HOUSEKEEPING

1. Privacy

   1. Please let us know if you do not want to be captured on camera

2. Safety Hazards

   1. Heat gun nozzle gets up to 600 degrees Celsius
   2. Sharp edge of trimming knife

3. Reinstatement

   1. Rinse all the tools that you use and return them to the correct tray

4. Waste Management

   1. Do not put dewatered clay scraps back into slip container
   2. Separate white and coloured clay scraps
   3. Rinse hand in bucket before going to the sink
   4. Bring your own packaging for collection

 

INSTRUCTIONS, TIPS & TRICKS

1. Casting

Stir slip until it starts to flow smoothly

Pour into plaster mould and allow to overflow slightly

Wait for 10 minutes

Tips and tricks

• You can create bands by stopping and resuming the pour.
• You can choose to make a smaller cup by only partially filling the mould.
• You can vary the thickness of the ware by adjusting the casting time. Thinner wares will be more translucent but will be harder to handle. They are more likely to crack during clean-up and painting and will warp more during firing.

 

This is the best stage to experiment and make mistakes. All imperfections can be cleaned up in the next stage. So don’t worry and enjoy yourself!

What is happening

• The plaster mould is porous.
• Water in the slip is being drawn out of the slip via capillary action.
• The water molecules are very small and so can move into the pores. Clay and other solid material are too big and are deposited on the surface of the mould forming a “skin” which will become the ware.
  

2. Draining

Give the mould a few gentle shakes in circular motion to “Wake up” the slip

Turn over quickly to drain the excess slip back into the container.

Give the mould a few front-back hard shakes to help with the drainage

Rest the mould inverted on the table mat at an angle to aid drainage and wait until slip has dewatered.

Tips and Tricks

Leaving mould upside down 180 degrees may create stalactite formations as the flow of the slip is disrupted and instead must drip off the bottom of the ware.

 

3. Trimming

Cut off the spare as soon as the slip has dewatered.

Cut with your fingers inside the mould, knife pointing out. Use the inside edge of the mould as a guide.

Cut with a quick and firm stroke to avoid flaking.

Avoid scraping on the mould excessively.

Use a damp sponge to clean up the inner rim, using the mould as support.

Note: Using a wet sponge will reintroduce water over-soften and increase working time. It can also cause cracks at the rim of the ware.

Tips and Tricks

• Cut as soon as possible to prevent flaking.
• Definition of ‘dewatered’: when slip has lost its shine and is no longer tacky to the touch.
• Cutting inside-out prevents the ware from distorting due to the friction of the knife. Go ahead and cut from the outside to distort if that is your thing! But be aware that the ware can crack.

 

4. Demoulding

Note:

Drying with heat gun is not necessary if ware is able to demould. 

Keep ware as wet as is possible if you plan to attach embellishments in the next step

Using two to three fingers from each hand, dislodge the greenware from the walls of the mould. You should hear of feel a ‘POP”

Lift the greenware upwards using friction. Do not press greenware against the wall.

Alternatively, turn the mould upside-down for the greenware to drop-out. Be careful not to drop or crush the greenware.

Use a damp sponge to soften imperfections

Tips and Tricks

Use heat gun judiciously. Aim for the walls, avoid the rims. Touch every ten seconds to avoid over-drying.

Ware must not be dry, hard nor smoking.

Stop drying as soon as a gap develops between the ware and the mould.

What is happening

As water is remove from the slip either through capillary action or evaporation, the solid particles move closer together. This results in the shrinkage of the greenware. The shrinkage is what allows the easy removal of the greenware

Definition of “Greenware”

This is the raw clay object that has been shaped by any forming technique. This object is chemically unchanged and will break down and turn back into its original state upon the reintroduction of water.

 

5. Decoration

NOTE: Always Join before you paint.

Marbling / Slip-trailing

Piercing

Scraping / Sgraffito

Joining

Join only pieces with similar moisture levels. Different moisture levels result in different shrinkage rates, which, results in joint failure.

Use only slip as glue.

Always support the ware from inside when applying pressure to prevent breaking the ware.

Painting

Uncoloured areas will be white and translucent

LESS IS MORE

Mix your intermediate colours on the palette first.

Underglaze contains water and will soften your ware.

Fired result will be darker and more vibrant.

Tips and Tricks

Not too thick or it will flake

Not too thin or it will be patchy

Avoid big patches of the same colour

Think about accentuation of the material not coverage.

What is happening

During the firing, the transparent glaze will ‘Wet’ the underglaze

 

 Media links

A short story of Porcelain by UNESCO

 

Behind the Scenes

See what happens to your works after this workshop. A short and educational video about glazing and firing.

Youtube link

See our brand video

Assisi Hospice Art Therapy Project

A video about our monthly volunteer art therapy session that brings joy to underserved communities. The products of this workshop are available for sale through Treasure Cove giftshop and the annual gala auction. Youtube link

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Video about our latest workshop

(National day special edition 2022)

Please help us to reach more people who may want to come.

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Video about our workshop

(General Marketing Use)

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