Pottery and Ceramics: Hand Building for Beginners

Learn to hand-build pottery with our Pottery courses in Sydney.

Learn about the practice of pottery and how lumps of soft clay are transformed into beautiful pieces of long-lasting ceramic.

In this course, you will be given guidance in various aspects of the ceramics process and will make a pair of test pieces before moving on to a self-determined main project with support from your teacher.

You will be taken through hand-building methods, how to employ various techniques of surface decoration, firing in an electric kiln and mixing and applying glazes.

Come with a readiness to learn and to get your hands dirty, and you will go home with several pieces designed and made by yourself

Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will have learnt how to

• use tools and equipment to decorate and to shape clay
• build basic forms in clay
• prepare and apply glazes
• fire your pieces

Ideal for

This course is designed for absolute beginners or people with a minimal working knowledge of ceramics.

Course content

• Information about how ceramics are created
• Handbuilding techniques
• Surface decoration techniques
• Design
• Firing in electric kilns
• Mixing and applying glazes

Week 1

• Introduction to ceramics and clay
• Begin hand-building tests

Week 2

• Begin hand-building main project
• Surface decoration techniques
• Glazing tests

Week 3

• Finalise hand-built pieces
• Further surface decoration techniques

Week 4

• Applying glazes
• Firing

Venue

Louise M Studio
20-28 Carrington Road
Marrickville, NSW, 2204
(Access via Renwick Street)

Parking directions:
It is best to park on Renwick Street – it is usually easy to secure a spot on Renwick Street between the cross-streets of Carrington Road and Excelsior Parade.
Cary Street and Warren Road will also have a few spots to park.

Other information

• Please don’t wear your best clothing! Clay will wash out, but it’s better to wear some older clothes
• If you have long hair, please tie it back
• Wear closed-in shoes
• You will need to return a week after the last class to collect your pieces. You will be able to discuss this with your teacher.