Pottery & Ceramics Course: Hand Building

What you'll learn

Learn to create with clay in one of our pottery short courses in Sydney!

Join our creative and fun pottery & ceramics course and learn how to hand-build pots, cups, bowls, vessels and plates out of a lump of clay.

This hand-building course introduces students to the five fundamental hand-building techniques such as pinching pots, coil building, slumping in or over moulds, slab building, and coil and pinch.

Explore the mindful craft and learn best practices when designing anything in clay. Gain an understanding of the medium and learn how to glaze your work. You will be able to learn all about the different glaze types and techniques that are available as well as know how to create some decorative effects on your beautiful project.

With assistance, you will start a simple self-initiated pottery project using the techniques learned over the first weeks of the course.

By the end of this course, you'll have learned foundational hand-building techniques and created a variety of unique pieces. To continue your growth, consider enrolling in the Pottery & Ceramics Course: Hand Building Intermediate for more advanced techniques and exploration of different types of clay.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this pottery and ceramics hand-building course, you should be able to:

• Understand how to design and plan your project
• Use different hand-building techniques
• Create different decorative effects
• Understand the fundamentals of clay including the drying process
• Prepare and apply glazes

Course content

What will be covered in this pottery course? 

• Introduction to five fundamental hand-building techniques: pinching, coil building, slumping in or over moulds, slab building, and coil and pinch.
• Exploration of best practices for designing and creating pottery from clay, with a focus on mindfulness.
• Learning about different glaze types and techniques, along with methods to add decorative effects to your pieces.
• Guided creation of a self-initiated pottery project, applying the techniques learned throughout the course.

Week 1 - Pinch Pots

Learn to make a small pot, a simple cup, or a bowl by hand while learning to handle and understand clay. This class will introduce you to the fundamentals of clay, drying, firing, and hand-building. The pots will be bisque-fired, then glazed in week 3 or 4.

Week 2 - Coil Building

Learn to make larger and shaped vessels using coils, an ancient (and still widely used) hand-building technique. The vessels will be bisque-fired, then glazed in week 4 or 5.

Week 3 - Slumping in or Over Moulds

Using rolled-out sheets of clay, create new items from existing plates and bowls. In this class, various glaze types, decorative effects, and glazing techniques will be discussed. The vessels will be bisque-fired, then glazed in week 5 or 6.

Week 4 - Slab Building

Learn how to join rolled-out sheets of clay to create geometric forms and vessels. The vessels will be bisque-fired and then glazed either in week 6 or after the course.

Week 5 - Coil and Pinch

Learn how to make larger vessels using the age-old technique of coil and pinching. We will also discuss your individual project to be started in the next session. The vessels will be bisque-fired and then glazed after the course.

Week 6 - How to Design Functional Ceramics and Individual Project

Learn best practices for designing with clay. With assistance, you'll start a simple self-initiated project using techniques learned during the first 5 weeks of the course.

Upon completing the course, you can retrieve your projects from the Rozelle Office after they've been bisque-fired and glaze-fired. You'll receive an email notification when they are ready for collection.

Intended audience

Who is this pottery course for?

This course is for absolute beginners or students with minimal working knowledge of ceramics.

Course materials

Materials provided

All the necessary materials are provided, including:

• One bag of clay
• A basic tool kit
• A limited variety of glaze colours will be available for use during class.
• The firing of your projects

What to bring

• If you have a specific colour palette in mind, bring your own stoneware glazes.
• The tutor may suggest additional tools for your specific design after the first session.

Additional information

Please note the following:

• 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
• Following the course's completion, your projects will undergo bisque-firing and glaze-firing. You will receive an email notification when your stoneware is ready for collection from the Rozelle office.
• While rare, pottery pieces may break or explode during the kiln firing process. Precautions are taken to minimise this risk.
• Students must collect their pottery within one month after firing completion and notification.