Lesson: Learn Throwing a Basic Pot on The Potter’s Wheel
Learn Pottery, Step-by-step lesson
The tutorial below will guide you step by step illustrating how to use your body properly throwing a pot on the wheel. Always start small. This demo is with a 3 lbs clay and starting with 2 lbs will be a wise choice if you are a beginner.
4. Get your hands wet
| 6. Sit close to the wheel & anchor your elbows tightly against body
| 8. Level top of cone with thumbs pressure
| 10. Coning down – place left hand as in previous step securing elbow into body
| 12. Right hand pushes down. Left hand pushes forward. Wheel speed – fast
| 14. Left hand smooths outer edge of clay with palm
| 16. Decisively, make a hole in center – both hands are touching each other
| 18. Pull clay out – both hands are touching each other and clay is wet
| 20. Smooth all unevenness. Make sure clay is not too dry
| 22. If bottom too thick or uneven pass thumbs on bottom as shown
| 26. Raise the wall – squeeze clay w/ fingers using a sponge. Use fingers tips only. Hands touching
| 28. Contact clay with finger tips to avoid unnecessary friction
| 30. Smooth the rim at end of each pull
| 32. As the wall gets thinner, use less finger surface contact .
| 34. Even wall of cylinder
| 36. Collar top portion of cylinder in and even the rim
| 40. Smooth rim with Chamois
| 42. Under cutting -Clear clay from bat for easy access to the cutting wire
| 44. Watch the angle of the wooden tool.
| 46. Push the wire against the bat with thumbs or index fingers
| 48. If throwing for practice, slice pot to view wall uniformity
Step-by-step illustration of how to throw a clay pot on the pottery wheel | beginners throwing pot lesson | Learn Pottery
|