result of 6 shot glasses and 2 flower pots. I was able to glaze these as well, and so learned a lot about producing more of the same shapes.
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